Ryan and I have spotted at least four black oystercatcher nests on the rocky shoreline in the last few days. The total egg count between all nests is nine.
Posted by Adam
Category Archives: Bird Notes
Pelagic Cormorants
The Reserve has had the greatest abundance of Pelagic cormorants that I [Ryan] have seen in my 3 years here. The NW corner of Great Race is coated in guano and is a very different sight and smell! From 1/3 to 1/2 of the Pelagics are adult in beautiful breeding plumage. Adam and I have noted groups of 50 or more feeding in the channel between Great Race and Middle Rocks (photos on file). Abundance peaked early this week at ~120 individuals. There are a few Brandt\’s around and equal numbers of juvenile and adult Double-crested (~20).
The vessel “Servus”, license 14K3162 passed E to W through the Reserve at high speed. There were 0 visitors to the island today.
Mergus merganser: Common merganser–The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Mergus merganser photos by Ryan Murphy
We see flocks of the common mergansers (Mergus merganser) in the winter and spring months hunting for fish in a line of up to a dozen birds which will dive simultaneously to corral fish underwater. We see this in Pedder Bay, and off Taylor beach. They are not so common at Race Rocks however. This individual is in female plumage, and was perched on the end of the docks. Males are brightly coloured with contrasting white and dark greenish black markings. This is the first record of one on the island.
Mergus merganser photos by Ryan Murphy
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class :Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Mergus
Species: merganser
Common Name: Common Merganser
Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College March 2011 Ryan Murphy
Gulls arrived
The gulls have arrived this week. The once silent days are now a cacophony of caws and screams and will continue so until the fall. The gulls are taking up nesting territories and perches around the island, however all had abandoned Great Race last night as the barometer dipped.) have arrived this week. The once silent days are now a cacophony of caws and screams and will continue so until the fall. The gulls are taking up nesting territories and perches around the island, however all had abandoned Great Race last night as the barometer dipped.
Harlequin Ducks put off by DND Blasting
14 Harlequin Ducks have arrived at Race Rocks and are making good use of the fine weather this past week. Unfortunately, these shy birds have been scared away today by bomb blasts on Bentinck Island. Blasting by CFAD Rocky Point has been continuous today with the exception of a lunch break at noon. It is very disappointing that the 5-minute interval designed to minimize DND impact on the ecological reserve has not been observed. Most blasts come in clusters with ~2-minute intervals. The blasting occurring around the time of this report ~13:54 had ~1-minute intervals.
Brachyramphus marmoratus: Marbled murrelet–The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Marbled murrelet in Race Passage: photo by Raisa Mirza, 2010
Marbled murrelet ,(Brachyramphus marmoratus) photo by Ryan Murphy 2010
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Brachyramphus
Species: B. marmoratus
Binomial name
Brachyramphus marmoratus
(Gmelin, 1789)
Other entries on Murrelets at Race Rocks
 Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File |
 The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Raisa Mirza PC |
Strix varia: Barred owl–The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Barred Owl at Race Rocks , November 2010. Images by Raisa Mirza
Raisa Mirza (Ecoguardian) took these photos of the first Barred Owl to be photographed at Race Rocks on November 2, 2010. Raisa notes: ” When I woke up this morning, Virginie said that she had seen an owl and taken a picture which was pretty awesome. Lo and behold when I went outside half an hour later, I spotted this Barred Owl behind the boat house. He was covered in mist. This picture was taken later in the day when the sun had come out. My first owl sighting in the wild ever! I’m pretty excited to share the other shots of him. Couldn’t wait to put this one up. Another first sighting at Race Rocks! Its pretty awesome to know that my photography is contributing to building a cool record.”
The barred owl is a permanent resident of nearby Southern Vancouver Island, It is frequently heard at night in the farms and wooded areas of Metchosin.
In this photo by Raisa, the barred owl has its head turned 180 degrees and it is looking to the left on this photo. The wind pushes up the feathers on the back of the head giving it a very weird appearance!
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Strix
Species: varia
Common Name: Barred Owl, (Barton,1799)
Other owls photographed at Race Rock
| Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File |
| The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.
Raisa Mirza, Nov. 2 2010. |
Synthliboramphus antiquus: ancient murrelet–The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus photo by Ryan Murphy
Ancient murrelets with a loon in the background: Photo by Raisa Mirza, November 2010
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Synthliboramphus
Species: S. antiquus
Synthliboramphus antiquus (Gmelin, 1789)
These murrelets are seen only occasionally in the waters off Race Rocks. They are easy to confuse with the rarer Marbled Murrelet which also shows up in the fall.
Other entries on Murrelets at Race Rocks
| Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File |
| The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.Raisa Mirza PC . |
Gavia pacifica: Pacific Loon– The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Pacific Loon , Gavia pacifica photo by Raisa Mirza-Nov. 18 2010
Pacific loon following a Common murre–Photo by Raisa Mirza
Pacific Loon photo by Raisa Mirza, Nov 2010
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gaviiformes
Family: Gaviidae
Genus: Gavia
Species: G. pacifica
Gavia pacifica (Lawrence, 1858)
Other Loons ( members of the order Gaviformes) at Race Rocks
| Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File |
| The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. —–——- PC yr 31 |
Zonotricha atricapilla: Golden-crowned sparrow–The Race Rocks Taxonomy
This is the first winter plumage of a young Golden -crowned sparrow.
These sparrows are common fall transients throughout southern Vancouver Island although this is the first one photographed at Race Rocks in November 2010. Images by Raisa Mirza
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae
Genus Zonotricha
Species atricapilla (Gmelin 1789)
Common Name: Golden-crowned sparrow
| Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks |
| Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File |
| The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.
March October 2003- Rahilla (PC) |