Hydroprogne caspia: Caspian Tern–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

mikercaspianternjune112012
Mike Robinson, the Lester Pearson College Ecoguardian at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, reported in the Race Rocks log on Caspian Terns and provided this picture.
This is the first image taken of this species at Race Rocks June 10, 2012.

Mike  commented :” I have noticed several (2-6) Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) in the area for a month or so. They have proven very challenging to photograph but I got a couple good shots this afternoon. It is the world’s largest tern with a length of 48–56 cm, a wingspan of 127–140 cm. The global population is about 50,000 pairs. They have a distinguishing croak that sounds a bit like a Great Blue Heron.”
Domain:  Eukarya
Kingdom:  Animalia
Phylum:  Chordata
Subphylum:  Vertebrata
Class:  Aves
Order:  Charadriiformes
Family:  Sternidae
Genus:  Hydroprogne
Species:  caspia (Pallus, 1770)
Common Name: Caspian Tern

Global Status: G5 (Nov 1996)
Provincial Status: S3B (Nov 2011)
BC List: Blue
COSEWIC Status: Not at Risk (May 1999)
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 3 – Sensitive (2005)
Migratory Bird Convention Act: Y
Return to the Race Rocks taxonomy and image gallery

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College   June 10,2012 -Mike Robinson

 

 

Explosions Don’t Belong Here

I am rather annoyed to put it mildly. The military base at Rocky Point, an ordinance training facility is responsible today for about 10 of the loudest explosions I have heard since being here. The windows shook, and I could feel the percussion in my chest. As a result all the sea lions appear to have left the reserve, and half the juvenile elephant seals made for the water. The military has a huge piece of land so why do they have to practice on the beach of the incredibly beautiful Bentinck Island directly across from the reserve? If they need to practice why can’t they do it inland where the noise and pollution can be contained? Who are they accountable to? Besides the disruption it causes to animal life, it also means there are no animals for the tour operators to share with their clients. In other words we all lose.

Elephant Seals: up close and personal video

Mike Robinson took this video of Misery today:

 

Get up close and personal with a Northern Elephant Seal at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. Lots of facts and personal observations of these magnificent marine mammals, the second largest carnivore on the planet after their Southern cousins.

 

 

David Attenborough did this in depth video of Elephant Seals  from Elephant Seals /Life in the Freezer/ BBC earth

 

Also this video  Elephant sealls of Piedras Blacas , California by Brian Caserio iis very informative.

 

Bull Misery has returned

The big boss is back. Misery (Mystery as I like to call him) has returned to the island and has been snoozing and rolling his generous bulk around the grassy areas. He appears to have gained 100 kgs or more in his time away. Wherever they are going after their onshore fasting, and it can’t be too far, the seals appear to have no problem finding abundant food resources. Fortunate for them that their prey is at a depth most predators can’t reach, nor is that prey (squids, skates, rays and some crustaceans) commercially hunted. Elephant seals appear to love grass, which is unusual as most of the places they live don’t have any vegetation. But their pleasure is apparent to anyone who watches them. Yesterday there were 10 individuals here, a new record.

The younger bull Chunk (named for the hideous propeller scars on his back) stays out of the way but Misery seems less aggressive without any potentially fertile females around. A new juvenile with the tag 6355 showed up today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is hard to tell if the oystercatchers have laid their eggs yet because they are so secretive about their nests, and use very vocal and visual threat displays to distract would be predators and naturalists. Normally 2 to 3 eggs are laid in this nest, these are very hard and can even survive being submerged by a high tide or very high water levels. Incubation takes around 26–28 days. The chicks are capable of leaving the nest after one day. I once witness an acquaintance of mine accidentally step on an oystercatcher nest and crush an egg. He was devastated but not as much as the bird. She clearly knew we were responsible and proceeded to fly after us carrying shards of egg in her beak and screaming what I took to be obscenities at us. I don’t blame her at all. Remarkably she repeatedly flew ahead of us with the broken egg, landed on the beach and vocalized, until our guilt forced us to flee the island. That bird recognized cause and effect!

Aneri and Sahar are staying here for a few days and they have been great company. They are so much more consciously evolved than my generation was at that age and they give me hope that many of the antiquated paradigms of our culture will go extinct and we can progress to 21st century thinking to solve 21st century problems. I shall miss them when they leave tomorrow. They have helped me prop up some of the solar panels, washed windows, swept walks, and made some tasty brownies!