Category Archives: Mammal Notes

C887 Returns

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Weather

  • Visibility: 10-15 Miles
  • Wind: 5-15 NE
  • Sky: sunny
  • Water: mostly calm, bit choppy at times

Boats/Visitors

  • Had a few ecotours go by today, no visitors

Ecological

  • Lots of black oyster catchers and cormorants out today
  • Two other male elephant seals are still hanging around the island, mostly been minding their own business and sleeping away from the pups and female.
  • Young female elephant seal with tag number C887 was by the jetty all day.

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Weather

  • Visibility:15 Miles
  • Wind: 5-13 knots, NE
  • Sky: Sunny with some clouds
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • a couple ecotours went by today as well as the Rockfish diving boat

Ecological

  • The dominant male elephant seal has been attempting to mate with the mother of the weener several times a day. Most attempts are unsuccessful though.

Notes

  • Been having trouble with the website lately and am unable to upload photos. SHould be fixed soon though.

Growing Pups & Upgrades

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Weather

  • Visibility:15 Miles
  • Wind: 3-15 NW
  • Sky: Sunny
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • Not much boat activity today aside from the usual commercial freighters
  • Had some technicians come out to look at upgrading the internet routers for the island which is exciting. Lots of upgrades happening lately to the energy systems here which will greatly reduce the amount of fuel needed to burn everyday to keep things running out here.

Ecological

  • The pups continue to grow and get bigger by the day.
  • Lots of eagles and harbour seals on the south east rocks still.

 

Gale & Census

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Weather

  • Visibility: 10-15 Miles
  • Wind: 20-35 knots NW
  • Sky: sunny with cloudy periods
  • Water: very rough

Boats/Visitors

  • one eco tour boat passed by the island

Ecological

  • The elephant seal family have been hanging around very close to the house lately, right in front of the door! They don’t seem to mind me coming and going and taking the odd picture too much though.

Census

  • Stellar Sea Lions – 97
  • California Sea Lions – 100
  • Harbour Seals – 12
  • Elephant Seals – 6  (3 males, 1 female and 2 pups)
  • Cormorants – 74
  • Gulls – 165
  • Bald Eagles – 11
  • Black Turnstones – 15
  • Black Oystercatchers – 7
  • Canada Geese – 2

Notes

  • Had gale force winds all day today, at least the sun was out though!

 

Eagles & Harbour Seals

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Weather

  • Visibility: 10-15 Miles
  • Wind: 3-10 SW
  • Sky: Cloudy
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • a few eco tours went by today

Ecological

  • Large group of about 12 bald eagles on the south east rocks today, mostly juveniles without the white heads with 3 or 4 adults.
  • Around 10-12 harbour seals on the south east rocks as well with at least 1 small pup.

Other

  • Had a few small DND blasts go off today

Helicopter Visitor

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Weather

  • Visibility:10-15 Miles
  • Wind: 3-10 SE
  • Sky: Cloudy
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • A coast guard technician and pilot came by today via helicopter to inspect the weather monitoring equipment for the lighthouse.
  • a couple ecotours went by today

Ecological

  • 15-20 harbour seals on the south east rocks for most of the day
  • The youngest elephant seal pup is very vocal! Always crying for milk

 

 

Blasting and Pups

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Weather

  • Visibility:15 Miles
  • Wind: 20-30 NW
  • Sky: Sunny with cloudy periods
  • Water: Very rough, 1-2 meter swells

Boats/Visitors

  • Very little boat traffic today

Ecological

  • The youngest elephant seal pup is doing well, staying close to mom with a large male sleeping close by for most of the day.
  • Saw a harbor lone seal on the east side of the island sunning itself.

Notes

  • I’m back at Race Rocks for the rest of this month. Very happy to be here again (:
  • A lot of DND blasting today. Every blast sends hundreds of birds into a frightened, flying frenzy and startles the sea lions off the rocks.

Feb 4th

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Weather

  • Visibility:15 Miles
  • Wind: 10-40 NW
  • Sky: Cloudy with sun in the afternoon
  • Water: waves 1-2 metres

Boats/Visitors

  • a couple ecotours went by this morning when it was more calm

Ecological

  • The first pup who’s mother has left started exploring today, I was a bit worried when I didn’t see her in front of the house this morning but she was just on the other side of the lighthouse

Notes

  • I will be heading out tomorrow morning, Mikey will be filling in for me and I will be back on Feb 28th

February 3rd

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Weather

  • Visibility:15 Miles
  • Wind: 0-15 NW
  • Sky: Cloudy
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • a couple ecotours went by today

Ecological

  • Some photos included of a possibly wounded female juvenile elephant seal that showed up yesterday that I haven’t seen since

Notes

  • finally replaced the flag, because the old one was getting pretty worn out, one of the red stripes was gone
  • ran the diesel and topped up the fresh water tank

Feb 2nd

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Weather

  • Visibility:15 Miles
  • Wind: 10-30 NW
  • Sky: Cloudy
  • Water: Choppy, under a metre

Boats/Visitors

  • Kyle stopped by to give some Pearson College students a quick tour

Ecological

  • The first pups mom left last night, the pup seems to be doing well, no other elephant seals have really bothered her

Notes

  • DND was blasting today, shook the house pretty good