Category Archives: Bird Notes

Mist Maiden, Whimbrel and Gratitude

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This morning the wind was less than 10 knots and it was a beautiful time to be outside compared with the howling winds the last couple of days. It is from the west and increasing as the day goes on.

Often people ask me why I come to Race Rocks and this morning was a great reminder. As I cleaned the solar panels there was a soft west wind, the sun was in and out of the clouds as it rose in the east. Two California sealions were catching fish and shaking them as they surfaced. An eagle flew over and picked up a fish only to be chased ashore by two glaucous wing gulls. There are moments here when one is called to be present. There are many moments of frustration ( the electric fence is down again) and occasional fear (the wind, the geese) and boredom but then there are moments when one just doesn’t want to be anywhere else. And how often that does that happen in one’s life?

Visitors:

  • Pearson College had about 6 divers in Race Channel today but did not come ashore.
  • Just after noon now and 10 ecotourism boats have passed by

Observations:

  • Mist Maiden (Romanzoffia tracyi) is blooming!
  • I took a picture of the chiton shells and will post below. When walking around there are so many things that are taken for granted. Like the hundreds (thousands) of chiton shells. I suppose they are a stable food source. Has it always fed these birds? Did there used to be more fish skeletons? Sometimes it is good to record the obvious.

Work:

  • Cleaned the solar panels this morning
  • continued wheelbarrowing wood to house
  • cleaned out the wood stove
  • cleaning the house for Jill’s return
This female may be recognizable if this new puncture wound, upper right abdomen, leaves a scar

This female may be recognizable if this new puncture wound, upper right abdomen, leaves a scar

 

Hawk and tag

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Ecological Notes:

  • 1 Female Elephant Seal in the center of the island, looks like one of this years moms
  • 1 near mature Male Elephant Seal
  • 1 tagged yearling Elephant Seal male, tagged in California at the age of 23 days on 2022-02-19 …. reported to appropriate resource

Near adult male on left, tagged yearling male on the right

  • 3 Elephant Seal pups from this season on the boat ramp
  • A first for me here at Race Rocks …. noticed the panicking gulls were making a slightly different noise, and sure enough, instead of Eagles it was a Red Tailed hawk!

Visitors:

  • A Pearson College alumni (and past Eco-Guardian) is visiting Race Rocks for a couple weeks, for a visit and to offer time to volunteer on projects.

Facility Work and tasks:

  • Month end paperwork and reporting, including Seawater data
  • Monthly equalization charge and weekly battery fluids top up

DND events:

  • Ongoing detonations
  • Noted that when they do multiple blasts in close succession, there is a greater reaction from the Sea Lions and birds.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Eco-Tourism vessels
  • 2 Kayakers,  that gave all wildlife a very good buffer, in the reserve at slack tide * note: they didn’t drop the fishing lure while they were in the reserve *

  • 3 private vessels visiting the reserve

 Noted Infractions:

  • 1 Private vessel did a highspeed bank turn and exited at full speed from well within the reserve…. Yes, this photo was taken after they left the reserve, and they had slowed a lot when they saw me come out with the camera

Weather Events:

  • Sunday, April 02:
    • Sky: Full range from high overcast, to clear with clouds to the south and north, to high overcast and mixed clouds
    • Wind: Variable calm-10 kts peaked to W 3 20 kts mid afternoon
    • Sea: lightly rippled
    • Temperature Low 4oC, High 8oC
  • Monday April 03, :
    • Sky:Mostly Clear to overcast
    • Wind: low WSW rising to W 30kts lat in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop turning to larger swells by evening
    • Temperature Low 4oC, High 7oC

 

 

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Spring for Birds

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Ecological Notes:

  • More Gulls showing up in pairs every day

  • Seeing some Brandt’s Cormorants in breeding plumage

  • 3 Elephant Seal pups, now exploring the shallows by the boat ramp

Facility Work:

  • Replaced all phones on the island
  • Continued on algae cleaning

Before photo of course

  • Spring cleaning of nooks and crannies
  • Made a sawbuck for easier firewood cutting, and safer as you’re not effectively leaning over the saw all the time.

 

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Both Eco-tourism and private vessels visiting the reserve
  • Some paddlers through as well

 

Weather Events:

  • Saturday, March 11:
    • Sky: mix of sun and high overcast
    • Wind: shifting during the day for N to NE, back to N then W … <5 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 3oC, High 6oC
  • Sunday, March 12:
    • High overcast with light rain
    • Wind: ENE  15-25 kts
    • Sea:  light chop t
    • Temperature Low 3oC, High 7oC

 

 

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Special Guest Animal Census

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Thank you to Andrew Jacobs and his associate for this onsite survey conducted on March 8 …..

