Category Archives: Bird Notes

Busy week

Posted on by

Weather

The whole week we had a very light wind , a flat and calm sea . Perfect hot Summer days…Almost no wind,sometimes from east. and a very good visibility from 15 to 30 miles

Ecological

Census

Sea lions :320

Harbour seals:82

Seashore birds:15

Eagles:0

River otters:1 ( dead chicken found)

Elephant seals:0

Geese :16(quickly gone )

Pigeon-guillemots:0

Oystercatchers :2

Cormorants :1 seen around North Rock

 

We saw some branded Sea lions :8101 and 2 others and I spot one with a huge swollen eye !

Maintenance

We had some problem with the inverter 2 which went off and gave as a consequence no electricity in the guest house so no more phone and internet on the Rock . Guy uninstalled the whole system and Kyle came early before a meeting at the college and they reinstalled the whole thing.The generator and desalinator have been on. the soft water tank filled up to full.and Guy chopped more wood.  He needs to reinstalled the electrical line almost everyday especially the one close to the main house . The Sea lions fight so much to get the good spots in the evening that they fall on each other and on the lines  Otherwise the system is working well

Visitor

Evan Guy who was working at the college since June went to spend his last night on the rocks

Other

We have been off island a lot because of some mandatory and interesting meetings at the college before the beginning of the school year. Next week we will go back the routine and will welcome the new first year students for their first visit of the rock! exciting!

Windy Monday

Posted on by

Weather

The wind picked up to 30 knots in the middle of the night and was still 32 knots  at 5:00AM and 38 at 7:30 . The visibility was over 15 miles ,clear sky ,white caps on the sea.

Ecological

 

The Sea lions stayed late in the morning in ,what I call the dormitory ,in fact a patch of land among the rocks. We were lucky enough to spot for the first time a few orcas closed to the shore behind the guest house. Many black turnstone  in the rocks and sea lions closer and closerDSC_0003DSC_0173DSC_0262DSC_0371

Maintenance

Guy repaired the lock of the bedroom window . He changed the filter of the generator 2.and drilled and fixed a support. Everything is now working except an oil leak because of too old hoses . New ones has been ordered.

Other

The video Aziz Sowannella took on the rock is now online (Youtube ) . Thanks to him . It’s as beautiful as the place.  He got the feeling of the rocks around the clock. Nice job!

Hot and calm days on the rock

Posted on by

Weather

Mainly the scenario is this one :high temperatures of air and water( around 13 Celsius) and calm sea. That means too, gorgeous sunset and sunrise .

Ecological

2 more dead chicken bodies found. Gulls and Sea lions are very active and the gulls are not anymore aggressive towards us.

DND activity

We were surprised on Wednesday night by a huge deflagration at 9:54 PM. The animals on the rocks around reacted strongly like us actually. The house shaked and we kept ready for the next blast for at least an hour. The following day we got this info:it was a military building demolition exercise on Bentinck island and we received from the college this other explanation:“ Numerous studies have been conducted on the potential environmental effects:Blast noise in the marine environment land demolition is almost indetectable by acoustic equipment;above that of other underwater backgrounds sounds such as waves & marine life”.We got more blast the following days but never so loud and in day time .

Eco guardian’s activity

We have been on shore from Wednesday to Friday for some training at the college: this training has been very useful at a beginning of a new school year (next week the students will be there). We were especially concerned by all the security review we got:1rst aid,fire risks ,emergency and incidents protocol etc…

 

 

 

Census and first electrical fence working

Posted on by

Weather

If Friday was very calm it was not the same story on Saturday and Sunday. Actually we had the same pattern of weather: wind around 20 in the morning picking up around 7:00PM getting 35 to 37 knots around 8:PM. We had some fog a big part of the day on Saturday.

