Clear sky, wind 15 NMPH NE, signs of frost overnight.
This morning the sealion that has been in poor health and isolation during the past weeks was deceased on the rocks in the east bay of the island.
One ecotour vessel was in the reserve today.
-replaced corroded electrical plug on flush pump in diesel building
-cleaned panels
-cut, chopped, wood
-cleared a new storage space in the water tank shed for more fire wood storage
clear sky, wind varying between N and E throughout the day, 10-15 NMPH.
I went off island in the morning to run errands, came back mid afternoon. I noticed that the barometer reading from the davis instruments (racerocks.ca) is different from tower reading, will try to correct it.
Bertha hasnt moved much from her spot near centre of island.
There was 1 eco-tour vessel in the reserve while I was on site.
-picked up 40L gas at Pedder Bay Marina
-cleaned panels
Wind was gusting up to 45 NMPH W overnight, blowing 30 NMPH in the morning and diminished to calm by afternoon. The sky cleared up during the day.
Bertha arrived back on Great Race today, she looks good and pretty big. In 2011 she gave birth to a pup (Squall) here on January 14. The other elephant seals are on Middle rock, it looks like 4 females and Chunk out there. There seemed to be another large female next to Chunk.
See the Elephant seal Index for other Elephant seal births at Race Rocks
A coast guard helicopter flew over in the morning, one ecotour vessel entered the reserve in the afternoon.
-cleaned panels
-replaced flag
-finished month end report
-did animal census
-cleaned cam 5 dome
-gathered drift wood from East shore
-cut, chopped wood
NE wind up to 15 NMPH, some light rain.
This morning a pod of orcas passed through the reserve heading West. I first noticed a splash on the north side of the island and then saw a small orca traveling quite fast and surging out of the water. It traveled around the West side and by the time I got to the helicopter pad had joined a group of at least 4 other orcas West of the reserve. Then another group of orcas appeared of the South end of race rocks, inside the reserve, traveling west towards the other group. There were at least 5 orcas in that group too. Both groups seemed to have one larger adult with them. This was the closest I have seen orcas inside the reserve.
Wind light, overcast.
2 ecotour vessels in the reserve today
There is a sea lion on the East bay of the island that has some kind of neck injury. It is usually higher up in the rocks and isolated from other sea lions. It’s neck is swollen on one side and fur is moist/matted, some blood is visible. It has been there for several days now. Though it does go into the water occasionally it is mainly stationary.
-cleaned solar panels
-replaced burnt out florescent tube lights in boat house, work room, engine room
-measured and photographed fuel lines on generator for replacement
-cut, chopped, stacked fire wood
-sharpened tools
-ran chain saw
ER Warden’s Report by G. Fletcher.
On December 28, 2013 I was out at Race Rocks doing the Christmas Bird Count. While there I made several observations concerning the Northern and California Sea lions. There are only a few California sea lions left after the heavy influx of the fall. The number of Northerns on the South island is still fairly high ( over 100)
On the November 28 log there were still 479 Stellars and 555 Californias. This image taken in the fall, shows how much they came up near the houses where there wasn’t an electric fence to repel them:
The vegetation of the areas on both sides of the island were heavily impacted by the sea lions this fall. In the following images those areas that are now brown are normally green.
North East of Ecoguardian’s residence
South of the Marine Education House
I observed from the tower an unusual behaviour shown in the image below. It is not unusual in that the California Sea Lions are rafting. What is unusual is that Northern sea lions flank them on both sides without having their fins raised out of the water.
Be sure to click for a large image of sea lion rafting
Also-Warden’s Report for Dec 28, 2013.
Link to the Index for the past records of the Christmas Bird Counts
Song Sparow on the left and Savannah Sparrow on the right of this lichen covered log on the West side of Great race Rocks..
Ecoguardian Alex Fletcher picked up Val George and myself from the Pearson College docks mid- morning and we started our count by water in Pedder Bay, then across Rocky Point, through Eemdyck Channel and then across Race Passage to Race Rocks via West Rocks and Middle Rocks. The following includes only the Race Rocks portion of the census:
Observers: Val George, Garry Fletcher and Alex Fletcher
| 2013 Christmas Bird Count – Summary Date ___Dec28___Area or Sub-Area__Race Rocks Ecological Reserve__ | |||||||||||
| Observers (in field)—3 | Leader | Garry Fletcher | |||||||||
| Temp—-6 | Wind | NE, 3.5km | Time | Start__10:30___a.m. Finish___12:00__a.m. | |||||||
| A.M. | Clear,calm | partly cloudy | Moving water | open ocean around | |||||||
| for your entire count team | # hours (on foot) 1.5 | distance (on foot) | .35km, and top of tower | ||||||||
| Northwestern Crow | 2 | ||||||||||
| Common Raven | 2 | ||||||||||
| Thayer’s Gull | 200 | ||||||||||
| Canada Goose | 6 | ||||||||||
| Black Oystercatcher | 30 | ||||||||||
| Black Turnstone | 14 | ||||||||||
| Harlequin Duck | 10 | ||||||||||
| Bufflehead | 8 | ||||||||||
| Song Sparrow | 1 | ||||||||||
| Savannah Sparrow | 1 | ||||||||||
| Glaucous-winged Gull | 20 | ||||||||||
| Common Murre | 4 | ||||||||||
| Pacific Loon | 2 | ||||||||||
| Common Loon | 1 | ||||||||||
| Brandt’s Cormorant | 80 | ||||||||||
| Double-crested Cormorant | 120 | ||||||||||
| Pelagic Cormorant | 17 | ||||||||||
| Bald Eagle (adult) | 1 | ||||||||||
| Bald Eagle (immature |
7 | ||||||||||
| Total Number of Birds | 528 | ||||||||||
| Total Number of Species | 17 | ||||||||||
Monday a west wind picked up over night and was blowing over 20 knots most of the day with gusts over 40 knots. The wind diminished over night and was calm on Tuesday. I had been planning on picking up some guests Monday but it was too windy so rescheduled for Tuesday morning. Tuesday was partly sunny and today there has been a light N wind and partly cloudy sky. I went off island today for a short christmas visit with family.
On Tuesday a private sports fishing boat traveled through the reserve well in excess of the 7knot speed limit (within 400m of rocks). I signalled to the boat to slow down, they saw me and slowed down but not enough. I photographed the boat and got ID numbers and made a request to Pedder Bay Marina to check if it was a boat returning to their marina and if they could speak to the operator about the speed limit in the reserve.
On Sunday Chunk left great race and returned to Middle rock. There has been one moulting female elephant seal hauled out in the rocks in south bay.
-cut fire wood
-pulled in log from water
-cleaned solar panels
-2 visitors (arrived Tuesday)
Steady west wind 15-20 NMPH most of the day. Bit of hail in the evening.
Chunk went off the island last night and is back on middle rocks with the female elephant seals. I have been trying to get a closer look at the Oyster Catchers to get the ID from the banded one but have not been able to see it yet.
-Cut, chopped, stacked firewood
-Cleaned solar panels
-Installed rain water container on down pipe of energy building to use for cleaning solar panels.