It shows the difficulty in Gull ID’s, and why I normally report ### – “Gulls”

 

Total – Species – Stationary (on water or rocks staying in area) Flying (Flying around or past the area)

8 Canada Goose : 8 stationary

25 Harlequin Duck : 25 stationary

17 Black Oystercatcher : 17 stationary

64 Black Turnstone : 9 flying 53 stationary

17 Surfbird : 17 stationary

8 Dunlin : 4 Stationary 4 flying

14 Rock Sandpiper : 14 stationary

7 Common Murre : 7 flying

35 Pigeon Guillemot : 9 stationary 24 flying

1 Marbled Murrelet : 1 stationary

19 Short-billed Gull : 5 immature flying 14 adult flying

4 Western Gull : 2 adult stationary 2 immature stationary

2 California Gull : 1 adult stationary 1 adult flying

2 Herring Gull (American) : 1 immature flying 1 immature stationary

9 Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) : 4 adults stationary 1 adult flying 4 immature stationary

18 Glaucous-winged Gull : 3 adults stationary 3 adults flying 8 immature stationary 4 immature flying

78 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull : 10 adult flying 57 adult stationary 6 immature stationary 5 immature flying

1 Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull : 1 immature stationary

1 Red-throated Loon : 1 flying

121 Brandt’s Cormorant : 20 flying 101 stationary

53 Pelagic Cormorant : 6 flying 47 stationary

9 Double-crested Cormorant : 8 stationary 1 flying

13 Bald Eagle : 1 adult stationary 5 immature stationary 7 immature flying

2 Common Raven : 2 stationary

Harbour seal 23

California sealion 18

Steller’s sealion 19

Elephant Seal Pups 3

Sea Otter 1 (reported by Eco-Tourism Vessel)

Spring is trying!

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Ecological Notes:

  • 2 Female Elephant Seals nursing their pups
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1 on his own again
  • Still no big Male Elephant Seals present
  • Although it looks chubby, a very small harbour seal pup(?) hauled out on the boat ramp next to the pier. This is only the second time I’ve ever seen any harbour seal in that location.

  • Signs of an early spring ….. the Geese, and the Black Oyster Catchers are pairing off and defending locations …… and the Early Crocus are sprouting

Visitors:

  • Cedric from Seafront Support kayaked out for a social visit.

Facility Work:

  • Cutting firewood
  • Started re-establishing the electric fencing on the pier, but had the high  winds bring a log over and took it back out
  • Made, and installed a replacement part for the toilet in the Student and science building

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A large sailboat motored through the reserve in front of the pier, but maintained proper distance and speed while enjoying the sights.

Weather Events:

  • Friday, February 03:
    • Sky: Cloudy with occasional sun peaking through, low haze to the south, visibility to about 10 miles
    • Wind:Morning winds E 10 – 20 kts, backing to NE 20 – 35 kts by noon
    • Sea: waves up to 1 meter
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Saturday, February 04:
    • Sky: High overcast, scattered low clouds to the south
    • Wind: N winds, veering to ENE,  12-18 kts
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  7oC, High  9oC
  • Sunday, February 05:
    • Sky: High overcast, scattered low clouds to the south
    • Wind:E winds, veering to W in the morning,  gradually rising from 2 kts to 30 kts by evening
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  7oC, High  9oC
  • Monday, February 6:
    • Sky: High overcast, occasional very light showers
    • Wind: S winds, backing to ESE,  5-15 kts
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 8oC

 

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Return of the Pigeon Guillemots

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1 moved over the raised path and is associating with mom #1 again
  • Still no big Male Elephant Seals present, but I thought I may have heard one during the night, south of the reserve.
  • Heard the light peeps and coos I haven’t heard in at least a couple months…… a group of Pigeon Guillemots in the water off the end of the pier.

Shifting from winter plumage to summer plumage

Can’t take too many pictures of Black Turnstones

Visitors:

  • Diesel fuel delivery

Facility Work:

  • Battery system electrolyte top up
  • Battery system equalization charge
  • Desalinator has been working as expected
  • Checked oil, and ran up the gasoline backup generator, and both pressure washers
  • Firewood collecting and splitting
  • Month end records and reporting

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A group of vessels doing manoeuvres west of the reserve. Then more noted between the reserve and Victoria when we went in for fuel.

