Monthly Archives: May 2021

Census

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Birds

  • Bald eagle adult 4
  • Bald eagle juvenile 4
  • Gulls, Glaucous and Western 159
  • Cormorants 16
  • Pigeon Guillemots 87
  • Oyster catcher 4
  • Greater White-fronted Goose 1
  • Canadian goose 17
  • Canadian goose, goslings 0 , (at one point during the week there were 7)

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion 23
  • Harbour seal 82
  • California sea lion 41
  • Elephant seal juvenile male 1
  • Elephant seal female 5
  • Elephant seal pup 2 – 1 male, 1 female
  • Sea otter 1
  • Animal Tracking and Injuries: 0

Elephant Seal Galumphing

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Ecological Notes:

  • As of yesterday, it appears one Female elephant seal has left the island. This leaves what appears to be 4 adult females, 1 juvenile male, and 1 each male and female “pups” (they’re getting pretty big!)
  • Lots of swimming in the sunshine, and a lot more energy as they finish their molts. sample of  Elephant Seal Galumphing …….
  • California Sea lion, thermo-regulating by holding their flippers out of the water.

Thermo-regulating

Facility Work:

  • Not enough rainwater to pressure wash, so more firewood, repairs, paint prep and first coats (before photos, watch for follow ups)

 

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Photo tour boat, proper passes
  • 2 Private boats, center channel

Weather Events:

  • light westerly winds, increasing to 20 knots late afternoon, calm sees and full visibility

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Water testing

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Ecological Notes:

  • 8 Elephant seals still on the grass mostly, 2 went for swims today

In addition to full time awareness, this is why you always use a broad beam flashlight at night!

  • Canada Goose nest from yesterday produced only the 2 goslings, other eggs gone now, may have been non- viable and left for the gulls

Facility Work:

  • More firewood

Feature Event:

  • In addition to daily Temperature and Salinity tests with digital equipment, it’s good to do monthly checks with the older methods, out of interest, and can be used to test the calibrations of the new equipment.

 

Weather Events:

  • Clear and sunny all day, clouds on the perimeter.  Winds westerly 15 – 20 knots, rising to 25 – 30 knots late in the afternoon.

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Tank Prep

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Ecological Notes:

  • 8 Elephant seals, not much action today
  • Many sealions have moved to the southern most rocks (due to blasting?)
  • Another Canada Goose nest has eggs hatching, 2 goslings so far

Sat a long time, at distance with a zoom lens, to wait for this shot! (and cropped even more)

  • Nature in action! Gulls steal eggs from nests (in this case, the egg was not viable)

Gulls gotta eat too

Visitors:

  • 2, Greg (Waterfront Coordinator), delivering new tools, repair parts, drinking water, and groceries
  •  Allan Forster, contractor with V.I. Tank Services, to survey water tank and prep for cleaning

Facility Work:

  • Prepping electric fence for set up on the pier
  • Water tank survey, to prep for clean after desalinator servicing

DND events:

  • 4 large Detonations today, (6 yesterday), sealions and birds very reactive

Weather Events:

  • Mid day sun, moderate winds, storm blew in later in the afternoon, bringing some rain and westerly winds of 40-45 knots, gusting up to 50 knots by 1700hrs
  • Brought the flag down early though!

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Baby Geese

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Ecological Notes:

  • 8 Elephant seals still on land
  • Sealions quite scattered, many just in the water today (maybe all the blasting?)
  • Gull “nests” being set up all over the place, no eggs yet that I could observe

Gull nesting spot

  • First Canada Goose hatchlings seen

“Follow Mom!”

Enjoying the sun

Facility Work:

  • Not all work has to by major – moved and sorted left over lumber, window cleaning, and fastened down the under deck

DND events:

  • 5 Detonations today, all animals on edge

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Outside the reserve, but the Atlantic Raven transited at 12 knots, 2nm south of the Race Rocks Lighthouse.

The Atlantic Raven

Weather Events:

  • Clear skies with slight haze, winds westerly 15-20 knots all day

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

New Decks!

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Ecological Notes:

  • Most Elephant Seals nearing the end of their molt, still moving to and from the water, but not venturing too far from the pier, the larger ones seem to be tolerating the pups getting closer to them now. I thought one was missing, but found it on my evening walk about, behind the water tank building.

“All good, nothing to see here”

  • New visitor today ( at least since I got here) ….  a Greater White Fronted Goose!

