Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 1* on Middle Rock
• California sea lion: 1
• Harbour seal: 181 plus 3 pups (July 4: 54 adults, one pup, June 27: 258)

Birds:

• Gulls: 1309* (July 4: 514)
• Pigeon guillemot: 57* (July 4: 163)
• Cormorants: 28
• Bald eagle: 3
• Black oystercatcher: 18 adults (only saw 4 chicks today, likely 10 or more)
• Harlequin duck: 2
• Surfbird: 21
• Black turnstone: 45
• Ruddy turnstone: 1
• Western sandpiper: 6
• Short-billed dowitcher: 1

Wildlife seen this week inside the reserve but not observed today is one humpback whale.

* Notes on census numbers

• The Stellar sea lion on Middle Rock is likely injured. It is too far away to properly observe or photograph well from Great Race Rocks. I reached out to Eagle Wing Tours who will be photographing and observing the animal over the weekend.
  

  Stellar sea lion on Middle Rock.

  

  Stellar sea lion on Middle Rock. Photo taken by Eagle Wing Tours, July 10.

   

• The pigeon guillemots count today is not reflective of the actual numbers living and nesting on the island. The count from June 19 is more representative.
• There was an exceptional number of gulls on the islands today and yesterday. The visiting gulls are a mix of adult and immature California, glaucous-wing, Western and Heerman’s gulls. I have broken down the total count of 1309 gulls by location
  257 – South Islands
  345 – Seal Rocks
  4 – Middle Rock
  151 – Great Race Rock, on the periphery beyond the area with gull nests
  552 – Great Race Rocks, inside the nesting area

Part of one of the South Islands covered in gulls.

Wildlife notes

The pigeon guillemot chicks are hatching. I have viewed several nests and the chicks vary in size.

Pigeon guillemot in burrow with chick (in the blue circle). Burrow is near the boat ramp, taken July 10th.

Pigeon guillemot chick in burrow. Burrow is south of the CODAR tower, taken July 11.

The Energy Building oystercatchers have no more eggs on the nest. They had two eggs until July 5 and a single egg was present until today (5 to 6 day period). The parents have remained on the beach in the rocks near the nest. It is possible that both have hatched but I have not been able to spot any chicks. The Keepers House oystercatcher pair have two chicks that hatched several days apart and their chicks are still obviously different in size. Their first chick hatched June 28th and the mother remained on and near the nest until July 3rd. There is about a months time between when the East Beach oystercatchers and the Energy Building oystercatcher eggs hatched.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• weeding

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 17
• Private: 4

Weather

Moderate westerlies in the morning with periods of fog. Wind strengthening to gale force gusting 40 knots by evening. Daytime temperatures: low 10, high 16.

Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 0  (June 13: 0, June 7: 2, May 30: 10, May 23: 6, May 15: 21, May 8: 37)
• California sea lion: 1 (June 13: 3, June 7: 12)
• Harbour seal: 32 on Turbine Rock only (June 13: 211, June 7, 103, May 30: 90, May 23: 50)
• Elephant seal: 1 female

Birds:

• Gulls:  352 (June 13: 603, June 7: 645, May 30: 464, May 23: 467, May 15: 391, May 8: 114)
• Pigeon guillemot: 159 (June 13: 36, June 7: 82, May 30: 6, May 23: 30, May 15: 78, May 8: 153)
• Cormorants: 10
• Canada geese: 2
• Bald eagle: 1
• Black oystercatcher: 12 adults plus 6 chicks

Wildlife observed this week but not on census day were hummingbirds and barn swallows.

The tides today were not that extreme and there were only 32 harbour seals on Turbine Rock. Last Friday during a lower low tide there were 211 seals on Great Race Rock, South Islands, Seal Rocks, Turbine Rock and North Rocks.  Today was a good day for counting the pigeon guillemots (not quite as many as the concentrated effort yesterday) and a bad one for counting gulls, many of which were out fishing.

The earth, moon and sun will be in alignment during the new moon on June 25th causing a spring tide. The tidal range will be greater because the gravitational effects of the Sun and the Moon reinforce each other. The extreme tidal lows during these spring tides are a great time for peering into tide pools or taking your dog to Spanish Banks in Vancouver. The census next Friday with a lower low tide than seen today should provide different results.

Tides at Pedder Bay from today to next Friday.

In some parts of the world the tide changes by only 0.3m and in others up to 12.2m. For further reading on tides (the earth’s surface has a tide as well!) see the Almanac and for some awesome illustrations on how the sun and moon cause tidal bulges, neap tides, spring tides etc see NASA .

