Monthly Archives: June 2002

fishers reporting a lot of bait fish

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Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 19.1 C  Min. 9.1 C  Reset 14.9 C
THE DAY: Cloudy till 9:45 then Part Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles  Wind Light All Day  Sea Rippled  In all a great Day
MARINE LIFE: Mature bald eagle made one flight just after 6 this morning but was driven out by the gulls and all was quiet until a juvenile eagle arrived approx. 16:00. The gulls were quickly in the air and the young eagle gave up rather easily and headed off towards Bentinck Island.Just at suset a lone adult bald eagle flew low over the water by West Race but the gulls spotted the big bird and headed it off before reaching Gr. Race. It really is amazing how the gulls work together to chase pedators away. One of the large Elephant Seals spent several hours floating with his head just above the water near the east tip of Middle Rock.In the late afternoon there was a fair size fish ball near the kelp bed south of Gr. Race, the birds had a good feed.The sports fishers talking on the VHF radios are reporting a lot of bait fish so hope it’s a good supply for the nesters and their young this year.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 9 ecotour boats and 3 pleasure craft through the reserve.The Hyaku was in this morning with Garry, Angus and guest to film the boats in the Victoria to Maui race, unfortunately no wind and in fact it was about 16:00 before the first boat reached Race Passage! The Hyaku did a couple of tours in the reserve this afternoon but did not come ashore.
posted by at 6:01 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind North East 5 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:27 AM

Gulls drive off eagle

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‘Mature bald eagle made one flight just after 6 this morning but was driven out by the gulls and all was quiet until a juvenile eagle arrived approx. 16:00. The gulls were quickly in the air and the young eagle gave up rather easily and headed off towards Bentinck Island.Just at sunset a lone adult bald eagle flew low over the water by West Race but the gulls spotted the big bird and headed it off before reaching Gr. Race. It really is amazing how the gulls work together to chase predators away. One of the large Elephant Seals spent several hours floating with his head just above the water near the east tip of Middle Rock.In the late afternoon there was a fair size fish ball near the kelp bed south of Gr. Race, the birds had a good feed.The sports fishers talking on the VHF radios are reporting a lot of bait fish so hope it”s a good supply for the nesters and their young this year.’, ‘Carol or Mike S’, ’16:19:41 ,

it’s a cheerful sound but wonder what they are up to in the dark?

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Monday, June 24, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 14.3 C  Min. 9.7C  Reset 12.1 C
THE DAY: Cloudy  Vis. 12 – 15 Miles  Wind West 13 – 19 Knots Sea 1 – 2 Foot Chop
MARINE LIFE: Again today only one bald eagle which flew over just after 9 a.m., no birds were taken.The Eagle was gone by 9:30 so the resident bird population was fairly quiet until The Oyster Catchers did their evening flight, dipping and diving along the shoreline calling out with their distinctive high pitched cheeps.Often hear them at night especially when the moon is bright, it’s a cheerful sound but wonder what they are up to in the dark.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 pleasure craft through the reserve today,also station boat to Pedder Bay and back.
posted by at 7:08 PM

Good Morning

WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 17 Knots Sea 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:22 AM

23 eco tour boats, 7 pleasure craft,

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Sunday, June 23, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.5 C  Min. 10.1 C Reset 13.5 Rain tr.
THE DAY: Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind South 13 Knots till 12:30 then W 15 to 22 Knots  Sea Rippled to 1 Foot Chop 13:00 2 to3 Foot Chop
MARINE LIFE: Lone mature bald eagle made several unsuccessful hunts over Gr. Race finally giving up and flying over towards Whirl Bay just after 15:00, the birds were unsettled for several hours.The goslings are growing fast and are about 3/4 the size of the adults with the most noticeable increase in their wings which they ‘exercise’ frequently-I think I know where the expression ‘silly as a goose’ comes from- balance is everything!
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 23 eco tour boats, 7 pleasure craft,one college Zodiac and 1 dive boat in the reserve today, the station boat made a trip out to assist boater out of fuel! Station boat also made a trip to Pedder Bay and back.
posted by at 6:19 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind South 13 Knots  Sea Rippled to 1 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:07 AM

Currents to the East of Race Rocks

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RRJune2102ebb12                   RRtmap21062002ebb          wrkngcp-eng

It takes a lot of energy to feed three chicks with both adults taking turns.

