Category Archives: Animal census

Animal Census and more…

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Winds have been on a downward trend since Monday but since noon today have picked up to 35-40 knots. Barometric power dipped to a low of 1010 hPa Wednesday evening. We’ve had heavy fog until yesterday and today.

Few boats in the reserve this week (I suspect due to fog).

Two whale watchers today and 2 recreational fishing boats passed through the reserve today.

Animal Census (for Wednesday, 16 July):

256 Gulls
9 Pigeon guillemots*
2 Elephant seals
13 Steller sea lions
1 Double-breasted cormorant
9 Black oystercatchers
6 Canada geese
38 Black turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala)
2 Ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres)

*I only saw nine guillemots on Wednesday, 5 of which were flying away from the island. I don’t know the reason for the low number but Thursday I counted over 80 again.

I have not seen Cheeky since Tuesday, however, a new (very plump) female elephant seal arrived Wednesday afternoon. After female was on the jetty at ~1800h but seems to have swam away again. Chunk is still here. The river otters made another appearance tonight. Running in the same direction the adult led the two young otters with a gull chick in its mouth. Before going under the diesel holding tank the two juveniles started away at the chick. the Canada geese arrived Monday afternoon. Until today, there was a group of 5 that moved around together and an additional single goose that was seemed on its own. Today I counted seven and they were all together.

Monday morning I lost ethernet connection in the main residence. Jonathan came out Tuesday to have a look and he returned with two electricians on Thursday to fix the issue. Filled the batteries yesterday while they were here and got a tutorial on the Nikon camera.

Animal Census

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Low winds all morning that rose quickly to 30 knots after noon but is now descending again. Barometric pressure still decreasing since Sunday. Winds forecasted to stay between 10-20 knots for tomorrow.

10 whale watchers

Animal Census
380 Gulls (Glaucous-winged + Heermann’s)

59 Pigeon guillemots
1 Elephant seal
2 Stellar sea lions
2 Bald eagles
140 Harbour seals
18 Black oystercatchers + 2 chicks
1 Spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularius) 
I conducted the census when the tide was rather high which may account for the fewer number of harbour seals, which appear in larger numbers at low tides when they rest on the outer rocks.
One float plane passed over the reserve this afternoon.
No sight of Cheeky today, our second largest male elephant seal.

 

Animal census

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Overcast today. Some rain in the afternoon. West winds starting low and increasing during the day and then dropping off again in the evening. Barometric pressure staying just under 1016 hPa all day. A few showers and 15-20 knot winds forecasted for tomorrow. Yesterday there were over a dozen whale watching boats in the reserve. Today only 3 whale watchers. Yesterday there were 4 blasts from DND in the morning around 1000 and 1100h.

Animal Census (for today)

Elephant Seal: 2                                                                                                           Harbour Seal: 220                                                                                                               Bald Eagle (immature): 2                                                                                                         Gull: 302 Glaucous-winged + 21 Heermann’s                                                               Pigeon Guillemot: 65                                                                                                       Oyster Catcher: 9                                                                                                           Double-crested cormorant: 7                                                                                         Turkey vulture: 1

Today the two elephant seal males were sparring ALL day. They started fighting in the water near the jetty at 1100h and continued back and forth into the afternoon (around 1400h). When they eventually returned to land they continued sparring, mainly the larger pursuing the younger one. Even now, they are moving around each other cautiously.

Tried to hook up the VHF radio in the guest house today but had some difficulties with the wiring and the weather. Will try again tomorrow. Some continuing internet issues last night and this morning but hopefully they stay fixed for a while this time.

Animal Census

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West winds around 10 knots for most of the day. Fog this morning and this evening. Barometric pressure has steadily decreased all day. Strong wind warning in effect for tonight and fog is forecasted to persist until late tomorrow morning.

No whale watching boats today. 2 recreational halibut fishing boats along the SE and SW borders of the reserve.

