| Race Rocks Gull Survey April 3 2024 |
| Andrew Jacobs | 5 April 2024 at 21:35 | |
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Category Archives: Bird Notes
The Weekly Animal Census
Today, it was time for the weekly animal census on Race Rocks – a longstanding tradition (see the full archive, here) that allows us to keep track of an ever-fluctuating population of birds and marine mammals. The morning weather wasn’t particularly promising, with wind, rain, and dark overcast skies.
Combined with high tides and a rough sea state, perhaps it wasn’t entirely surprising that the numbers seemed a bit lower than usual – with the harbour seals in particular mostly hiding out in the waves surrounding the South Rocks, and thus rather tricky to count. Alas – who was about?
Census equipment – species list, binoculars, and a clicker to keep track of everyone
March 27th Animal Census
Birds:
Oyster catcher: 22
Harlequin duck: 15
Gulls: 195
Cormorant: 73
Pigeon guillemot: 101
Juvenile eagle: 1
Adult eagle: 1
Canadian geese: 9
Shore / Surf birds: 15
Turnstones: 10
Marine Mammals:
Steller sea lions: 14
Harbour seal: 21
Male Elephant seal: 1 (back on land after a lengthy morning expedition)
Female elephant seal : 0
California sea lion: 24
The weather did eventually start to calm down a bit – still hopeful to catch my first RR sunset of the trip later tonight!
Facility Work:
- Weekly Animal Census
- Continued algae clean-up on Generator Roof
- Chopped Firewood
- Prepared new Water Filters for both the Keeper’s Residence and the Marine Science Building
- Early AM generator run to top up batteries, PM solar enough to reach charge status of 100%
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- 1 ecotourism vessel, passing between the South Islands and Rosedale Reef
Weather – Current:
http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather – Past:
Animal Census
Census done by Students of WestCoast Adventure College during their stay here for classes
Birds
- Harlequin duck 12
- Bald eagle adult 5
- Bald eagle juvenile 2
- Golden Eagle juvenile 1
- Turnstones 10
- Gulls 323
- Cormorants 243
- Pigeon Guillemots 18
- Oyster catcher 6
- Canadian goose 10
- Surf Birds 2
- Dunlin 4
- Savannah Sparrow 1
Mammals
- Steller sea lion 79, including 1 female nursing a yearling
- Harbour seal 25
- California sea lion 40
- Sea otter 1
- Humpback whale, mid strait south of Race
- Orca 2 hunting in the reserve
- 6 hunting south of the reserve, waiting until the
- 2 joined them
Detailed Bird Count
Observations
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Number observed: 16
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Number observed: 6
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Number observed: 8
Details
Single group close to shore of Great Race Rock.
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Number observed: 4
Details
Two pairs flying around on arrival.
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Number observed: 12
Details
Ones, twos and threes scattered around. A few initially on grassy areas when we arrived before moving towards the shoreline.
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Number observed: 5
Details
At least five singles scattered around.
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Number observed: 3
Details
Scurrying around grassy area when we arrived then moved towards rocky shoreline. One definitive, two formative.
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Number observed: 3
Details
Two together on south side which I had good views of through my scope for a couple of minutes as they moved in and out of view between rocks. I moved closer for a better look but they vanished either walked around the back of the little island or flew off.
Later I had superb views of a definitive bird (see definitive wing coverts) on the north shore but only for a couple of minutes before the bird quickly moved west along the shore and around a corner.
Media
© James Kennerley Macaulay Library © James Kennerley Macaulay Library © James Kennerley Macaulay Library © James Kennerley Macaulay Library © James Kennerley Macaulay Library © James Kennerley Macaulay Library -
Number observed: 12
Details
Most moulting into alternate plumage.
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Number observed: 4
Details
One in alternate plumage.
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Number observed: 25
Details
All loafing on West Race Rock.
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Number observed: 4
Details
Two definitive, two first cycles.
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Number observed: 7
Details
At least a couple of definitive birds, a couple of second cycles and three first cycles (juv).
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Number observed: 3
Details
Definitive and two first cycles (juv).
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Number observed: 180
Details
130 in main flock on Great Race Rock. 10 on West Race Rock. 40 others scattered around. Approximately 95% of adults with primaries darker than mantle to varying degrees so likely this number includes some individuals that may better fall under ‘Olympic Gull’.
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Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)
Number observed: 25Details
Estimate for the number of especially distinctive hybrids.
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Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)
Number observed: 5Details
At least a handful of ‘Cook Inlet Gulls’. Likely were more which I may have overlooked or incorrectly called ‘Olympic’.
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Number observed: 292
Details
240 in main flock on west side. 27 on West Race Rock. 25 on north side. Approximately 90% were definitive birds.