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Friday, June 21, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 18.0 C Min. 9.9 C  Reset 13.3 C
THE DAY: Clear Vis. 15 Miles  Wind North West Light 15:35 West 27 Knots Sea Rippled 16:00 2′ to 3 foot Chop
MARINE LIFE: Another good weather day! although the wind did pick up in the late afternoon. The Oyster Catchers are busy gathering food for the chicks some of which are as big as the adults but not very nimble just yet and do a lot more falling off rocks than hopping from one to another. The oldest chicks from the nest in the east bay area are starting to pick at snails etc. at the low tides but most of their success is mostly good luck – problem with attention span and anyway the mainstay of their diet is still being provided by the parents.Chicks beaks are still dark coloured at the tips and much paler orange on the rest so are easily distinguished from the adults.It takes a lot of energy to feed three chicks with both adults taking turns.When the tide is low the food is relatively close by but as the tide rises the adults have to fly farther to find chitons, mussels, snails and the like.Watched for 1 hour after the tide had covered the accessible food areas near the chicks and the adult was foraging several hundred metres away on the southeast rocks -in that hour the adult made 13 return trips –sometimes it took only 30-40 seconds to find food and return but often it took over a minute to come up with the appropriate food item.That’s a lot of trips a day one limpet, snail,mussel, etc. at a time and also a lot of energy prying the aforesaid creatures off the rocks!
HUMAN INTERACTION: Second Nature out with group for tour and dropped Ryan off to relieve while we did some errands in town.Ryan reported that a group in a rental boat breached the guildlines by landing 2 people on middle rock and they were harassing the elephant seals that were hauled out. There is a policy of no landing on the islands except by obtaining a permit from B.C. Parks – fortunately most people would not think of disturbing the marine animals like this but there is always 1( in this case 2) in every crowd!!
posted by at 7:42 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear Vis. 15 Miles  Wind North West 4 Knots Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:19 AM

2 barn swallows flew around the island

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Thursday, June 20, 2002 Good Evening

TEMPERATURE: Max. 18.3 C  Min. 8.7 C Reset 13.1 C
THE DAY: Clear  Vis. 15 miles  Wind Light all Day  Sea Rippled and Even at Times Smooth
MARINE LIFE: One of those rare days with little wind,everyone just soaking up the warmth.The goose ‘family’ took a sea trip around Gr. Race and are quite strong swimmers now.The young ones did sleep for about 11/2 hours under the front porch when they came ashore. 2 barn swallows flew around the island this morning but as in past years, just a visit. About 4 years ago we had one pair build a nest on the downspout but after a couple of nights in a 25 knt. westerly they had second thoughts about their choice of real estate and left. A few swallows visit every year, usually earlier in the spring -it’s strange to me why they would fly way out here.Still hearing what sounds like large elephant seals snorting just off the dock at night, they do feed at night, but no sightings during the day.
HUMAN INTERACTION: There were 4 pleasure craft, 2 ecotour boats and 1 inflatable Coast Guard boat( 5 persons aboard wearing blue hard hats,) that circled Gr. Race – Since the C.G. vessel ‘Vector’ was in the area I think they may have been working from it.
posted by at 6:37 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear �� Vis. 15 Miles �� Wind West 11 Knots �� Sea Rippled
posted by at 5:08 AM

they are so nervous from the eagles and in the wind the eggs can cool very quickly

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Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.0 C  Min. 9.1 C Reset 11.7
THE DAY: Part Cloudy Vis 12 @ 6:30 15 Miles Wind West 15 Gust 21 Knots  Sea 2 to 3 Foot Chop All Day
MARINE LIFE: One mature Bald Eagle spent most of the day on North Rocks and made two tries to hunt over Gr. Race but was driven off each time.The gulls and oyster catchers are on the alert at all times especially the past week or so.Most gulls have nests now and soon we should see eggs hatching from the early nesters. Don’t like to disturb them as they are so nervous from the eagles and in the wind the eggs can cool very quickly.There are still 4 Northern Sealions on the southeast rocks, one was swimming in the east bay area with about 30 harbour seals which had been hauled out on the rocks until the rising tide washed them off.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Chris and Ryan in with Second Nature – 5 trips with diesel fuel. 2 pleasure craft through the reserve.
posted by at 6:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis. 12 Miles  Wind 21 Knots  Sea 2 to 3 Foot Chop
posted by at 5:33 AM

young Northern Sealions hauled out on the southwestern slope

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Tuesday, June 18, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 13.5 C Min. 9.5 C Reset 12.5 C  Rain 0.8 mm
THE DAY: Part Cloudy  Vis 15 miles  Wind West 15 Till 9:00 then 20 Gusting 33 Knots Sea 1 – 2 Foot Chop until 10:15 Then 3 to 5 Foot Moderate
MARINE LIFE: The birds continue to sit on nests and when alerted take to the air to ward off the one mature Bald Eagle that made several unsuccessful hunting flights over Gr. Race. The Eagle left the area just after noon,then again just after sunset a lone mature eagle made one last flight along the shoreline before heading across Race Passage towards Bentinck Island.3 young Northern Sealions hauled out on the southwestern slope of the southeast rocks along with approx. 13 Harbour seals.Counted 7 small to medium size elephant seals on middle rock,did hear loud bellows and snorting near the dock last night that could be the larger bull elephant seals but have not seen them hauled out for a few days.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Chris and Ryan delivered 2 loads of diesel fuel with the Second Nature in the morning and 1 tour boat was through the reserve today.
posted by at 6:06 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 17 Knots  Sea 1 – 2 Foot Chop
posted by at 6:03 AM

The whales were ‘accompanied’ by a flotilla of 17-23 tour boats

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Monday, June 17, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 15.1 C  Min. 9.3 C  Reset 13.2 C  Rain 2.8 mm
THE DAY: Overcast  Vis 15 Miles  Winds Light South West  Sea Rippled  Rain Showers through-out the Day.
MARINE LIFE: Most of the Gulls are incubating eggs now although there are the ‘late bloomers’ still gathering nesting material and engaging in the usual turf wars. The 5 goslings are looking more like geese every day,all have the distinctive tail markings but their wings are still very small their down is rapidly giving way to feathers.With the Eagles hunting every day, I’m surprised all the chicks have survived. Three gulls were not so lucky,the first one was taken by a juvenile Bald Eagle just after 11:00 in front of the Science centre. Two mature Eagles hunted the area most of the afternoon and had successful kills at 13:55 and 16:20.The highlight of the day — a group of 12-15 Orca came through the reserve, five of them were in the kelp just off the end of the dock.One orca looked to be a fairly small calf traveling close to 4 or 5 larger animals. We knew they were headed this way from the west by the ‘chatter’ on the VHF radios about 10:30.The whales were ‘accompanied’ by a flotilla of 17-23 tour boats until they were too far east to see with the telescope -7 hours at least. As the orcas approached the MPA one of the boat operators reminded the other boats about not following the whales through the reserve as per the guidelines. No one did, however the Flotilla was waiting on the other side of Gr. Race! The whales put on a great show, breaching, spy hopping, and rolling in the kelp just off the east shore.They spent about 40 minutes in the reserve.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Chris in with Second Nature this morning to pick up tank for fueling tomorrow, also Ryan returned to civilization? in the zodiac- strange to see no lights in the science centre -just the two of us again! 2 pleasure craft and 17 tour boats through the reserve today.
posted by at 6:34 PM