Animal Census
Elephant Seal: 3
Harbour Seal: 191
Bald Eagle: 1
Gull: 323
Pigeon Guillemot: 83
Black Oystercatcher: 10
Double-crested cormorant: 4
Stellar sea lion: 5
Harlequin duck: 4

Two of the large elephant seals were sparring in the shallow water by the jetty this morning around 1100h. I noticed a younger pup that has been here for the past week has small, fresh wounds on its backside that I think are from two days ago when I saw the second largest male attack the pup near the launch pad. Also, a lone stellar sea lion has been resting on the a small rock off the south islands for two days now. He has flesh wounds but they do not look recent as far as I can tell.

-Secured deck boards on winch loading pad.                                                                       -Chopped fire wood.

Six visitors from the college came today from 1200h-1500h.

 

 

Animal Census

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Clear skies. Light South early this morning and strong to Gale Westerlies the rest of the day. The barometer has been falling steadily all day. The forecast for light in the am, strong West in the pm continues. 6 tour boats 3 halibut boats Animal Census Elephant Seal: 7 Harbour Seal: 267 Eagle: 3 Gull: 332 Pigeon Guillemot: 30 Oyster Catcher: 7 It is now the season of the Gull and Harbour seal, with a few hundred of each using the reserve. There are two large male elephant seals on Great Race, and only one Elephant seal out on Middle Rock. There are no Sea lions left in the reserve, they have all gone to their breeding grounds. If the Oystercatchers are nesting, I can’t find their nests, although I am pretty limited with where I can go because there are so many Gull nests on the island. I saw the Caspian Terns again today, this time they flew really low over the East side of the island making their tell-tale squawking noise. The island is drying out and all the grass is turning brown. Despite the lack of rain, the cistern is still full. It will be interesting to see if we can make it through the summer without having to top it up with seawater from the fire pump.

Animal Census

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Clear skies. Glassy calm most of the day (Force 0), 23 W in the evening (Force 6).
Barometer peaked around noon at 1019 hPa, then dropped. Forecast is for strong West all of tomorrow.

2 tour boats
3 fishing boats passed through the reserve

Elephant seal: 6
Harbour Seal:112
California Sea lion: 1
Steller Sea lion: 0
Eagle: 3
Canada goose: 4 + 4 goslings
Guillemots: 23
Gull: 295
Oystercatcher: 5

I saw the pair of Caspian Terns again today. A MASSIVE male Elephant seal was on the boat ramp when I cam back this afternoon. He had lots of scars on his back so it could be the seal known as ‘Slash’. There are still 3 juvenile Elephant seals running amok on the boat ramp, and one adult female. There is only one lone Sea lion in the reserve, I think this time of year the California Sea lions head South to their breeding grounds, and the Stellers head North to their breeding grounds. The juvenile Eagle that has much more white mottling than typical was sitting on the crane today. There were 2 crows in the reserve in the afternoon.

Off station in the am for groceries
-Keeper’s house basement tidy-up

Animal Census

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Clear skies, variable light to no wind. Force 0.
Barometer is falling. Forecast is for light to moderate Easterlies.

9 tour boats
2 recreational fishing boats passed through

Animal Census
Steller Sea lion: 24
California Sea lion: 8
Elephant Seal:30
Harbour Seal: 111
Eagle: 3
Canada Goose: 39 adults, 8 goslings
Gull: 180
Oyster Catcher: 10
White Fronted Goose: 1
Pigeon Guillemots: 34

This is the highest number of Elephant seals we have ever counted in the reserve. This morning there were 2 juvenile eagles, and one adult. I have found 3 Oyster Catcher nests: one by the Keeper’s House, one on the bluff West of the jetty, and one on the rocks by the energy building. The Cackling goose is gone. I took the boat past the West bluffs yesterday on my way home and there is no sign of Pigeon Guillemot nesting yet.

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Population Growth of Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) at Race Rocks, 1990-2014

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The following is a draft copy of a graph I am working on to illustrate the growth of the elephant seal population at Race Rocks over the past few years. The information has been retrieved from logs of current and past Ecoguardians and photos and notes taken over the years.

To be continued:  G. Fletcher

Elephant Seal census