Greater White Fronted Goose

 

Facility Work:

  • An overdue shout out to the last Ecoguardian, Rod King, and his friend, Colin Baird for the incredible new main house stairs and decks completed last month! Colin came out as a volunteer to help complete this project.

     

DND events:

  • 5 Detonations throughout the day, starting at noon, some animal disturbance noted

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • small private vessel went through the channel rather fast, but stayed centered, no visible animal disturbance, but collision potential

Weather Events:

  • Light winds from the southeast earlier, switching to northerlies later in the day. calm and overcast, with only a hint of rain the never really materialized.

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Census

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Birds

  • Harlequin duck 6
  • Greater White-fronted Goose 1
  • Bald eagle adult 4
  • Bald eagle juvenile 4
  • Turnstones 8
  • Gulls, Glaucous and Western 138
  • Cormorants 16
  • Pigeon Guillemots 53
  • Oyster catcher 8
  • Canadian goose 18
  • Canadian goose, goslings 5
  • Surf Birds 8

 

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion 48
  • Harbour seal 78
  • California sea lion 35
  • Elephant seal juvenile male 1
  • Elephant seal female 5
  • Elephant seal pup 2
  • Sea otter 1
  • Animal Tracking and Injuries: 0

Antenna Re-mount

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Ecological Notes:

  • 5 female Elephant Seals, 1 juvenile male (about female size)
  • Elephant Seal pups: 2, 1 is a young male
  • Many big old California Sealions tried to take over the pier today
  • Can see several paired up Black Oyster Catchers, but no “nests” visible from the angles I could view from a distance. Also didn’t note any defensive behavior.

Facility Work:

  • Moving beach wood, cut some to stock up firewood
  • Remounted VHF antenna, ONLY because the deck builders ran out of time. First I tried the hard ways, then just dismantled it on the bench and cut the wood away from the mount.

 

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 1 Sailboat, doing it the right way! Motor on, sail in centered position and loose, straight down the center of the channel slowly, without disturbing the wildlife.

 

Feature Event:

  • Learning to use the chainsaw, but having to pause when an elephant seal wanted to pass.

 

Weather Events:

  • Medium Winds from the west, rising in the evening. Clear skies all day, good for Solar Power generation. Light cloud moving in the evening after sunset.

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Elephant Seal ID adjustment

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Ecological Notes:

  • 6 Elephant Seals – turns out to be at least 1 juvenile male! So,currently 5 females and 1 male (no new animals, just new id’s)
  • Elephant Seal pups: 2, but also, 1 of the pups appears to be a male as well!

Enjoying the sun

 

  • No real changes in Sea Lion or Harbour seal numbers
  • Have been seeing the Sea Otter at lower tides in the uncovered kelp forests

Facility Work:

  • Piling firewood, more sorting old materials

Feature Event:

 

Weather Events:

  • Sunny, with medium to high westerly winds all day
  • Last night was very high winds! Kept the flag down last night and today.

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Seawater Salinity and Temperature, March, 2021

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Institute of Ocean Sciences, North Saanich, B.C., V8L 4B2
Station RACE ROCKS
Observer Rod King / Derek Sterling March
YSI ID: 24 Year: 2021
YSI YSI
Temp Sal
Day Time ºC ppt
1 20:00 8.0 32.0
2 20:15 8.0 31.8
3 20:30 8.0 31.7
4 9:30 8.1 31.5
5 10:30 8.2 31.6
6 10:00 8.2 31.6
7 9:45 8.2 31.6
8 14:58 7.8 32.2
9 15:00 7.9 32.2
10 16:00 7.8 32.0
11 17:35 8.3 31.7
12 17:50 8.2 31.2
13 18:00 8.0 31.5
14 18:20 8.1 31.5
15 20:00 8.7 31.5
16 20:40 8.5 31.4
17 21:00 8.4 31.4
18 22:00 8.2 32.0
19 9:00 8.2 31.5
20 9:30 8.4 31.2
21 10:15 8.2 31.4
22 10:00 8.7 31.4
23 9:30 8.9 31.4
DS ↓↓ 24 15:00 9.1 31.8
25 16:00 8.9 31.4
26 14:00 8.9 31.7
27 14:38 8.6 32.2
28 15:30 8.4 32.4
29 16:20 8.7 32.3
30 17:05 8.6 32.3