Author Archives: Derek Sterling

Animal Census

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Birds

  • Harlequin duck                                  7
  • Bald eagle adult                                2
  • Bald eagle juvenile                           5
  • Turnstones                                        11
  • Killdeer                                               2
  • Gulls                                                   64     
  • Cormorants                                        42
  • Pigeon Guillemots                             73
  • Oyster catcher                                     8
  • Canadian goose                                 10
  • Surf Birds                                             6

 

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                             23
  • Harbour seal                                 47
  • California sea lion                        18
  • Elephant seal sub adult male      3
  • Elephant seal adult female          3
  • Elephant seal pups(2F 1M)          3

Visitors

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Ecological Notes:

  • 2 Adult Female Elephant Seals (Believed to be moms from this season)
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups from this season
  • 1 very near mature Male Elephant Seal
  • 2 – 2to3 year old(?) Male Elephant Seals, one of which is not used to humans and was very vocal when anyone was near the ramp, then eventually moved to the sea lion haulout by the crane
  • The tagged Elephant Seal yearling from the previous post has left the reserve

Visitors:

  • 1 Alumni of Pearson College visiting and volunteering until Friday this week
  • 2 colleagues (and friends) of the Eco-Guardian also visited for 3 days

  • Seafront Coordinator brought extra help to remove and old Composting unit, empty propane tanks, items for recycling and disposal. Also delivered a spare gas engine to replace the one on the fire pump (used to pump sea water into the cistern)

Facility Work:

  • Cleaning and pressure washing of all sidewalks
  • Floor cleaning and washing of outbuildings
  • Deep cleaning of the Eco-Guardian house, including all window sills, screens, fridge, stove, and inside cabinets
  • Changed filters in the desalinator unit, gave us more consistent pump and pressure readings

  • Replaced engine on the firepump
  • Collected lots of recyclables from the tank shed
  • While bucking up firewood for splitting, introduced the Alumni guest/volunteer the basics of chainsaw maintenance and handling

Thanks to the guests for all their help!

DND events:

  • Ongoing, near daily, detonations

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A dramatic increase in Eco-Tourism vessels, all following park guidelines.
  • Many private vessels also doing wildlife viewing
  • A group of 2 kayakers, and also 2 outrigger canoes visited as well.

 Noted Infractions:

  • 3 vessels fishing in the Rockfish Conservation area, 2 were politely reminded by me over the VHF radio and pulled up lines without responding when they saw my camera. 1 was spoken to by an ecotourism Captain when they didn’t respond or react to my calls.
  • Was a bad week for private vessels in the reserve area at higher speed, some slowed down when they saw my hand signals, at least 2 were again encouraged by Eco-tourism vessels

 

** All wildlife 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?

Hawk and tag

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Ecological Notes:

  • 1 Female Elephant Seal in the center of the island, looks like one of this years moms
  • 1 near mature Male Elephant Seal
  • 1 tagged yearling Elephant Seal male, tagged in California at the age of 23 days on 2022-02-19 …. reported to appropriate resource

Near adult male on left, tagged yearling male on the right

  • 3 Elephant Seal pups from this season on the boat ramp
  • A first for me here at Race Rocks …. noticed the panicking gulls were making a slightly different noise, and sure enough, instead of Eagles it was a Red Tailed hawk!

Visitors:

  • A Pearson College alumni (and past Eco-Guardian) is visiting Race Rocks for a couple weeks, for a visit and to offer time to volunteer on projects.

Facility Work and tasks:

  • Month end paperwork and reporting, including Seawater data
  • Monthly equalization charge and weekly battery fluids top up

DND events:

  • Ongoing detonations
  • Noted that when they do multiple blasts in close succession, there is a greater reaction from the Sea Lions and birds.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Eco-Tourism vessels
  • 2 Kayakers,  that gave all wildlife a very good buffer, in the reserve at slack tide * note: they didn’t drop the fishing lure while they were in the reserve *

  • 3 private vessels visiting the reserve

 Noted Infractions:

  • 1 Private vessel did a highspeed bank turn and exited at full speed from well within the reserve…. Yes, this photo was taken after they left the reserve, and they had slowed a lot when they saw me come out with the camera

Weather Events:

  • Sunday, April 02:
    • Sky: Full range from high overcast, to clear with clouds to the south and north, to high overcast and mixed clouds
    • Wind: Variable calm-10 kts peaked to W 3 20 kts mid afternoon
    • Sea: lightly rippled
    • Temperature Low 4oC, High 8oC
  • Monday April 03, :
    • Sky:Mostly Clear to overcast
    • Wind: low WSW rising to W 30kts lat in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop turning to larger swells by evening
    • Temperature Low 4oC, High 7oC

 

 

** All wildlife 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?

DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS March 2023

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Institute of Ocean Sciences, North Saanich, B.C., V8L 4B2
Please email monthly to Sebastien.Donnet@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Station RACE ROCKS
Observer Derek March
YSI ID: 27 Year: 2023
YSI YSI
Temp Sal
Day Time ºC ppt
1 9:00 7.3 32.2
2 10:00 7.4 32.1
3 11:00 7.2 32.1
4 storm
5 12:30 7.3 32.4
6 13:20 7.4 32.4
7 14:00 7.4 32.5
8 14:30 7.3 32.4
9 15:15 7.4 32.4
10 15:45 7.2 32.2
11 16:30 7.3 32.4
12 18:00 7.4 32.1
13 19:00 7.3 32.4
14 20:00 7.3 32.1
15 8:00 7.4 32.4
16 9:30 7.3 32.2
17 10:45 7.4 32.2
18 11:45 7.4 32.2
19 12:45 7.3 32.4
20 13:45 7.4 32.4
21 14:30 7.4 32.2
22 15:30 7.4 32.4
23 16:00 7.3 32.1
24 16:45 7.3 32.2
25 17:20 7.4 32.2
26 18:00 7.3 32.4
27 18:45 7.5 32.5
28 20:00 7.6 32.4
29 9:00 7.5 32.4
30 9:30 7.4 32.2
31 11:00 7.5 32.2

College Collaboration

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Ecological Notes:

  • 1 Female Elephant Seal
  • 1 Near-Adult Male elephant seal
  • 1 (sex to be determined) tagged Elephant Seal, sized as a near adult Female, or juvenile male

  • Elephant Seal pups: 3, spending most of their time on the boat ramp, with visits to the water
  • 2 Canada Goose nests now have eggs

Visitors:

  • 5 Students, and one of the owners of the WestCoast Adventure College spent 3 days at the Student and Science Centre, doing a Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea Program with the Eco-Guardian, as well as a thorough introduction to the operations of the facility.
  • A Group form the Beecher Bay First Nations visited to see the facility and the Student And Science Centre

Facility Work:

  • As part of the Community Involvement portion of their program the WAC students helped with Facility duties, including the animal census, solar panel cleaning, and helping to move driftwood from the lower area to the bucking area ….. some were particularly interested in learning the day to day tasks of operations. Future Eco-Guardians??

WestCoast Adventure College students with their Marine Mammal Instructor

Conducting the Animal Census for the tower

Bird Poop 101

Ready to buck and split

  • Battery servicing

DND events:

  • Ongoing detonations

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Eco-Tourism Vessels
  • Some private vessels viewing wildlife

** All wildlife 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?

Animal Census

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Help with the survey from WestCoast Adventure College Students

Birds

  • Harlequin duck                                    18
  • Dunlin                                                    6
  • Bald eagle adult                                   2
  • Bald eagle juvenile                              6
  • Turnstones                                          28
  • Gulls                                                   195
  • Cormorants                                          77
  • Pigeon Guillemots                            105
  • Oyster catcher                                       8
  • Canadian goose                                   12
  • Raven                                                      2

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                             34
  • Harbour seal                                31
  • California sea lion                       22
  • Elephant seal male                      1 sub adult
  • Elephant seal female                   2
  • Elephant seal pup                        3 – 2 females,1 male
  • Sea otter                                       1 reported to me by Eco-Tourism Vessel
  • Animal Tracking and Injuries:     1 tagged Elephant Seal – Green #K646

BCIT Media Students Visit

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Ecological Notes:

  • Canada Geese putting together nests now

  • Gulls are still parading around, showing off their nest material collecting abilities, but now nests on the ground yet
  • Elephant Seal pups: 3

Visitors:

  • 2 BCIT Media students visited for 3 days to gather source material for a story on the life of an Ecoguardian

  • A Marine Biologist, BCIT Marine Studies student, and friend of mine, visited to enjoy some time between schooling and heading out for her 5 months sea time with a major cruise ship company.

Facility Work:

  • Weekly Battery Maintenance
  • Sweep and tidy all buildings
  • Replace weatherstripping on main house back door

DND events:

  • Ongoing Detonations

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Eco-Tourism Vessels
  • As weather improves, more sport fishers in the area, some entering the reserve to view wildlife, no new noted fishing violations though

Weather Events:

    • Full array of spring weather

 

 

** All wildlife 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?

Vessel Visitors

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Elephant Seal pups, camping out at the top end of the pier, with occasional visits to the water

Facility Work/Activity:

  • The sawbuck turns out very nice for bucking logs.

  • Stripping down, pressure washing and cleaning of the Natures Head from the main house, awaiting a new seal for between the halves
  • More nook and cranny clean up

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 2 Ecotourism Vessels
  • 1 Sailboat did a pass on the outside, then back towards Victoria through middle channel (past the pier)

  • A private vessel spent time in middle channel, doing wedding photos with the main island and the lighthouse in the background

 Noted Infractions:

  • 1 vessel from a local boat charter company fishing in the reserve. No response to radio contact. When I contacted the charter company, they were already watching the boat on the RR web cam and trying to contact them….. they left shortly after the phone call.

Weather Events:

  • Saturday, March18:
    • Sky: Clear and Sunny, full visibility
    • Wind: ENE 5 kts, rising to 15 kts mid day, veering to S and dropping back to low late afternoon
    • Sea: rippled
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 11oC
  • Sunday, March 19:
    • Sky: High overcast, full water level visibility
    • Wind: NE 15 kts,veering to N and dropping to 0 kts by evening
    • Sea:  Flat calm
    • Temperature Low 8oC, High 11oC

 

 

** All wildlife 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?

Spring for Birds

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Ecological Notes:

  • More Gulls showing up in pairs every day

  • Seeing some Brandt’s Cormorants in breeding plumage

  • 3 Elephant Seal pups, now exploring the shallows by the boat ramp

Facility Work:

  • Replaced all phones on the island
  • Continued on algae cleaning

Before photo of course

  • Spring cleaning of nooks and crannies
  • Made a sawbuck for easier firewood cutting, and safer as you’re not effectively leaning over the saw all the time.

 

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Both Eco-tourism and private vessels visiting the reserve
  • Some paddlers through as well

 

Weather Events:

  • Saturday, March 11:
    • Sky: mix of sun and high overcast
    • Wind: shifting during the day for N to NE, back to N then W … <5 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 3oC, High 6oC
  • Sunday, March 12:
    • High overcast with light rain
    • Wind: ENE  15-25 kts
    • Sea:  light chop t
    • Temperature Low 3oC, High 7oC

 

 

** All wildlife 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?

Special Guest Animal Census

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Thank you to Andrew Jacobs and his associate for this onsite survey conducted on March 8 …..

It shows the difficulty in Gull ID’s, and why I normally report ### – “Gulls”

 

Total – Species – Stationary (on water or rocks staying in area) Flying (Flying around or past the area)

8 Canada Goose : 8 stationary

25 Harlequin Duck : 25 stationary

17 Black Oystercatcher : 17 stationary

64 Black Turnstone : 9 flying 53 stationary

17 Surfbird : 17 stationary

8 Dunlin : 4 Stationary 4 flying

14 Rock Sandpiper : 14 stationary

7 Common Murre : 7 flying

35 Pigeon Guillemot : 9 stationary 24 flying

1 Marbled Murrelet : 1 stationary

19 Short-billed Gull : 5 immature flying 14 adult flying

4 Western Gull : 2 adult stationary 2 immature stationary

2 California Gull : 1 adult stationary 1 adult flying

2 Herring Gull (American) : 1 immature flying 1 immature stationary

9 Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) : 4 adults stationary 1 adult flying 4 immature stationary

18 Glaucous-winged Gull : 3 adults stationary 3 adults flying 8 immature stationary 4 immature flying

78 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull : 10 adult flying 57 adult stationary 6 immature stationary 5 immature flying

1 Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull : 1 immature stationary

1 Red-throated Loon : 1 flying

121 Brandt’s Cormorant : 20 flying 101 stationary

53 Pelagic Cormorant : 6 flying 47 stationary

9 Double-crested Cormorant : 8 stationary 1 flying

13 Bald Eagle : 1 adult stationary 5 immature stationary 7 immature flying

2 Common Raven : 2 stationary

Harbour seal 23

California sealion 18

Steller’s sealion 19

Elephant Seal Pups 3

Sea Otter 1 (reported by Eco-Tourism Vessel)