Facility work

Today was laundry day (an essential but costly task – 125 L of water used for one load!). It had been three weeks since the last load and there wasn’t enough room in the tub for the bed sheets so I had to sort through the linen closet for clean sheets. I hadn’t poked around in there since my first day here. I knew it was bad but I had more forward facing things on my list to tackle first. It is cleaned out now and hopefully a few less spiders…more on spiders another day.

• cleaned the solar panels
• cleaned parts of the house

DND

Trident Fury the international maritime exercise continues.  I hear conversations on channel 68 that I am glad are only simulations and not real events in this part of the world.

Captain stop your vessel.
Captain stop your vessel or you will be fired upon.
WARN WARN WARN
DISABLE DISABLE DISABLE

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 13
• Private: 1

Weather

Cloudy periods. Moderate to fresh westerlies building to near gale by early evening. Daytime temperatures: low 10 , high 13.

Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 2  (May 30: 10, May 23: 6, May 15: 21, May 8: 37)
• California sea lion: 12
• Harbour seal: 103 (May 30: 90, May 23: 50)
• Elephant seal: 2 female

Birds:

• Gulls: 645  (May 30: 464, May 23: 467, May 15: 391, May 8: 114)
• Pigeon guillemot: 82 (May 30: 6, May 23: 30, May 15: 78, May 8: 153)
• Cormorants: 42
• Canadian geese: 6
• Bald eagle: 2
• Black oystercatcher: 12

Wildlife notes

The female elephant seal is progressing in her molt, shedding more around the eyes, mouth, flippers and genitals. There have been several eagles today but I can’t tell if it is the same eagle that perches on the South Islands or different ones.  There may have also been two purple martins on the island today. I couldn’t get a photo but they had the same behavour as the ones that visited last year – searching and landing on top of the tower.

Elephant seal rubbing her face

Canada goose in the grass

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• weed whacking
• started cleaning the laundry room

Vessels

• ecotourism: 4
• private: 4

Weather

Mostly clear skies. Winds variable in direction, ranging from calm to a gentle breeze. Daytime temperatures: low 10, high 20.

While the winds were light today at the surface, the winds aloft produced some awesome high clouds.

Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 10  (May 23: 6, May 15: 21, May 8: 37)
• California sea lion: 31
• Harbour seal: 90 (May 23: 50)
• Elephant seal: 2 female (May 23: 4)

Birds:

• Gulls: 464 (May 23: 467, May 15: 391, May 8: 114)
• Pigeon guillemot: 6 – been gone all day (May 23: 30, May 15: 78, May 8: 153)
• Cormorants: 36
• Canadian geese: 6
• Bald eagle: 2
• Harlequin duck: 3
• Black oystercatcher:  12
• Barn swallow: 2

I climbed the tower twice today, once at low tide and again near high tide at 7pm. There were hardly any pigeon guillemots to be counted. Wildlife species that were present in the past week but not observed today include: brown pelican, savannah sparrow, humming bird.

Gulls mating

Black oystercatcher foraging

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• topped up battery fluid levels
• measured specific gravity after equalization charge run yesterday

DND Activity

At least 5 explosions today. Birds on the west shore took flight.

Vessels

• ecotourism: 24
• private: 6

Weather

Variable calm to gentle breeze throughout the day. Daytime temperature: low 10, high 15. 15

Mammals:

• Steller sea lion: 6  (May 15: 21, May 8: 37)
• California sea lion: 27
• Harbour seal: 50
• Elephant seal: 4 female

Birds:

• Gulls: 467 (May 15: 391, May 8: 114)
• Pigeon guillemot: 30 (under represented, probably out fishing)   (May 15: 78, May 8: 153)
• Cormorants: 43
• Canadian geese: 6
• Bald eagle: 4
• Harlequin duck: 6
• Oyster catcher:  8

Over the past three weeks there has been a reduction in the number of Stellar sea lions and a big increase in the number of gulls. Wildlife species that were present in the past week but not observed today include: brown pelican, savannah sparrow, barn swallow, killdeer, wandering tattler.

Pelagic cormorants

Sea lions dogpiled on the prized flat rock near the Jetty.

This sea lion was swimming around the dogpile on flat rock. I imaging it would hurt to haul oneself out of the water and up the rocks with an injury like that.

Facility work

• cleaned solar panels
• weeded along the panels mounted on the ground, shore side of the energy building. I walk there every day and the tall grass hides the rocky, uneven, ankle biting terrain.

Vessels

• ecotourism: 4
• private: 0

Weather

Winds southwest and westerlies 10 to 18 most of the day, westerly 25 in early evening. Cloudy day. At 8pm the batteries are only at 69% charge and 50.4V. Shame there wasn’t enough sun today. The generator may auto start before the sun comes out tomorrow. It hasn’t run for the last two days.