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Larus sp.
Number observed: 60Details
Estimate of the number of indetermined hybrids.
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loon sp.
Number observed: 2Details
Distant on water and another in flight.
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Number observed: 88
Details
Majority loafing on north side of Great Race Rock near gull flock.
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Number observed: 25
Details
Majority loafing on north side of Great Race Rock near gull flock.
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Number observed: 61
Details
Majority loafing on north side of Great Race Rock near gull flock.
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Number observed: 17
Details
Spread out loafing on high points of islands.
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Number observed: 3
Details
Three appeared just as we were leaving hawking low around jetty for insects.
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Number observed: 1
Details
Lurking along edge of rocks. Fairly dark chocolatey and rufous bird. Slim bill. Prominent yellow at base of supercilium.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S160741512
Holiday Storm
Best Wishes to you if you celebrate anything special this time of year!
Ecological Notes:
- Still no Elephant Seals hauling out.
- 1 yearling(?) came ashore for a couple days. When if first arrived it spent half a day moving around the central area, “calling” loudly (perhaps checking for others to haul out with?)
“You can’t see me here”
- The Sea Otter – “Ollie” – was reported to be just off Helicopter rock by a photographer out on one of the EcoTourism boats. It’s nice to get updates on this animal, as his teeth are failing, and he is relatively old for a Sea Otter
“Ollie” the sea Otter Photo submitted by Clint William
- After dropping to very low numbers, there seems to be another surge of both Steller and California Sea Lions to the haul outs
- There have been 2 or 3 small wrens in the flower beds, with help from Ann Nightingale, we believe these to be Pacific Wrens … too fast for me to get my own photo ….
photo by Mason Maron
Visitors:
- 2 contractors from Viriidian Energy came and serviced the generator and upgraded the control system with an Auto Start/Stop system
- Park Warden Garry Fletcher visited, and in addition to gaining an overview of the park and facilities, spent time with the Eco-Guardian providing interesting stories and history around the facility
Facility Work:
- Spent some time analyzing and making adjustments to the new control system for the generator system
- Initial setting on the Auto system proved to be problematic in that they resulted in very extended runs times(up to twice as long = twice the fuel burn and fuel transport!) Discussed with the programmer and they remotely adjusted the unit to more appropriate times. Also, found out how to properly override the system for a manual run, to ensure once a week full charges can still be done.
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- new control head
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- old control head
- Will re-visit with the technician after the holidays
- After help to secure some more logs … ongoing bucking and splitting to build up firewood stocks for the winter.
- Did full maintenance on the chainsaw
- Now running both the old, and the new Seawater data units, to give both readings to adjust older incorrect readings
- Proof on Concept: As the damp wood produces less heat in the woodstove, I decided to try to curtain off some areas, such as the front doorway and the kitchen. Using found materials , the main curtain is very thin, and does not cover the top very well, but it still produces a very noticeable temperature difference on either side
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Ongoing Eco-Tourism vessels in the park
- Several private vessels visiting, no noted infractions
Weather Events:
Ongoing winter weather, unseasonably warm, winds direction shifting daily, very little rain
- Monday, December 25::
- Sky: Dense, High overcast, very light sprinkles threatening rain, but none occurred
- Wind: ENE 5-15 kts during the day, rising to nighttime winds gusting to 35 kts
- Sea:1 meter swells from the East
- Temperature Low 8.5oC, High 11oC
- Sky: Dense, High overcast, very light sprinkles threatening rain, but none occurred
- Tuesday, December 26:
- Sky: Bright overcast sky
- Wind: ENE, calm in the morning, expected to rise to 25kts during the day and up to 45kts by evening
- Sea: Large rolling swells from the east
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 11.5oC
- Sky: Bright overcast sky
** 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:
Animal Census
- Bald eagle adult 2
- Bald eagle juvenile 4
- Barred Owl 1
- Black Turnstones 10
- Black Oyster Catchers 6
- Gulls 148
- Cormorants mostly Brandt’s 87
- Canadian goose 22
- Ravens 2
- Surf Scoters 12
- Dunlin 8
Mammals
- Steller sea lion 590
- Harbour seal 42
- California sea lion 380
- Sea Otter 1
Several Humpback Whales visible from the reserve
Underwater Scenes
Ecological Notes:
- Sea Lion numbers range up and down daily. Have notice more smaller sea lions this year, and can hear the higher squawks of younger ones. Unlike last year, I haven’t found any nursing pups yet.
- Barred Owl is still here. For a couple days, there were zero other birds on the top area of the main island (Canada Geese, Turnstones, Gulls, or Dunlins)….. but they are gradually returning now. I suspect maybe the Owl hunted extensively one night and scared them all away(?)
- Humpback whales still visible daily
- On one day, in addition to the Humpbacks, Southern Resident Orca passed south of the reserve heading west, and Bigg’s (Transient) Orca passed heading East. While they were too far to get photographs, both groups were visible by eye (once I located them with binoculars)
Visitors:
- Group of students and instructor from Pearson College visited for the weekend. They were primarily interested in mapping the kelp forests and how they are affected by Urchins and Sea Otters. They helped with other projects and used the ROV to view the underwater area off the jetty.
Siri, Finn, Maria, Annabelle, and Edgar
Always curious!
Sea Urchins
Young Bull Kelp
- Contractors to work on the main house windows
Facility Work:
- Now able to start bucking logs from the ramp area and moving to the full bucking area for firewood.
- Cleaned and prepped the science house for the students visit
- Did another full sweep of the main island to remove dead gull carcasses
- Contractors continue the finishing work on the newly installed windows, moving primarily to the sills and finish on the inside.
- Communicating with DFO in regards to the salinity measurements. They seem high, even though the meter was recently replaced. Tested with a meter owned by Pearson College and that meter showed numbers I would be expecting.
- Ongoing spray down of walkways and decks to reduce slim and algae, but wondering if the cooler weather is reducing the effectiveness of the spray(?)
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Continued visits by Eco- Tourism vessels
- Some private vessels transiting, some pausing to enjoy the nature in the reserve.
Noted Infractions:
- No attempted fishing detected
- Transit and departure speeds all good
Weather Events:
- Winds pretty consistent NNE 10-15 Kts
- Mixes of partial cloudy, and some fog at night
- Temperatures ranging 4 to 7 degrees
** 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:
Waiting on the storm(s)
Ecological Notes:
- All Elephant Seals have moved along, I imagine they will return in December or January and stay for the moult season
- Although I thought it was a random event, there has been a Barred Owl roosting under the tank shed deck for 3 days now
- Sea lion numbers are down, and many moved to the southern rocks after heavy blasting at the DND site
Visitors:
- Ongoing visits by contractors working on main house windows
Facility Work:
- Working on gradual trimming and removal of plants from the walkways. the root systems can be destructive to the concrete and brick, as well as encouraging water leak into the buildings…. will scrub down the paths with the next heavy rains
- Diesel Generator oil change
- Weekly battery electrolyte top up and check
- Continuing to collect logs for firewood
- Even in the less messy months, cleaning the solar panels every now and then helps
DND events:
- Several very loud blasts during the week, noted more than average disturbance with the birds and sea lions. (maybe coincidental but it was the day of the loudest that the 3 elephant seals left)
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Ecotourism and education vessels in the reserve, most following guidelines well.
- Several private vessels in the reserve. None were observed fishing, but they commonly exit the reserve at high speed.
Weather Events:
- Friday, November 17:
- Sky: Mostly sunny and clear, with slight haze and overcast far south in the strait
- Wind: NE winds 10-15 kts shifting to ENE later in the afternoon
- Sea: rippled to with minimal chop
- Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
- Sky: Mostly sunny and clear, with slight haze and overcast far south in the strait
- Saturday, November 18:
- Sky: clear until mid-afternoon, with clouds and haze on the south side of the strait.clouds gradually increased in the late afternoon
- Wind: early morning rising to NE 15 kts
- Sea: light chop turning to
- Temperature Low 6oC, High 8oC
- Sky: clear until mid-afternoon, with clouds and haze on the south side of the strait.clouds gradually increased in the late afternoon
** 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:
It’s Sea Lion Season!!
Hey, look who’s back! I’ve been on Race Rocks since Saturday for a quick relief stint and will be heading back to the “Big Island” on Tuesday. This is my first trip to Race in September, and it’s very different from trips earlier in the season.
We are just about at the peak of songbird migration on Vancouver Island, so I was optimistic that I might see or hear more birds going over. The few birds on the ground have almost all been Savannah Sparrows. There was one raven here on Sunday, but other than that, no passerines seen or heard–yet.
Savannah Sparrow
Seabird activity has been off the charts outside of the marine protected area with reports of many jaegers, shearwaters, and of course, gulls of several species. Within the Race Rocks limits, it has been variable. Upon arrival on Saturday, I estimated more than 8,000 gulls in view, most of them California Gulls. There have been good numbers of Heermann’s Gulls, especially youngsters. The number of Glaucous-winged Gulls–the ones that breed on Race Rocks–are lower now that most of the young have dispersed. Despite scouring the flocks, I was unable to detect any less common gulls or the terns that have been spotted nearby. However, eight Brown Pelicans were nearby. They must have blown out with the wind on Saturday night! Since the grand welcoming, the gulls have spread out more throughout the area, often following the Humpback Whales and Orca that are keeping the growing number of ecotourism boats in business.