Ecological 

The Sea lions came back to their favorite spot on main closed to the derrick house and  they slept like they would in a dormitory side by side.The birds were stressed by the wind and we had to wear our helmet…It was a continuous show around with the gulls :fly and fight ..many fights and a lot of shouting. The younger now are getting good at flying and some even left the rock.2016  nesting season is at the end. DSC_0177DSC_0444DSC_0442

Maintenance

Very dirty solar panels !Thick!…I put some peat moss in the compost. Guy installed the electrical line because of the heavy concrete posts, it was a big job among the shouting birds and sea lions behind.Generator on for 12 hours; desalinator on too. Last time was 10 days agoDSC_0356DSC_0407DSC_0424

Electrician on the Rock

Posted on by

Weather

We had for a few days the last perfect Summer days: no wind ,mirror sea and heat…

Ecological

For the first time we saw 2 orcas in the passage . It was like a dream and ironically all the watching boats were outside and we were the only ones to enjoy.DSC_0502DSC_0500We did!

Hungry not anymore baby gulls! No Elephant seals .

Other

The number of watching boats this sunny days is insane !So many and all at the same time .too closed ,too fast and too noisy (engines). too often disturbing! An helicopter was above very noisy too and the birds were afraid.We had a plane above.DSC_0553DSC_0549

A visitor : an electrician 

He came to double check the electrical system on the rock. Even if the old system is running pretty well a brand new generator would be  a good solution for more efficiency.We learn a few things : The generator should work around 12 hours in a raw every 10 days even in Summer time. We would need a high voltage for 12 hours to activate correctly the mixture . The sulfuric acid  stays down and the water up and that means corrosion …If high voltage were sent for 12 hours or even more the batteries could be charged at 80 %. Right now they are charged at the best to 40-50%.The solar panels are not enough efficient because of the big and numerous batteries. Even the shadow of a pipe on the panel have an incidence on the production. The second generator is not working right now . We will make it work next week with new filters.this one produce 25AMPS instead of just 15AMPS for the first one in use presently.

 

Busy eco guardian : Alumni reunnion

Posted on by

Weather

We had a pretty calm weather those last days from no wind to 25 knots in the evening at the most. Some fog like on Wednesday morning the 10th but mainly sunny most of the time and calm with a pretty good visibility.

Ecological

We had the pleasure to welcome another female Elephant seal on Tuesday but only for a short time and pretty soon they were all gone. 4 guess made a come back ;otherwise the island is getting noisier and smell bad! The Sea lions mainly californian but some Steeler too, are coming closer and closer but not as numerous as they were last year. Some eagles around once in awhile.The gull chicks get big now,they are trying to fly but not ready yet.

Boats 

Watching boats and some diving boats (2 the same day) and closed to the rocks . Planes over on the weekend.We also have 4 times a day since Saturday loaded with alumni from the college . They came around the Rocks but not ashore.

Maintenance

Guy chopped more wood for winter.He got all the electrical fence posts ready around the student’s house and he went to the college to help for the sailing activity.On the 10th he prepared the batteries and made sure that they were full of water . it took  2 hours to fill up every of them ( total of 96  ) The generator has been working for 3 hours . Tomorrow we will have an Electrician for a general check up of the Race Rocks electrical system.

Visitor

Kyle brought some peat moss for the compost and a brand new seawater pump.

 

Census day

Posted on by

Weather

The weather has been gorgeous and calm ,excellent visibility to 22km ,west wind around 15 knots.barometric pressure :101.9,sunrise at 5:52 and sunset at 20:45 ,humidity:88%

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ecological

A beautiful and healthy female Elephant seal returned on Main Rock.First chickens swimming.More Sea lions everyday around. 2 more dead birds (one by a river otter and one resulting from a territorial fight).DSC_0050 eggs are hatched : the 2 youngest I think.

Maintenance 

Student house cleaning and other daily chores

Visitor

Kyle came and bring some needed stuff.

