Category Archives: Mammal Notes

Gale warning and snow again

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Weather

At 8:00 AM the wind was already at 25 knots from North East with a choppy sea. The visibility early was at 15 miles but during the day we had little to no visibility.at all just enough to see the rocks and the jetty.The wind got up to 30 knots and stayed at 30 almost all day long and even after sunset. A lot of snow for a while but not like the other day:no accumulation.DSC_0877

Ecological

The male has been steady mating  those 2 last days so no problem for a next generation…and always closed to the female and her pup and he even doesn’t go fishing very often. She is still feeding the pup ,born 23 days ago…so logically a few days more… We are very curious to see what will happen shortly. A few geese are still there…

Other

3 watchers zodiacs around 1:00PM with the swell, the wind and the snow falling….Big memories for the people aboard! they got as much as possible for the price they ‘re payingDSC_0859DSC_0863

DND activity again : 4 blasts

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Weather

Windy day from East between 25 and 30 knots,Sea choppy .Overcast and foggy sporadically . Some snow around 9:00AM but finally sunny the rest of the day. Sea water : 5.5 degrees and Air at 2.1 degrees celsius(at 8:00 AM)

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Ecological

The night between the 6th and 7th February has been a very busy one for the elephants seals . We found tracks and it looked like the male helped the young one to come back from the rocky place where  he has been for at least 2 days. He went during the day from the tower to the water shed and at the corner of the paths and closed to the water sampling house :a lot for him if we considered that he has been almost always sedentary before his Mum ‘s departure…Chunk was back too but stayed in its own quarters .DSC_0824DSC_0700DSC_0735

Vessels 

No boats

A snowy day for a lonely pup

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Weather

North East Wind ,17knots at 8:00, Sky:Overcast ,Visibility :15miles and Air Temperature:0.3 degrees Celsius. It has been a very snowy day and the fog horn was on the most part of the day.

Ecological

When we wake up in the morning we understood why we could heard so well the elephant pup. Actually heading away from the others he must have fallen from the walls behind our house and we discovered him almost hidden by snow and totally asleep . he spent the whole day like that alone and moved a little farther late in the afternoon. Mum was not back. 10 geese were looking for some grass and water pool all around . we discovered the tracks of an River Otter like usual in the same area :closed and under the sea watershed

 

Mum gone :Pup called Piniata ( Born on the 16th) is alone

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Weather

North to South -East Wind ,7 knots at 8:00AM,very dark and grey day. Air temperature:3 degrees, Water:6.5 degrees Celsius. A few flurries and fog horn later in the night.Cold in the evening :around 0 degree celcius

Ecological

Mating success with the 2nd female. The first one got her turn the day before and actually was gone in the following night.. During the process Mum and Baby got separated and the baby could was afraid to go down from the main path to the lawn so he went on the concrete path to the point he had to turn and come back by the same way. The mum following in the field. the whole thing took at least 1hour . After that she fed him for a while. the second pup was on his site above the field.DSC_0134DSC_0025DSC_0180DSC_0193DSC_0194DSC_0084DSC_0146

 

Pigeons – guillemots back

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Weather

Very light wind,not stable going from  West to East,calm sea, Sky:overcast to cloudy and rainy (light).Visibility :10 miles, Air temperature:3.9 degrees Celsius.

Ecological

Today for the first time this winter we saw a flock of guillemots :30 around.Chunk was gone fishing but back in the evening .12 geese almost all the time on the Rock.

Vessels

One watching vessel and a big fishing boat heading to the Ocean.

Census

Pigeons -guillemots:35

Elephants Seals : 5 to 6

Gulls :650

Californians Sea Lions :235. One tagged: no 486

Steelers sea Lions:55

Geese:12

Eagles:6 to 9

Harlequin Ducks:7

Harbour Seals:27

Cormorants:110

cold winter days

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Weather

On the first it has been a windy day gusting at 39 knots .with the low temperature 1.9 degrees celsius it was very chilly on the rock. Wind was from the North East ,it was sunny with a good visibility and just 30% of humidity. On February 2nd the wind was lighter around 20 knots and 28 at the most.from North East which gave a big swell on the jetty and no sun.The Sunrise was at 7:41AM and Sunset at 5:20PM.  The water temperature dropped under 7 degrees celsius. On the 3rd same conditions but very cloudy and a little of snow.

