Category Archives: Mammal Notes

Cold and Clear

Posted on by

Ecological Notes:

 

  • 3 female Elephant Seals (mom #1 returned in the night)
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1, born Dec 26, 2022, is independent, not associating directly with mom #1

  • Relative rare sighting of a Sanderling

Black Oystercatchers feeding

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 Eco-Tourism Vessels

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Sunday January 29):
    • Sky: Sunny and clear
    • Wind: NNE 15kts shifting to NE later in the day
    • Sea: Rippled, no swell or waves
    • Temperature Low 1oC, High 6oC
  • Today (Monday January 30):
    • Sky: Mostly clear with some clouds, very slight overall haze, full light overcast by afternoon
    • Wind: NNE 10 kts , veering to SSE in the afternoon
    • Sea: Rippled, no swell or waves
    • Temperature Low 0oC, High 3oC – although wind speed is low, there is definitely a wind chill factor
    • Standing “fresh” water pools are all frozen

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Third Elephant Seal Pup

Posted on by

Ecological Notes:

  • 2 female Elephant Seals (first mom has left the island for now)
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups, 3rd one born just before sunrise on Jan 26th, one month after the first pup was born

Visitors:

  • 36 Pearson College students, (over 6 trips) with their instructor

  • The Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator transported students, groceries, parcels, and supplies.

Facility Work:

  • Replaced the motherboard on the Desalinator (again) as the last one was defective

Concentrate outflow from the Desalinator

  • After the first run, the main unit was due for an oil change, completed for the  high pressure pump.
  • Pacing myself on bucking, splitting and moving firewood

DND events:

  • Several detonations over a couple days. No disturbance noted.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 4 Eco-Tourism vessels
  • 3  private vessels

 Feature Event:

  •  Checking heater tapes and heaters preparing for possible freezing weather.
  • Stored some extra tap water for dishes and washing, in case the lines freeze again

Not for drinking!

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Friday January 27):
    • Sky: Overcast
    • Wind: Variable 5-15 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 1 meter chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Today (Saturday January 28):
    • Sky: Overcast in the morning, afternoon, clear and sunny to overcast in the evening
    • Wind: E 5 to 15 knots in the morning,increasing to northeast 15 to 25 near noon and to NE 40+ kts in the evening
    • Sea:  1-2 meter waves and chop
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High 8 oC

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Students Visiting the Elephant Seals

Posted on by

** Server not allowing photo uploads, will try to add later

Ecological Notes:

  • 2 Adult  Female Elephant Seals, 1 expecting, 1 with calf below
  • 1  Elephant Seal Pup, 2 weeks old
  • 1 Juvenile Male Elephant Seal (yearling?). He is determined to be with the others, but they keep chasing him away. He does a big loop around the flagpole mound and returns
  • Still finding gull remains from the Eagle hunts, but have also seen the eagles swoop diving on the Turnstones as well
  • Have seen all 3 types of Cormorants this last week – Pelagic, Double Crested, and Brandt’s 
  • Most gulls present are  Iceland (formerly Thayer’s)
  • Thanks to Ann Nightingale for helping me to learn to ID more birds!

Visitors:

  • Cedric brought 2 groups of 6 students with their Teacher over to see and learn about the Elephant Seals and pup

Weather Events:

  • Primarily N/NE winds for the last week, overcast with lots of snow
  • Tuesday January 10:
    • Sky: Slight haze, light haze, mostly sunny in the morning
    • Wind: N/NE winds 10-15 Kts in the morning
    • Sea: Flat calm
    • Temperature Low 7 oC, High 9 oC
  • Wednesday January 11:
    • Overcast with a mix of sunny periods
    • Wind: N/NE 10-20kts
    • Sea:  1 meter waves
    • Temperature Low 8oC, High  10oC

 

 

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Happy Holidays

Posted on by

Wishing everyone the best of the holiday season, in what ever way is important to you!

For me it means Merry Christmas from Race Rocks.

 

Ecological Notes:

  • A quick visit from a very skittish Yearling Elephant Seal pup, came and departed quite fast.
  • The large Female Elephant Seal was less mobile the last couple days, but still very vocal. It appears as though she is calling out and still looking for others. She spends a lot of time very near the house, and vocalizes a lot as I come as go …. not aggressively though.

Visitors:

  • The Waterfront Coordinator did a touch and go to drop off groceries and parcels.

Facility Work:

  • With the snow gone, able to us the pathways to move fuel and supplies around again, and restock the back up supplies in the proper locations.
  • As the water system was frozen for a few days, all waterlines were checked for damage as they thawed.
  • There is a “weak link” in the toilet unit in the student and science center. When the unit is closed incorrectly, there is a part that breaks (this has happened 3 times). I reverse engineered the part, starting with a sketch and measurements and made a new part using a 3d printer. The challenge is that if it is re-enforced to much, it could cause a different, more difficult part to break ….. but at least the part can be replaced without waiting for a new part to be shipped.

