Wildlife notes

I always gaze about when I’m on the roof of the Energy Building cleaning the solar panels. This morning a flash of red caught my attention near a small harbour seal pup and mom swimming between the southwest shore and South Seal Rocks. It was the placenta trailing behind the pup! They disappeared from view 15 minutes later with the placenta still attached. It is heartwarming to observe the close physical contact between females and their pubs on land and in the sea swimming together as they roll, swirl, bend and touch noses to smell each other. We know there at least three new pups: the one first observed on July 2, the pup on the boat ramp July 5, and today’s pup.

Harbour seal mom and pup swimming to toward South Seal Rocks. The placenta is trailing behind the pub

Harbour seal mom and pup with placenta.

Harbour seal with her pub on the shore by the Energy Building. By the colouring and markings on the pub’s face it seems to be same one as first observed on July 2 and 3rd.

Facility work

• cleaned the solar panels
• weed whacking

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 17
• Private: 2
• Rowboat: 1

Weather

Winds light to moderate, mostly westerly. Skies partly cloudy. Daytime temperatures: low 13, high 18.

Sign gull was so pleasant when sitting on her eggs. Quiet, cute, muted yeows when I walked by or climbed the rock to raise or lower flag. When a visitor came to the island and worried about the gulls, I’d say oh don’t worry about that one, she is nice. Her chicks are running around now and those days are over. Today she made contact and I received a blow to the back of the head and a complimentary load of poo dumped down my back and arm. I also got nailed cleaning the solar panels and then going down to the Jetty to do the sea water measurements.

With all the mention of gull poo, I thought I would devote this entry to the cloaca.  Gulls have only one rear opening (orifice), the cloaca, that they use for everything: mating, laying eggs and for excreting wastes. Wastes from both their digestive (feces or poo), and urinary systems (uric acid or pee – we humans make more water intensive urea) are released simultaneously from the cloaca and then dumped on me. The white part is the uric acid and the coloured or granular parts are the feces. So technically I am not just getting pooped on and the official name for this excrement is guano, although this term is used most famously for the dried accumulations of their excrement. Guano or “white gold” is an excellent, valuable, nitrogen-rich fertilizer that was in demand world wide. There is a period in history called the Guano Age (1802–1884) where countries were claiming or annexing islands to get a supply of guano. The Guano Era (1845 – 1866) was a prosperous time for Peru but not for the sea bird who suffered from habitat destruction. With its wealth Peru was able to pay off its debt, abolish indigenous tribute and African slavery and reform its education and judicial system.

Lastly, guano is also famous as the namesake of one of the four nucleotide bases that make up our DNA: A,C,G,T – adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine. A and G are nitrogenous purine bases.

Sources and links from Wikipedia to read more: Bird Anatomy, Guano, Nucleotide base

The work of Jackson Pollock Seagull on the Energy Building roof.  The white stuff is uric acid, the coloured stuff their feces.

Wildlife notes

One California sealion has returned – the sealions have not been around for a while. A large number of visiting, non-nesting gulls of California, western and glaucous-winged gulls were seen on the western rocks today. I also found a nest with an egg that had parts of its shell chipped away but with the egg membrane still intact.

A large collection of gulls on one of the South Seal Rocks. The harbour seals have other one of the rocks to themselves.

A gull nest near the Energy Building with the shell missing from one of the eggs.

Facility notes

• cleaned solar panels
• ran the generator for the first time since June 27th
• cleaned the outside windows
• chopped kindling

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 9
• Private: 1

Weather

Rain and overcast in the morning with a fresh breeze of variable directions. Skies clearing and winds strengthening in the afternoon. Near gale force WNW winds in the evening. Daytime temperatures: low 12, high 15.

Wildlife notes

The three items of note today are I did not encounter any dead gull chicks, I saw a whale on the north shore, and there was a delightful warm, dry and fragrant land breeze at times.

Gull chicks on a sliver of ledge sleeping in the lee of a rock.

Gull chicks trying to follow their parent who seemed to hop up there for some relief.

A blurry photo of a solitary humpback whale off the north shore.

Facility work

• cleaned the solar panels
• weed whacked along the walkway before the chicks decide the edges are good place to hide

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 15
• Private: 1

Weather

SSW to WNW winds varying from fresh to near gale. Skies scattered clouds. Daytime temperatures: low 12, high 22.

The female elephant seal headed back to the sea yesterday. She arrived on May 18, spent 18 days preparing for her molt, started her molt on June 4, spent two weeks shedding her skin and hair, and another 18 days preparing for her departure. In the final day she had larger amounts of the white froth around her nose and mouth. One land they are cute and clumsy but at sea they are masters (see June 25 2024 to read about their talents and the white froth).

I came across the first obvious dead seagull of the summer. I was preparing myself for this but I was surprised by the location. The Window gulls had a protected spot more than 12 feet from another nest, bordered by the wall of the Tank Shed and with walkways on the sides. She had two chicks that hatched two days apart and one egg still in the nest.  I couldn’t spot the smaller chick and hope she hadn’t lost that one as well. I wonder if it is retribution for last years activities?

Here are some uplifting photos of happy healthy chicks enjoying the day.

