I left Race Rocks for a dental appointment and returned to find a new man. The male elephant seal looks fantastic and has a smooth, shinny silver sheen to him.  He is still bothering the female elephant seal but at least now she is permitted a piece of subprime real estate, while he lounges in grassy hollow and near the house.

The new man asleep in the grass

Having a stretch

The male and female elephant seals by the boat ramp

Wildlife notes:

Only a few more gull chicks have hatched with the majority of the gull parents still incubating their eggs.  A different banded gull than that noted on June 20th was found on the southwestern shore. Both gulls were reported to researchers at the Salish Sea Gull Project… read more.  Two surfbirds and one black turnstone visited the northeast rocky beach and one newly fledged California gull on the rocks east of the jetty.

A gull egg starting to hatch

A gull nesting in the grass. I always wonder if she thinks I can’t see her.

A banded gull

Black turnstone and surfbirds

Young California gull

Facility work:

• topping up battery fluid
• filled generator with fuel in preparation for the next equalization charge, tidy tank refilled

Vessels:

A full count was not conducted today: > 3 ecotourism boats, 2 private

Weather:

ESE 4-9 knots most of the day, veering to W 17 by early evening.