Other

Plane above

Census

Harbour seals :around 200

Gulls :between 535 and 550

Eagle:1

turnstones:130 to 150DSC_0755

Harlequin Duck:1 female

River otters:1

Oystercatchers: 4 couples seen

Pigeon-Guillemots:around 60

Seashore Sea lions :131 (on Middle and South) DSC_0392DSC_0587DSC_0017

Elephant Seals:1

 

Beautiful Summer days but a little bit chillier at least on the Rocks!

Posted on by

Weather

On Monday at 5:00 AM 22 knots west wind getting to 25 in the afternoon and cloudy to clear later. On Tuesday same kind of weather , wind closed to 28 knots in the afternoon and very clear and hot even if the wind on the sea is chilli. Water and air same temperature of 12 degrees celsius,barometric pressure stable:101.7KPA.

Ecological

The little birds are learning how to fly but it’s just the beginning. One elephant seal ,a young one, came back on Tuesday . The sea lions are getting closer and closer on the south side of the Rock and already have  to keep the window closed because of their noisy shoutings.Kelp beds are all around and we have to be cautious with the boat.I found an egg broken still liquid and a bird smoldering and 2 very young chickens.. so the season is not over yet.

Maintenance

Guy for the last time tried to make the seawater pump working but niet it’s really dead so we brought it back to the college and we will get another new one pretty soon.He chopped more wood and will got all the wood in piles closed to the houses instead of a big one at the jetty. We had after that to hoover the water sample house because with the wind :all the wood chips went inside ! the desalinator was on part of the days. Solar panels are  efficient ( Generator once a week on)

Other

Some DND activity.

We went to the college to bring back the pump and some recycling and garbage bags and at the same time we went for an interview with Aziz for the video in a quiet environment ;too much noise all the times here. Also we had a short meeting with Kyle to double check for the  next week organisation. A lot happening around the Sea front : year 31 and 32 alumni  are coming back for 4 days.

Steady watching boats activity.

 

 

First sea lions on Main!

Posted on by

Weather

The night between Sunday and Saturday was a noisy one :the horn was honking a major part of the night and even in the morning on Monday. Later in the day the wind was strong 29 knots at 16:00 and 32 around 19:00.

Ecological

The first sea lions (californians) were on their favorite spot ,the flat rocks closed to the jetty. We discovered 1 and pretty soon they were 3 and among them a huge one .We have to get ready for a very noisy environment ;even 2 of them can be very tiring ,so when you think about hundreds of them…plugs plugs ! …but we are lucky ,they are late , last year they were already here at this time  .  No more elephant seal on the rock. I miss them a lot!  For now we have  found 7 dead chicken bodies,mainly because of territorial fights.

Boats

Many watching boats and some beautiful sailboats (those ones not in the ecological reserve). Actually one came on Saturday and it was something to see it speeding with the current and without engine.

Maintenance

The fire pump died! this old timer was worn out even if it worked pretty well to now! Solar panel pretty dirty and the whole island ,alleys and rocks,roofs …everything is mainly white because of the gulls .Rain will be welcome.

A special visitor: Aziz Sonawalla came for a video on Race Rocks

Posted on by

Weather

At 5:00: Light west wind , air temperature :12 degrees,a little bit foggy to 7:20.AM .It has been a calm day ,25 knots at the most around 9:30 PM.

Ecological

We found a 2nd chick always at the same spot with the guts over( back stairs /Eco -guardian’s house). more sea lions mainly on Middle rocks.later in the day another dead body . this time injury on the neck on a pretty big chick.

Boats 

Many watching vessels, a huge barge with some equipment on it

Other

A plane above

Visitors

DSC_0112

Aziz Sonawalla

Kyle and Tyron came for a quick tour and Aziz was with them ready for a non stop recording of everything on the Island. Aziz was a second year student at Pearson college  and is working this Summer in the Communication department.he followed us all day long from early morning to late in the evening. and stayed over night. He tried to catch all the wildlife and the Beauty around . The purpose of this video is to show and explain the reserve to all  the concerned people .DSC_7635 DSC_0091

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA