10kts NE wind. Cloudy, but still no rain.
Tour boats: 5
Dive boats: 2
Marine Mammal Count
Stellar Sea lion: 272
California Sea lion: 396
Harbour seal: 78
Elephant seal: 8
Harlequin Duck: 4
Sanderling: 1
-tidied boat shed
10kts NE wind. Cloudy, but still no rain.
Tour boats: 5
Dive boats: 2
Marine Mammal Count
Stellar Sea lion: 272
California Sea lion: 396
Harbour seal: 78
Elephant seal: 8
Harlequin Duck: 4
Sanderling: 1
-tidied boat shed
Calm and sunny.
As of 1130, sighted from the tower, there are:
233 Stellar sea lions
269 California sea lions
100 Harbour seals
11 Elephant seals
The white fronted goose is still around.
Saw whale spouts and tail flukes to the West. Likely Gray whales.
-Washed desalinator bunker and water tank shed
-Pressure washed West wall of student house
Calm this morning, with mixed weather all day. Started out SE, backed to Westerly. Periods of torrential rain. DND blasting: 1200, 1205. Both big, loud single bangs.
Tour boats: 9
22 Canada Geese
Keeping my eye out for Sooty Shearwaters, no sign yet
Mammal Count from tower at 1130
9 elephant seals behind boat shed and on jetty 47 harbour seals (mostly Middle Rocks)
129 Stellar sea lions (mostly along the North shore of the main island)
200 California sea lions (mostly along the South shore in front of the student house)
Seems like this bad weather compelled a lot of the sea lions to leave. Maybe they’re just out in the water waiting for the swell and surge to ease up.
I spotted the Stellar sea lion with the line around his neck again today and got a few pictures.
-entered and sent water sampling data to IOS
-compiled month end report
-photographed branded sea lions
-fixed electric fence after storm damage
-tidied keepers house
Wardens’s report by Garry Fletcher: Chris drove me out this morning to Race Rocks to relieve Courtney our Ecoguardian for the weekend –a foggy start but it cleared off by noon with a shower in the afternoon. Up the tower at 11:30 for census and the daily boat survey for DFO. Census from tower at 1150hrs. Harbour seals : 22 SE onshore, 39 SW : total 61 Elephant Seals: 10 in a cluster behind boathouse: total 10. California Sea Lions 77 south side, 80 on East shore , 40 on NE , viewed from Docks and helipad to get ones not visible from tower: from docks w side 40, East 72, west shore tidepools: 53 : total 362. Northern Sea lions: middle rock 170, E side docks 30, N rock 50 : total 250
The distribution in the late afternoon changed, with more sealions of both species moving up onto the main island covering the yard to the North west which is now completely devoid of vegetation.
In order to curb damage to the grounds, (and pipes and conduits,) from the sealions this year, we are restricting the movement up onto the center of the island. A network of electrical tape has been installed and it appears to be effective so far.
For other branding records see: https://www.racerocks.ca/race-rocks-animals-plants/marine-mammal-tracking/
I was surprised by the number of dead juvenile seagull carcases around the island. many were young that were probably attacked by other adults when out of nesting territories , the highest count was on the ledge below Camera5 . Most deaths occurred during the late summer. Approx count 20.
Twice today a pod of Orca, ( about 6 ?) traveled through the reserve. whale watchers numbered up to 10 boats averaging 15-20 people per boat. They were observant about remaining outside the reserve when the whales were inside reserve boundaries, but with a ring of whale-watching boats around the group when they were out in Race Passage, it did not look like the whales were getting much freedom. I believe the Orca pod was feeding on fish because there were many seals and sea lions in the water and none were attacked. At least 20 whale-watching boats were through the reserve today.
At the northeast corner of the helipad I noticed a large amount of chevrons from chiton shells, washed out from guano deposits from over the summer. It seemed to be a very dense concentration??
Environment Canada has over the summer installed new weather sensors on top of the tower at Race Rocks. Now in addition to wind speed and direction, humidity, temperature, dew point and barometric pressure are recorded. This provides an interesting comparison with the data from the ground level recorded by our Davis weather instrument: They may be accessed here: Env Canada Weather
A bit of History:
One can often encounter human-made artifacts on the islands which don’t have an obvious explanation: On the east side of the tower for instance is this “sidewalk to nowhere”. Trev Anderson told me about the wooden blacksmith shop that was located in that spot until it was demolished in the late 1960’s.
5th day as Eco-guardian and things are getting easier.
-20 Canada geese this morning
-Spotted one pelican on North Rocks from the lighthouse during my morning mammal and boat count. Around lunch 5 more arrived. At Dinner time they joined up and flew south towards Port Angeles.
-Female elephant seal is napping behind the boat house as of 1500 hrs
-115 seals, mostly on Middle Rocks
-471 sealions, mostly on the northeast corner of the main island
-8 tour boats
-Several courteous sport boats checking out the wildlife in the reserve
Ran desalinator. Re-did sealion fencing on the jetty.
Morning Weather: winds West 6kts, seas Rppl, Fog all around
Chris off station between 1100-1730hrs
marine traffic: eco-tour boats: 3
marina mammal count: west rock: 4 sealions , 3 seals, middle rocks: 142 sealions, 52 seals, north rock: 42 seals, Great Race Rocks (including east islets): 350 sealions, 65 seals
solar panels cleaned.
Morning Wx: wind – N 7kts, sky – Ovrcst
Steller (Northern) Sea Lions: 30
California Sea Lion: 10
Humpback Whale: 1 (at edge of reserve)
Harbour Seals: 150
Elephant Seals: 22
Orca: J-pod passed May 14
River Otter: 1
Cormorants: 20
Caspian Tern: 2
Whimbrel: 2
Re-tailed Hawk: 1
Glaucous-winged Gulls: 300
Western Gull: 1
Pigeon Guillemots: 120
Northwestern Crow: 1
Raven: 1
Black Oyster Catchers: 20
Bald Eagle: 10
Harlequin Ducks: 10
Black Turnstones: 30
Song Sparrow: 6
Canada Geese: 14 adults/20 goslings
It is good to be back on Race Rocks after a winter on the road in Mexico. It seems I am not the only one returning as the Pigeon Guillemots have been returning over the last few days as well. I am planning a special entry focused on them in the next week so stay tuned!
These birds usually eat invertebrates so this picture of one eating Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca) is a bit unusual.
For now I think a census of the last few days is in order:
Steller (Northern) Sea Lions: 30
Harbour Seals: 100
Elephant Seals: 10
Orca: 6
River Otter: 1
Mergansers: 2
Pigeon: 1
Cormorants: 40
Glaucous-winged Gulls: 200
Pigeon Guillemots: 60
Northwestern Crow: 2
Raven: 2
Rufous Hummingbird: 1
Black Oyster Catchers: 20
Bald Eagle: 10
Harlequin Ducks: 10
Black Turnstones: 30
Sanderlings: 4
Song Sparrow: 6
Canada Geese: 14
Surfbirds: 40