These past few weeks we have had a pair of barn swallows calling Race Rocks home. I’m certainly not surprised by this, with the overwhelming abundance of flies and fleas for them to easily feed upon and few predators. Barn swallows aren’t rare to see swoop by for a day within the reserve, however, as I watch these two now daily they appear to be scouting out the best dry locations to potentially nest. One, scooting itself up under the roof of some of the outbuildings, and into the gaps in the house fascia, while the other sits below keeping watch. The last time these birds were documented nesting and having fletchings at Race Rocks was well over 15 years ago back in 2006. A fairly easily recognized bird, and one many of us have likely seen as they can be found in every province and territory (except Nunavut) so it may come as a surprise they are actually on the special concern list in Canada; due to human impact causing loss of nesting sites, food sources and climate change.

Male Barn Swallow

Female Barn Swallow

Birds

• Harlequin duck                                5         
• Bald Eagle                                       2 adult   3 juvenile
• Glaucous winged Gulls                     590
• Cormorants                                         33
  
• Pigeon Guillemots                             293
  
• Oyster catcher                                    10
  • Oyster catcher eggs                 13 (3 in three and 2 in a two other nests)
• Barn Swallow                                       2
• Canada Goose                                     12
• Black Turnstone                                    1
• Cowbird                                                 2

Mammals

• Steller sea lion                             1 (blasting the past two days has impacted)
• Harbour seal                                 83
  
• California sea lion                        25
  
• Elephant seal sub adult male      2
• Elephant seal adult female          2
  
• Elephant seal pups                      2

Visitors:

• No visitors lately

Facility Work: 

• sharpened hatchet and axe
• chopped kindling
• Created documents for Fire extinguisher locations and inspections 
• Cleaned house
• Filled water in batteries
• Emptied and cleaned composting toilet
• Cleaned windows and solar panels
• Finished all repairs and rebuilt sections of Electric fence All set for sea lion season!

** 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?

At first light Barn swallows swooped around out the front window but disappeared by afternoon. Bate balls of herring have become more and more prevalent in and around the reserve creating great gull frenzies and bring more whales in and around the reserve. Orca cruise by every few days and Humpbacks are spotted every day it seems. I’ve been busy working on painting restoration projects before the rainy season, scrapping, priming and painting metal doors around the reserve. Now that its cooled the thorny invasive plants have dried and I’ve began the process of pulling them. Fleas brought here upon the sea lions infest the thorns and its necessary to tuck pants into socks, wear big rubber boots and try to keep gloves tightly sealed in cuff of jacket. The sea lions at the Jetty have become more and more and push through the electric fence a few times a day. I have slowly been working my way around the fence stacking rocks upon the bases of the posts which has been helping with the damages and constant knocking over.

Weather:

• • Sky: Overcast to partly sunny in afternoon
  • Wind: West 3kts
  • Sea: Calm
  • Visibility: 10 nautical miles in morning, to 15 in afternoon

Weekly Census:

• Steller/Northern sea lions: 508  (Most of which can be viewed on Middle Rock.)
• Female Stellar/Norther sea lion: 2
• California sea lion: 913
• Female California Sea lion: 1
• Harbour seals: 183
• Black oystercatchers: 9
• Cormorants: 44
• Glaucous-winged gulls: 654
• Juveniles Glaucous-winged gulls on Great Race Rock:39
• California Gull: 57
• Sanderling: 1
• Sandpiper: 1
• Black turnstones: 21
• Fox Sparrow: 19
• Barn Swallow: 6
• Humpback Whale:2

Visitors:

• 16 Pearson College WCA students and 2 teachers visited on September 14th
• Greg and Cedric
• Dan from IT worked on our internet connections and upgrades on September 15th
• Andrew runs the Pearson College Social Media and Visitor Corey toured September 1th

Facility Work:

• Cleaned solar panels
• Cleaned windows
• Electric fence repairs has become 3 times a day.
• Ran Generator for a few hours to top up batteries.
• Water delivery
• Scrapped and primed another metal door for painting
• Pulled invasive species

Vessel Traffic:

• Many Canadian and American ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ships are going by daily.
• Spill boat drifted by through Middle channel
• Many small recreation fishing vessels drift through observing wildlife.
• Beautiful red sailboat came through middle channel

Mount Baker clearly visible at sunrise.

A stellar (Northern) sea lion and Glaucous winged gull at sunrise.

California Sea lions waking at sunrise.

6 Barn Swallows swooped around at first light.

Barn Swallow sitting on the electric fence at the down ramp to the jetty.

One of the few Juvenile Glaucous winged gull that remain.

A darker coloured stellar sea lion casually scratching his cheek.

Harbour seal with rising tide.

Roaring stellar sea lion.

Glaucous winged gull.

Sanderling hopping in amongst the sleeping sea lions.

Oyster catchers are hard to spot if not for their red beaks.

California sea lion drying off below the lighthouse.

California sea lions sleeping

Stellar sea lions, playing and showing dominance over their favourite lounging spots.

Stellar sea lions swarm Middle Rock.

Stellar sea lions swarming Middle Rock.

Gulls on a herring ball.

Harbour seals and Oyster catchers.

Glaucous winged gulls atop the Ecoguardian’s residents.

