This gallery contains 4 photos.
Habitat: Rocky substrates, especially ledges and crevices located near bull kelp beds and other brown algae in area of moderate to swift currents. Larvae drift and feed in plankton, juveniles settle near kelp bed, often associate with aggregation of adults, … Continue reading
We are very fortunate to have our friend from England, Pam Birley continuing to provide a detailed watch from her home in Leicester on the happenings at Race Rocks via the two remote controlled cameras, 1 and 5 and the underwater camera 2. There are many stories revealed by her photo gallery on Flickr. A sample of her work is presented below: Her complete 2013 gallery is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/66339356@N00/albums
We can follow the patterns of marine mammal use of the islands for haulout and births, and individual accounts such as her “6-spot”, a harbour seal which she has observed on the same rock by the jetty since every year since 2007. She tracks our breeding elephant seals and she is one of the few to catch the river otter scenes on the island as well.
Pam also has made some interesting captures on the Underwater Camera 2 . There are several species of fish and invertebrates shown and a few unidentified ones show up as well .
Her accounts of the birds of Race Rocks are also invaluable. The roosting patterns of many species, the nesting behaviour of black oystercatchers and glaucous-winged gulls, migratory shorebird stopovers as well as predation and scavenging are detailed in her gallery.
So thanks again to Pam Birley for her commitment to having continued her watch in 2013. Her contribution to “Citizen Science ” is appreciated. The 2013 gallery is here
Posts tagged with Pam Birley can be seen here:
posts tagged with Webcam Visitor Observations can be seen here:
Links to the complete set of Pam’s Race Rocks images is available here:
Rain, wind N 10-15 NMPH
Chunk started going after Bertha around noon and was definitely trying to mate but without any luck. He also seemed interested in something towards the West and was sniffing the air and poking his head up. When i went outside to check on things I could hear the distinct sound of an elephant seal pup calling its mother. Chunk and I both went over to the west side of the island to get a better look. I could see two females on the rock and several eagles and seagulls around hoping to get some leftovers from the birth. I could just make our the dark head of a pup poking up occasionally from behind a rock. Chunk left the island and by dusk I could see him on Middle rock near the mother and pup. Bertha is back by the science centre getting some peace and rest.
Partly cloudy, wind 10-15 NMPH N-NE.
This morning Chunk was on the island taking an interest in Bertha. He chased her around a bit and made what appeared to be mating attempts. She growled at him and resisted.
Clear sky, wind 15 NMPH NE, signs of frost overnight.
This morning the sealion that has been in poor health and isolation during the past weeks was deceased on the rocks in the east bay of the island.
One ecotour vessel was in the reserve today.
-replaced corroded electrical plug on flush pump in diesel building
-cleaned panels
-cut, chopped, wood
-cleared a new storage space in the water tank shed for more fire wood storage
In 2017, after serving for 20 years at Lester Pearson College, Chris Blondeau has left the staff at the College. The program at Race Rocks was strongly supported by Chris throughout the time he was here, and we will miss him greatly. He started his service at the college as a PADI diving instructor . In that capacity, hundreds of students in the Diving Service benefited from his skilled teaching, leadership and friendship. He also worked closely with Faculty in the Biology, Environmental Systems and Marine Science Subject areas. His expertise in vessel handling was passed on to many students during his time in the Diving Service.
Chris soon became the Director of operations for Pearson College and Race Rocks. In 2005-2006 he took on a major responsibility in coordinating the installation of the Tidal Current Generator at RaceRocks
Chris has overseen the development of many projects of the Race Rocks program over the years.
See also videos with Chris Blondeau in the Archived Video Diver Section
clear sky, wind varying between N and E throughout the day, 10-15 NMPH.
I went off island in the morning to run errands, came back mid afternoon. I noticed that the barometer reading from the davis instruments (racerocks.ca) is different from tower reading, will try to correct it.
Bertha hasnt moved much from her spot near centre of island.
There was 1 eco-tour vessel in the reserve while I was on site.
-picked up 40L gas at Pedder Bay Marina
-cleaned panels
Wind was gusting up to 45 NMPH W overnight, blowing 30 NMPH in the morning and diminished to calm by afternoon. The sky cleared up during the day.
Bertha arrived back on Great Race today, she looks good and pretty big. In 2011 she gave birth to a pup (Squall) here on January 14. The other elephant seals are on Middle rock, it looks like 4 females and Chunk out there. There seemed to be another large female next to Chunk.
See the Elephant seal Index for other Elephant seal births at Race Rocks
A coast guard helicopter flew over in the morning, one ecotour vessel entered the reserve in the afternoon.
-cleaned panels
-replaced flag
-finished month end report
-did animal census
-cleaned cam 5 dome
-gathered drift wood from East shore
-cut, chopped wood
In the 1921 Canadian Census, Andrew Ritchie (21) is listed as living in West Vancouver with his parents David and Christina, and two sisters, Helen (15) and Annie (23) . They had migrated from Scotland in 1911 as passengers aboard the *”Saturnia”. On November 11 of 1931 Andrew married Mary Kathleen Neave in West Vancouver. They had no children.
Joan Booth, niece of Andrew and Kathleen Ritchie at East Point light station on Saturna island, 1948.
In January 2014 I received a letter from Mark Knudson, a great nephew of the Ritchies. He said: “Andrew was my mother’s Uncle and was a lighthouse keeper.
She used to visit him in summer. I have attached a photo from about 1948 showing her in front of the foghorn tower at East Point (Saturna Island.)
Andrew Ritchie and his wife moved to Saturna Island in the fall of 1940, after being at Race Rocks Light station for 7 years. They retired on Saturna Island and were still living there as of the 1963 voters list.
Also attached is a photo of Andrew Ritchie as a 12 year old. He was born in Scotland in 1900 and immigrated with his family around 1911 . He was married to Mary Kathleen Neeve, He died in Saanichton (Victoria) Aug.26, 1988.
During the Second World War, Andrew and Mary Kathleen Ritchie (on the left) were photographed by Francis Clements at Race Rocks with some visitors from Vancouver Island (perhaps parents? ) .
I received the following letter and the pictures from Francis Clements of Calgary, Alberta in about 2003. Francis tells of his posting to Race Rocks in 1939 when he was stationed with five other sailors at the “War Signal Station”. Our sincere thanks to Francis for this wonderful piece of history! Click on his pictures below.
*
Saturnia
This ship was built by Charles Connell & Company, Glasgow, Scotland, 1910. 8611 gross tons; 456 (bp) feet long; 55 feet wide. Steam triple expansion engines, twin screw. Service speed 14 knots. 1250 passengers ( 50 first class, 1200 third class ).
Built for Donaldson Line, British flag, in 1910 and named Saturnia. Glasgow-Montreal service. Scrapped in Italy in 1928.
It started raining in the evening and continued throughout the day. This was the first significant rain here in a few weeks. The wind picked up late in the day and was gusting over 45 NMPH West in the evening.
1 ecotour and 1 recreational vessel were in the reserve. A coast guard helicopter flew over coming from the West.
There were 3 small ducks in the NE puddle, I believe they were Green Winged Teals. I counted 15 canada geese on the island today, the most I have seen lately.
-worked on month end report
-entered salinity data into spreadsheet and submitted to DFO
-checked on drainage from roofs and downspouts around basements
-collected drift wood
-contacted wood stove contractor
