Monthly Archives: April 2011

Seawater Data: Temperature and Salinity -April 2011

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Daily Seawater Temperature and Density Record Shore Station
Station:  Race  Rocks  Lightstation Time Zone   P.S.T
Observer: Lester B. Pearson  College  of  the  Pacific MONTH: April         YEAR: 2011
Date Time Sea
Temp.
°C		 Jar
Temp.
°C		 Hydro-  meter   No. Observer  Density (1.02–)                                                                     Reduced *Corrected *Salinity
1 14:00 8.1 8.0 10,802 1.0237 1.0226 1.0
2 14:50 8.0 7.9 10,802 1.0236 1.0225 1.0
3 15:49 8.0 7.8 10,802 1.0237 1.0226 1.0
4 16:30 7.8 7.7 10,802 1.0236 1.0225 1.0
5 19:11 7.9 7.8 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
6 20:23 7.9 7.7 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
7 20:28 7.9 7.6 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
8 22:15 8.2 8.1 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
9 2:55 8.3 8.1 10,802 1.0239 1.0228 1.0
10 3:40 8.2 8.1 10,802 1.0239 1.0228 1.0
11 0:48 8.4 8.2 10,802 1.0237 1.0226 1.0
12 0:55 8.2 8.1 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
13 8:10 8.2 8.2 10,802 1.0239 1.0228 1.0
14 11:11 8.3 8.2 10,802 1.0239 1.0228 1.0
15 12:49 8.5 8.4 10,802 1.0239 1.0229 1.0
16 13:41 8.6 8.5 10,802 1.0240 1.0230 1.0
17 15:01 9.0 8.8 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
18 16:38 9.0 8.8 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
19 19:02 8.9 8.7 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
20 20:05 8.5 8.2 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
21 21:20 8.8 8.6 10,802 1.0238 1.0227 1.0
22 22:33 8.8 8.8 10,802 1.0238 1.0228 1.0
23 23:14 9.1 9.0 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
24 23:40 9.0 8.9 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
25 NO HIGH TIDE 10,802 1.0
26 0:15 9.0 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
27 10:21 9.2 9.1 10,802 1.0236 1.0226 1.0
28 11:00 9.1 9.0 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
29 13:19 9.0 9.0 10,802 1.0237 1.0227 1.0
30 17:11 9.6 9.5 10,802 1.0234 1.0226 1.0
31 10,802 1.0
Mean*                * 8.5 8.4 1.0238 1.0227 1.0                    *             *
Recorded by Race Rocks Marine Protected Area Guardian Ryan Murphy or Adam Harding.
Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific

Chthamalus dalli: small Northern barnacle– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Chthamalus dalli in the Intertidal zone at Race Rocks

Physical description:
-Size: Reaches a diameter of only 8 mm (0.3 inches)
Colour: Gray, brown
Shape: It looks like a big brown barnacle but the main the difference is the size – it is much smaller
Texture: They do not have ridges
Geographical range: Alaska to San Diego
Habitat: Intertidal and splash zones but also it can occasionally be seen at lower levels
Feeding: Filter feeders on microplankton
Predators: Predatory snails including Nucella ostrina and sea stars such as Leptasterias. If predators are prevalent, Chthamalus dalli will sometimes grow a slight curve on its shell to protect itself.
Reproduction: They are hermaphroditic and produce sperm and eggs simultaneously. They do not self-fertilize, instead they use their long penis (4.5 cm from the shell) to fertilize another barnacle. Life span: About 3 years
Behaviour: It may spend more than half of its life out of the water because it can live in high intertidal levels
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Cirripedia
Order Thoracica
Family Chthamalidae
Genus Chthamalus
Species dalli
Common Name: small northern barnacle

References:
http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/B/Balanus_glandula/
http://beachwatchers.wsu.edu/ezidweb/animals/Chthamalus.htm

Other Members of the Phylum Arthropoda at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Alessandra Bustamante Concha-Fernández, Peru ( PC yr 37)

Buteo jamaicensis: Red tailed Hawk , The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Ecoguardian  Derek Sterling posted this photo of a red-tailed hawk at Race Rocks in April 2023:
https://racerocks.ca/hawk-and-tag/

On April 2, 2011, this red tailed hawk visited the reserve. Ryan got some great shots of it as it soared over the island and landed for a brief time.
Images by Ryan Murphy

 

Pam Birley also got some pictures that day as it landed up near the remote camera 5.

RECORD OF STRANGE BEHAVIOUR OF RED TAIL HAWK
April 17, 2009:

October 9, 2003:
Virgil Hawkes and I, of LGL Limited, were conducting a monitoring session as part of our research on the effects of disturbance on marine birds and mammals at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, British Columbia. At 15:20, something scared hundreds of Thayer’s Gulls from an area just north of the light tower on Great Race Rock. We figured it was likely a Bald Eagle or Peregrine Falcon, based on the gulls’ behaviour. We then spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk flying in from the northeast. It landed on a rock right in front of a large male California sealion (photo). The hawk looked very tired and was breathing hard. Perhaps it had attempted to migrate across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but had to turn back (all day, wind direction was unfavourable for such a crossing). We figured it would just rest up then head back to Vancouver Island. At 15:38 we were observing it once again when suddenly, the hawk collapsed and fell backwards into a crevice. A few seconds later a surge of water flushed the bird into view. It was facing breast-down in the water, lifeless. The surge then drew it back into the crevice and out of view. We were interested in retrieving the carcass for further inspection of its body condition (besides it being a beautiful specimen), but in keeping with the conditions of our research permit and because doing so would have caused many sealions to charge off into the water, we refrained. We were just left to contemplate the strange event and consider ourselves fortunate to have witnessed one of nature’s fascinating dramas.”
( Mike Demarchi)

 

April 17, 2009: by Ryan Murphy:
” I was out to check on the engine and here was this little brick-red
hawk being chased by 30 gulls in 20+ knot wind.  I noted the light
band between the tail and body and pattern under the wings.  It was
just smaller than the gulls, I’d say in the 45-55″ wingspan range.  To
me it looked like a cross between a light and intermediate red-tailed
hawk according to Sibley.”
Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Carolina Munoz PC yr 27.