Fox Sparrow

California sea lion swimming by the jetty.

California sea lions sleeping under the crane deck.

Mouth scar on a California sea lion.

Humpback whale near west rocks.

Rafting California sea lion in the bull kelp.

Black turnstone.

Interesting scar pattern on the back of a California sea lion.

Sandpiper hard to spot in the old feathers and crisp grass.

Stellar sea lion jumping into the water.

Incredible orca bite scar on a California sea lion.

An evening tour boat passing through the reserve.

Another of the evening tour vessels passing through the reserve at sunset.

California sea lion at sunset.

A couple of the youngest juvenile glaucous winged gulls.

A California sea lion climbs the north shore rocks of Great Race.

California sea lions tucked in on the grass behind the boat shed.

Spill recovery vessel drifts through Middle channel

Mares tail clouds and california sea lions on the heli pad.

Hundreds of California sea lions and Stellar sea lions snuggle up in the evening.

Sunset lighthouse.

With more and more sea lions arriving the electric fence repairs are becoming more frequent and more damaging. Each morning on average at least 2 sections are broken. Often many blocks/ posts are knocked over and simply need to be stood back up and repositioned. Topped up the batteries with our diesel generator this morning while wandering the reserve to observe and do our weekly animal census. Late morning I finished off my battery door and metal box repurposing project with a final coat of marine enamel paint.

In the afternoon Greg and Cedric stopped in with a full load of diesel fuel and our friend to visit for the weekend.

Weather:

• • Sky: Clear with smoke from Manning Park fire
  • Wind: SE 10 kts
  • Sea: Slight ripple
  • Visibility: 15 nautical miles in morning, dropped to 10 due to smoke

Weekly Census (observed on Sept. 3rd):

• Male Elephant Seal: 1
• Sea otter: 1
• Steller/Northern sea lions: 349
• Female Stellar/Norther sea lion: 1
• California sea lion: 896
• Female California Sea lion: 2
• Harbour seals: 280
• Black oystercatchers: 4
• Cormorants: 36
• Glaucous-winged gulls: 1150
• Juveniles Glaucous-winged gulls on Great Race Rock:49
• California Gull: 48
• Harlequin Duck: 1
• Sanderling: 1
• Sandpiper: 1
• Surfbirds: 2
• Black turnstones: 20
• Fox Sparrow: 11

Visitors:

• Greg and Cedric dropped off a friend for the weekend while delivering diesel fuel.

Facility Work:

• Cleaned solar panels
• Electric fence repairs has become 3 times a day.
• Ran Generator for a few hours to top up batteries.
• Fuel Delivery and transfer
• Finished door and metal box repurposing project.

Vessel Traffic:

• Canadian and American ecotour boats regularly come through the reserve.
• A recreation fishing boat toured through the north viewing the wildlife.
• Spill response boats, 1 to the north of north rocks, 1 through main channel.

Smoke rolling in from the south east, Mount Baker can only just be scene.

Morning smoke creates unique sunrise colours, as our flag flies at half mast in honour of         Queen Elizabeth II

Sleeping California Sea Lion on the northern rocks of Great Race rock.

Camouflaged Black Turnstone in the low tide muscles.

Female Stellar sea lion on South shore of Great Race Rock.

Sanderling wandering among the sleeping california sea lions.

Fox Sparrow hops along a path as more flit by.

California sea lions sleeping under the deck by the crane.

Glaucous winged gulls at sunset.

California sea lions and a glaucous winged gull at sunset.

Since arriving each day more and more sea lions arrive and less birds return. Observing whales of varying types and numbers is a daily occurance, lately to the north for Orca and to the south/ south west for the Humpback and A lone Blue whale swam by from north to south along the west shore.

Weather:

• • Sky: Clear with Fog to the South/South East
  • Wind: SW 16 kts
  • Sea: Slight ripple
  • Visibility: 5 nautical miles to North, less than 1 to South

Weekly Census (observed on Sept. 3rd):

• Male Elephant Seal: 1
• Steller/Northern sea lions: 278
• Female Stellar/Norther sea lion: 1
• California sea lion: 499
• Harbour seals: 99
• Humpback Whale: 1
• Blue Whale: 1
• Orca: 2
• Bald eagles: 1
• Black oystercatchers: 5
• Cormorants: 39
• Glaucous-winged gulls: 646
• Juveniles Glaucous-winged gulls:151
• California Gull: 218
• Harlequin Duck: 1
• Sanderling: 1
• Sandpiper: 1
• Surfbirds: 5
• Black turnstones: 22

Visitors:

• No visitors

Facility Work:

• Cleaned windows
• Electric fence repairs
• Ryan tinkered in the workshop

Vessel Traffic:

• Canadian and American ecotour boats regularly come through the reserve as well can be scene just outside of the reserve observing the different whales that have been in the area.

Juvenile Glaucous winged gull.

Black Turnstones can often be spotted on the east banks of Great Race.

The lone female Steller/ Northern sea lion lounging on the southern bank of Great Race.

Harbour Seal basking at low tide.

Stellar/ Northern sea lions snuggled up.

A couple Harbour Seals take advantage of low tide as a curious California sea lion swims past.

California Sea lions playing in the south channel.

California Sea lions playing in the south channel.