A big yawn

A little wink

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• topped up battery fluids

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 10
• Private: 2

Weather

Varying amounts of fog throughout the day. Strong westerly breeze until early evening, then gale force with winds of 36 knots. Daytime temperatures: low 10, high 12.

Wildlife notes

The rocky beach on the eastern shore is popular with the shorebirds which starting arriving this week. Surfbirds, black turnstones and western sandpipers are present and today a short-billed dowitcher arrived.  There is another little yellow-legged bird flittering about but I haven’t been able to get a good look at it or a photo.

A short-billed dowitcher in the foreground with surfbirds and a black turnstone. I had to scoot along on my tush creeping slowly closer to get this photo with my cell phone as our big camera is having focusing issues.

Facility work

• cleaned the solar panels
• cleaned the battery room

The old batteries were removed the Battery Room so I scrubbed the floors where they sat for years, and the walls and cupboard doors in preparation for the new table for our instruments and supplies (battery filler bottle, pipettes, specific gravity sampler and data sheets, spray bottle, water, paper towels etc.). When the table arrives, I’ll wipe out the inside of the cupboard.

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 10
• Private: 4

Weather

Steady fresh westerly breeze, building to a strong breeze in the evening. Skies mostly clear with patches of fog. Daytime temperatures: low 11, high 13.

Wildlife notes

The great excitement of the day was the very young harbour seal pup that was dropped off on the boat ramp. Apparently it is not unheard-of for moms to leave their pubs on docks or beaches and come back for them later. I didn’t know this at time when I spotted it coming down to do the daily sea water readings. It was so tiny, moving little and awkwardly and I saw some red and what at first glance appeared to be its intestine protruding out. There were killer whales here yesterday and my first thought was its mom had been killed and the pub had narrowly escaped. I took photos, called Kendra, learned it was likely an umbilical chord. My next immediate worry was that the elephant seal who was in the water 10m away would steamroll up the ramp and flatten the little thing as they do with gull nests or other objects in their path. We are not allowed to interfere with nature and I couldn’t bear to watch so I left to finish cleaning the solar panels.

When I returned 20 minutes later, the pup was in the water calling for its mother.  An adult harbour seal approached also calling and both disappeared from view. A short while later the elephant seal came up the ramp. Ah, all ended well!

Young harbour seal pump on the boat ramp

Elephant seal coming up the boat ramp

Facility work

• cleaned the solar panels
• started cleaning the Battery Room

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 12
• Private: 2

Weather

Sun with scattered clouds. WNW winds strong breeze to near gale all day with gusts up to 36. Daytime temperatures: low 11, high 16.

Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 1
• California sea lion: 0
• Harbour seal: 54 adults, one pup  (June 27: 258)
• Elephant seal: 1 female
• Killer whale: 2

Birds:

• Gulls: 514
• Pigeon guillemot: 163
• Cormorants: 13
• Bald eagle: 3
• Black oystercatcher: 14 adults (only saw 4 chicks today)
• Harlequin duck:1
• Surfbird: 11
• Black turnstone: 6
• Western sandpiper: 4

Wildlife observed this week but not on census day was barn swallows and one hummingbird. The Keepers House oyster catchers have moved their two very small chicks down to the west side of the East Beach. The East Beach oystercatchers are on the east side and about 3/4 the size of their parents. There are so many more gull chicks that have hatched putting the gulls on high alert. I was hit twice on my knapsack, and once on my shoulders. It is not possible this time of year to stretch out  laundry to very 3 weeks. I am glad to have my helmet and am developing an uncanny sense of when to duck or swivel.

Black turnstone with two surfbirds.

Sidewalk gull’s newly hatched chick. The only egg of her three to make it.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• cleaned Keeper’s House outside windows

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 14
• Private: 3

Weather

Patches of fog in the morning then scattered clouds.  Fresh westerly breeze until 4pm, gale force by early evening. Daytime temperatures: low 10, high 14.

My knapsack (with the VFH radio, camera, binoculars and cell phone) after I cleaned off the first hit. The gull managed to even fill the side pocket.

Wildlife notes

Six surfbirds visited east beach today. They are returning from their breeding grounds in Alaska and the Yukon, still dressed in their breeding plumage. They nest inland in the tundra and spend their winters very close to shore. Their non-breeding range is the narrowest and longest of any North American bird, spanning two continents, almost from tip to tip (see their range map).

Surfbirds on the east beach rocks.

The harbour seal and her pub continue to spend time on the rocks by the Energy Building.  The mother is incredibly attentive and aware of any unusual movements or sounds, just as alert as the oystercatchers.

And finally, the gull chicks. They are also incredibly cute and harmless but their parents are fierce.  The Sign gulls have moved their chicks off the rock and onto the walkway. I need to use the walkways here. Stepping off them is not always an option so there was much protest from all involved, except from the chicks which just freeze in the smallest crack or rock that will cast a shadow.

Sign gulls three chicks “hiding” at the edge of the walkway.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• cleaned the Jetty camera
• topped up battery fluids

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 21
• Private: 1

Weather

Moderate WNW breeze throughout the day, strong breeze in the evening. Skies scattered clouds, clear by evening. Daytime temperatures: low 11, high 15.

The Pedder Explorer with its loading ramp lowered, taking away the old fridge and other items.