Weather Events:

  • Tuesday, January 31:
    • Sky: Overcast with some lower clouds
    • Wind: NNE to ENE 10-15 kts
    • Sea: calm and rippled
    • Temperature Low 2oC, High 6oC
  • Wednesday, February 01:
    • Sky:High overcast with sunny breaks
    • Wind: ENE 10-20 kts
    • Sea:  some SE swells early until the tide changed, then light chop
    • Temperature Low  2oC, High  7oC
  • Thursday, February 02:
    • Sky: High overcast with sunny breaks, lower clouds to the south on the Olympic Peninsula side
    • Wind: NE/NNE  10_15kts, veering to ENE in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  3oC, High  7oC

 

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Cold and Clear

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Ecological Notes:

 

  • 3 female Elephant Seals (mom #1 returned in the night)
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1, born Dec 26, 2022, is independent, not associating directly with mom #1

  • Relative rare sighting of a Sanderling

Black Oystercatchers feeding

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 Eco-Tourism Vessels

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Sunday January 29):
    • Sky: Sunny and clear
    • Wind: NNE 15kts shifting to NE later in the day
    • Sea: Rippled, no swell or waves
    • Temperature Low 1oC, High 6oC
  • Today (Monday January 30):
    • Sky: Mostly clear with some clouds, very slight overall haze, full light overcast by afternoon
    • Wind: NNE 10 kts , veering to SSE in the afternoon
    • Sea: Rippled, no swell or waves
    • Temperature Low 0oC, High 3oC – although wind speed is low, there is definitely a wind chill factor
    • Standing “fresh” water pools are all frozen

 

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Birds and Ellies

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals, 2 nursing pups, one still expecting
  • 2 Elephant Seal pups, sometimes struggling to move around with mom when she changes terrain
  • Although the Eagles have been actively hunting gulls out here, I was puzzled but the remains of Turnstones as well. This morning I witnessed the successful hunt of a Turnstone by one of the 2 Ravens here

Facility Work:

  • Covered the broken window on the crane shed
  • Collected and bucked more firewood logs

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 Ecotourism Vessels

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Saturday January 21):
    • Sky: Overcast with very occasional rain sprinkles
    • Wind:NE 15-20 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Today (Sunday January 22):
    • Sky: Overcast with sunny breaks in the morning, light haze by afternoon
    • Wind: N/NE 0-5kts, shifting to SE in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High  7oC

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Christmas Bird Count

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Thank you Ann Nightingale for providing the species break down for us.

CHECKLIST S125327057

Main details

Tue 27 Dec 202210:00 AM
LocationRace Rocks
View with Google Maps

Additional details

People

OwnerCBC5 BCSO

Other participating eBirders

Effort

Protocol: Traveling
  • Observers: 1
  • Distance: 0.5 km

Totals

12
Species observed
+2 other taxa
619 individuals

Observations

  1. Canada Goose

    Number observed: 8

  2. Black Oystercatcher

    Number observed: 132

    Details

    several large groupings on known refuge for this species- exact count

  3. Black Turnstone

    Number observed: 95

  4. Surfbird

    Number observed: 28

  5. Rock Sandpiper

    Number observed: 6

    Details

    Photos to follow

  6. Iceland Gull

    Number observed: 28

  7. Glaucous-winged Gull

    Number observed: 4

  8. gull sp.

    Number observed: 100

  9. Brandt’s Cormorant

    Number observed: 40

  10. Pelagic Cormorant

    Number observed: 46

  11. Double-crested Cormorant

    Number observed: 50

  12. cormorant sp.

    Number observed: 60

  13. Bald Eagle

    Number observed: 18

    AGE & SEX:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 10 8

  14. Common Raven

    Number observed: 4

Waves and wood

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Ecological Notes:

  • Female Elephant Seal and pup
  • Juvenile Male Elephant Seal just napping.
  • For the past couple months, there have been a daily morning “crew” of eagles actively hunting gulls on the main island. Normally there are between 8 and 12, mostly immature, but  a couple of adults too. There have been less lately as they have pretty much taken/scared away most of the gulls. I was finding up to 2 or 3 carcasses a day in the central area.

Facility Work:

  • Replaced motherboard on the desalinator unit.
  • Quick-fixed some of the siding that was peeling off the buildings.
  • Far from good, but good from afar!
  • Due to king tides, predominately high N/NE winds, and sheer amount of logs and debris in the water, made the long overdue decision to just pack up the pier electric fencing until spring. It’s easier to just move the Sealions off often when the tide is higher.

 

Weather Events:

  • Thursday January 5
    • Sky: mix of cloud and clear skies in the morning. turning to overcast mid day. Visibility 20 – 25 kms, low clouds obscuring the Olympic Peninsula
    • Wind E 25 to 35 knots veering to SE 30 to 40 late in the afternoon …. gusts to 50knts ”” drop tp calm late in the evening
    • Sea: up to 2 meter waves on top of swells from the southeast. You DO NOT want to be taking a boat from here to Victoria in that!
    • Temperature Low 8 oC, High 13 oC
  • Friday January 6:
    • Overcast with a mix of sunny periods, clear skies after dark
    • Wind SE 5-10 knots in the day, then increasing to SE 25 to 35 knots early  evening.
    • Sea:  Flat calm in the morning (wind with tide),
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High  10oC

 

 

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?