The wind was calm, not rising above 10 knots. It blew from the northeast, swinging around to the south in the middle of the day, and settling on the east at night. The barometer dropped from 1020 hPa to 1009 hPa, with a few short rises throughout the day. The temperature reached a high of 10.8oC, at the ground station.
There was one whale watching boat seen in the reserve, just before sunset.
Pam Birley, the dedicated webcam viewer from the UK, spotted a peregrine falcon again this morning. She was able to capture a photo of the peregrine from Camera 1, see below. Pam thinks it’s a young one, because it has dark brown chest feathers.
I wasn’t able to spot the peregrine, but I saw two branded steller sea lions. See the photos below of brands 205Y and 405Y. The steller sea lion branded 405Y was born in 2013, at Rogue Reef, Oregon. The steller sea lion branded 205Y is a female born in 2004 at St. George’s Reef, California. The sea lion is well known to Pat Gearin, from the NOAA. Pat emailed me with some details about the sea lion: “She is an unusual animal because she has not returned to CA to have her pups but instead has settled at Carroll Island, WA where she has had at least two pups over the last 4 years. I think the animal next to her in your first photo may be her juvenile which is still nursing. Steller’s sometimes nurse their pups for over 2 years.”
- A peregrine falcon on the northwest side of Race Rocks. This photo was captured this morning on Camera 1 by Pam Birley, from the UK.
- Three harlequin ducks stand by the shore, near the jetty.
- Four harlequin ducks swimming eastward from Race Rocks.
- Two california sea lions stand guard by the jetty.
- This steller sea lion, branded 405Y, was born in 2013, at Rogue Reef, Oregon. This is the first time it has been seen on Race Rocks.
- The steller sea lion on the centre right of the photo was branded 205Y as a pup in 2004, at St. George’s Reef, California.
- One juvenile bald eagle takes flight from the South Islands, as the other maintains its perch. The steller sea lion with the brand 205Y can be seen in the lower right.
- Seven black oystercatchers huddle up on one leg, near the southwest corner of Race Rocks.