Ecological

We have now steady 6 Elephant seals on the place . Chunk managed to stay away from the family lawn but watched them all the time.he tried to come closer but as soon as the other one was aware of him he went back to the lighthouse area .The 2 pups look like 2 “pinatas “. Boss tried a few times to mate the female but without too much success. Now 10 to 12 geeseDSC_0513DSC_0527DSC_0556DSC_0571

Vessels

In average we have 1 to 2 eco -tourism boat everyday

Maintenance

Because of the  cold and windy weather we kept busy inside

Chunk here to stay

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Weather

West light wind,Calm,clear,stronger wind expected that day,around 25knots,Visibility:15 miles,Cold :1degree celsius in the morning

Ecological

Very active birds especially gulls fishing all around,some eagles (4)and geese (12) and Chunk. We discovered that he spent the night  far from the other one but on shore closed to the batteries rooms. He managed to go the day before” incognito” through the rocks and not by the central alleys. I would say “par la porte des artistes”.Comfort is an important matter!I saw a tagged Sea Lion :C105.

Vessels

2 eco – tour boats and a long US military boat very high on the water heading to the ocean.

Maintenance

End of the month reports : sea water datas and ‘liquids” on the Rocks. Guy put 200 litters of gazoil into the yellow tank.Some wood chopping.Desalinator and generator on

 

Visitors again

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Weather

No wind at all early in the morning but North East tendency,4 knots,calm,overcast,4degrees,Visibility over 15miles ,Sea water stable around 7 degrees

Ecological

9 geese,a lot of gulls,and many eagles.Chunk came when Boss was gone . he spent part of the day in the waters closed to the jetty and met our visitors

Visitors

Guy went to town for some admin that day so I welcomed our visitors :the same divers than Yesterday. They could’t get in touch with the college on Sunday so they came back to the best spot around. We made a tour of the place together and got the chance to see the pups . We went to the Sea lions spot on South too.They were happy but I try to let them understand that this place was protected and not open to public and they phoned right away to the VP of operation :Mr Pile and let him a message and references.They could observe closely Chunk and even offered him an apple!

DND Divers from Edmonton’s Visit

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Weather

At 8:00 East light wind:5knots, overcast with sunshine around noon. In the afternoon the wing changed to West and got pretty strong in the afternoon. It has not been announced by Weather Canada but evident if you looked on Windyty. We got some gust of 33 to 40 knots. The change between the 2 types of Weather condition was very quick.

Ecological

Chunk keeps coming every day never farthest than the boat shed.He spent a part of the day in the water closed to the jetty, the other one watching! The pups are really bigger and they are just 15 days old!

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Chunk

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Visit

2 military zodiacs came in the beginning of the afternoon. Some divers went in water and  spend an hour closed to the underwater camera spot. We were watching but when they decided to land Guy went to speak with them and explained what was the purpose of the place . They actually knew almost nothing about RaceRocks excepted that it was a great diving spot. They came from Edmonton locating the area for a bigger group coming latter  so we asked them to get in touch with the college as soon as possible.They were not used to dive in ocean waters only in lacks so we informed then about the strong currents around the Rocks and the potential danger. The wind coming we advised them to leave the place before it got too strong and they did.

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       Vessels  

A few watchers

Census day and find “6 Spots” the harbour Seal!

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Weather

Another calm day with 9 knots,North East wind at 8:00AM ,Calm sea,Cloudy to some sunny periods,Visibility over 13 miles. Sea water :7.1 degrees Celsius

Ecological

I thought to have seen the famous seal on Turbine Rock this morning. there was a beautiful spotted Seal and actually the first one like that I ever saw…but when I went to do the census I discovered 7 or 8 spotted ones all together on South Island so…I am not sure anymore …Is “6 spots “around or not?…I let Pam to be the expert and the judge . Again Chunk :he spend the afternoon closed to Guy working at the cleaning of the railway (drifting wood again).A lot of activity for the gulls on the fish banks. In the night I have been awaken by the Sea Lions for the first time in those Winter months

Vessels

3 Watchers  and a police boats going towards Esquilmalt..some small fishing boats closed to Pedder Bay.

Census

Gulls:520

Cormorants :90

Harbour Seals :17

Elephants Seals:6 (2 pups,2 females ,2 males)

Eagles:8

Harlequin Ducks :8 seen this week

Geese:6 seen this week

Black Turnstones: a few

Sea lions : 200