OBSERVATIONS

This is my last full day here. The week has gone fast and slow. Time is different here. I spend countless hours watching the birds, mammals and the ocean. The intertidal is phenomenal. There is always “news”, elephant seals arriving, eagles catching prey, new birds momentarily setting down, sun rises, sunsets… this type of news is easy to get absorbed in.

This morning, once again, a gull had a goose egg at our back door. At this time there are no known eggs in any nests. When I first arrived the nest by the generator building had 2 eggs but they are gone. I watched the goose pull out its chest feathers to conceal the eggs when she left the nest. They were so well insulated and hidden. Below is the picture of the empty nest once the gulls had taken the eggs.

One of the elephant seals that I first saw yesterday morning is going through a “catastrophic moult”. Open sores on it’s back and abdomen. I also noticed it has laboured breathing and is shivering. I called Marine Mammal Rescue and sent them a video at rescue@vavqua.org. I know that the appearance of elephant seals can be upsetting when they are moulting but I was not aware that they get systemic symptoms. Also it is TAGGED with a green tag on it hind flippers. I have a picture but the numbers are not visible. I am continuing to see an opportunity to get the number.

I also saw a branded Stellar sealion, a small female? #895. If I don’t get a picture by the time I leave I will report it but I would prefer to report it with a picture.

Weather

calm wind variable all day, cloudy with periods of drizzle

Facility wok

ran the desalinator today when the generator was running

Vessel traffic

4 ecotourism boats

The Stellar sea lions are much quicker to vacate the rocks than the California sea lions when the tour boats come by. The tour boats do back off when the Stellar sea lions leave but they are still getting on and off a few times/day particularly the smaller ones, females and younger males.

Catastrophic moult

Bright blue gular on Brandt’s cormorant

two large female elephant seals

abandoned nest

Sunset reverence?