Wildlife notes

Harbour seals are bringing their pups to East Beach and I can watch them from the back porch!  All of this pup activity must have been going last summer but was I so focused on the birds not to see it?

At 9:30 am I watched a mother leave her pup on the rocks halfway up the beach on low tide. I left to do the panels, had second breakfast, did some more chores and returned at 2:30. The tide had risen to the height where the first pup was dropped off. I was looking for it and spotted a second very young pup, still with its umbilical chord, further down the beach. Both of the pups were calling out (a weak, mournful, heart-retching sound) and very slowly made their way into the water to reunite with their moms. The first pub spent 5 hours alone, a long time I would think for a very young small creature.

Mother harbour seal (yellow circle) leaving her pup (blue circle) on East Beach at 9:30am.

I watched the second pup for a while as it moved slowly toward the water. It found a piece of Fucus or rockweed in front of its nose that I think may have looked rather teat-like to the little thing as it reached out and put it in its mouth.

A piece of rockweed by the pub’s nose.

Pup stretching for the rockweed.

Pub with rockweed in its mouth. A disappointment, I am sure.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels and windows on the Energy Building
• topped battery fluids levels
• weeding

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 11
• Private: 0

Weather

Skies clear in the morning, fog patches in the afternoon and evening. Strong breeze throughout the day. Winds WNW in morning, backing to WSW midday, veering to W in afternoon. Daytime temperatures: low 11, high 17.