Welcoming party
Brown Pelican in the kelp
Pigeon Guillemots, one of the most abundant species earlier in the year, have moved offshore. They will spend the winter in their pale gray and white plumage, a startling contrast to the sharp black and white with bright red feet that we see here in the summer. The shorebirds that rested here each evening in July and August are largely gone, with just a few Black Turnstones, Surfbirds, and Black Oystercatchers onsite along with a few other stragglers. There was one species I missed in August that put in an appearance. Two Wandering Tattlers were here on Sunday and one posed for photos on Monday.
Wandering Tattler
The population that has exploded since I was last here are the sea lions. California and Steller’s stacked like cordwood all around the outskirts of Great Race and the surrounding islands. It is quite clear that they would be at the door if it weren’t for a perimeter fence that (mostly) keeps them to the outer portion of the island. The work of a September ecoguardian is largely to keep the buildings and equipment zone sea lion free!
Sea lions aplenty!
The days are getting shorter, and it feels like the winds are getting stronger. Winter is coming!
More photos from the last few days:
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- Pelagic Cormorant
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- Least Sandpiper
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- Black Turnstones and Surfbirds
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- Surfbird
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- Whale watchers
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- Pelagic Cormorants
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- Sanderling and Least Sandpiper
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- California sea lions
A Quick Week on the Rocks
A week goes by quickly out here! First, an update:
The branded Steller’s sea lion I reported in my last post has a history that includes a previous trip to Race Rocks. 746R was branded at Rogue Reef (Southern Oregon) on July 12, 2009. He has been all over Carroll Isl WA, Graves Rock SE AK, Castle Rock CA, Barkley Sound BC, Race Rocks in 2016, Sucia Island WA, Ewing Isl WA and Cape Arago OR as recently as July 7 this year. This and other marked sea lions are being studied by Susan Riemer of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. If you see marked sea lions, she really appreciates hearing about your sightings.
The last few days have had all of the weather possibilities for this time of year except hot. Foggy much of the time, windy most of the rest, and sometimes foggy and windy just to change things up. No rain, but humidity in the high 90s. I’m always struck by how different the temperatures can be just a couple of kilometres away. The wind yesterday actually broke the electric fencing tape on the jetty, which I fixed this morning.
Despite the wind, it’s been a good week for shorebirds. Another new one for me here (but not for Race Rocks) was a Sanderling. Normally seen chasing and being chased by incoming waves on a sandy beach, they do spend some time in more rocky environments.
The thick stubby bill and “spangled” back pattern are characteristics of Sanderling
The red colouring on the neck had me hoping it might be a MEGA rarity, but it was not.
The predominant gull at Race Rocks this time of year is the Glaucous-winged Gull. They are the regular breeders in this area. But gulls don’t necessarily stick to their own kind. When they hybridize with Western Gulls, the offspring are known as Olympic gulls. When they hybridize with Herring Gulls, the offspring are known as Cook Inlet Gulls. There is a gull that I’ve been watching that I think may be one of the latter.
Note the white “window” in the outer primary feather
The orbital ring is orange-yellow like both the Western and Herring gulls. The iris is darker than a Herring gull and lighter than most Glaucous-winged Gulls.
I’ll be passing these and other photos on to someone more “gullible” than I am!
The Second Nature from Pearson College has been making the rounds with alumni and friends of the school. Some of them had to look hard to find us through the fog!
Thanks to Greg Dickinson and Pearson College for providing this opportunity to me again.
Visitors:
- No visitors ashore, but several from Pearson College on boat tours around the rocks
- Ecotourism traffic has been picking up, despite the fog.
Facility Work:
- Cleaned windows and solar panels daily
- Cleaned outbuilding windows inside and out
- Swabbed the decks at the Ecoguardian residence
- Fixed a shock-inducing break of the electric fence on the jetty
- Visually checked the entire run of the fence and reconnected tape blown out by high winds
More photos:
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- Incoming Black Turnstone
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- Turnstone being watched by harbour seal
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- Black Turnstone stretch
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- Pigeon Guillemot with a local gunnel (I think!)
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- Steller’s sea lion
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- Pigeon Guillemot with ???
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- Gull from below. The dark wingtips indicate a hybrid rather than a full Glaucous-winged Gull
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- No colour in the wingtips for this Glaucous-winged Gull
Details
Several groups, largest was eight birds. Many smart drakes. Some males moulting into formative plumage too.