 

Weather Events:

  • Saturday December 24:
    • Sky: Overcast with occasional showers
    • Wind: N/NE winds 20-30 Knt shifting to some S/SE winds
    • Sea: 1 meter swells
    • Temperature Low 4 oC, High 8 oC
  • Sunday December 25:
    • Overcast with occasional showers
    • Wind:N/NE 20-30knts, shifting all the way around to Westerlies
    • Sea:  1 – 2 meter waves
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High  9oC
  • Tower weather electronics are still down, so wind numbers are estimates.

 

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Snow Receding

Posted on by

Ecological Notes:

  • The California Sea Lions have made themselves at ease in the snow.

  • The large female Elephant Seal was very active and vocal today. She spent much of her time ,moving around the center of the island, from high spot to high spot, lifting high as though she was looking for something, all the while bellowing and “calling”
  • A first for me, while I had the camera out with the long lens, I saw a female Steller Sea Lion nursing  pup! With further scanning with the camera, I found 3 other nursing pairs.

    Female Steller nursing a pup!

  • I have been doing water-based tours of the area for nearly 20 years and  had noticed there were a lot more small sealions than I had ever seen here at Race Rocks. 

Facility Work:

  • Although shoveling the snow was futile, I’ve managed to cut tracks now so that I don’t have to wander too much to get from location to location!
  • With too much snow on the paths from the drifts, resorted to moving fuel old school in fuel cans.

  • Water is still frozen, but checked the heat tapes to make sure they were still working

Weather Events:

  • Thursday December 22:
    • Sky: Overcast with occasional flurries and freezing rain
    • Wind: N/NE winds 20-30 Knt
    • Sea: 1 meter swells
    • Temperature Low -8 oC, High -3 oC
  • Friday December 23:
    • Overcast 
    • Wind: ENE  to N mid-day 30knts, then back to ENE 10-15knots in the evening
    • Sea:  1 – 2 meter waves
    • Temperature Low  -1oC, High  3oC
    • Some snow melting
  • Tower weather electronics are still down, so wind numbers are estimates.

 

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Guess what? lots of snow

Posted on by

Ecological Notes:

  • Very large, pregnant Elephant seal moving around on the main island. At one point I thought she was in labor, but then she calmed back down

She got here before the snow

Flicking snow up onto her back

Her packed down trails are the best to walk on

  • many Sealions have left in the bad weather, not sure if they will be back
  • Still seeing occasional Humpback Whales around the reserve

Visitors:

  • Last week had visitors for Royal Roads
  •  Seafront coordinator to deliver fuel, joined him on a quick trip into the Victoria Fuel dock

Facility Work:

  • Installed new, high efficient  heater in the Desalinator Bunker

NOT the grey one!

  • Serviced the chainsaw and put on new chain, bucked up available firewood
  • Continuous repairs to the electric fence system
  • Weekly battery maintenance, 
  • Checked heat tape on exposed waterlines, was working but eventually failed, no water to the main house now

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A group of sailboat did a run around the reserve

Ecoguardian  Notes:

  • Great care taken to navigate around in the high snow drifts, it all changes hourly, and shoveling is futile, other than to keep doorways passable

Weather Events:

Blustery Day

  • Primarily N/NE winds for the last week, overcast with lots of snow
  • Monday / Tuesday December 19/20:
    • Sky: Overcast with snow flurries
    • Wind: N/NE winds 20-30 Knt
    • Sea: 1 meter swells
    • Temperature Low -8 oC, High -3 oC
  • Wednesday December 21:
    • Overcast with a mix of sunny periods, clear skies after dark
    • Wind:N/NE 20-30knts
    • Sea:  1 – 2 meter waves
    • Temperature Low  -8oC, High  -6oC
    • Very cold windchill
  • Tower weather electronics are still down, so wind numbers are estimates.

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Back to the Rock, and prepared for the Storm

Posted on by

A warm welcome back!

Ecoguardian  Notes:

  • Derek is happy to return to fill the role as Ecoguardian here at Race Rocks, after spending the summer and fall season exploring the Salish Sea as an Ecotourism guide. A special thanks to Jill for leaving the reserve and facilities is such tip top shape!
  • (lack of photos due to no reliable  internet, and running this through a phone hotspot)

Ecological Notes:

  • Dramatic mid week reduction of Sea Lions
  • Working to convince the Sea Lions to not use the ramp area, as pregnant Elephant Seals could be returning in the next month

Visitors:

  • During the Ecoguardian exchange and transfer, Greg delivered firewood and supplies
  • Greg brought out the IT manager to work on the internet and router system.

Facility Work:

  • Attempted repairs to the Desalinator system, realizing more parts were needed.
  • Ongoing troubleshooting of the Internet and wifi system.
  • Main official Weather Station on the tower has been not in operation for a week or so, awaiting outside support for repairs
  • troubleshooting the “local” station at ground level as it lost wind direction sensor during the high wind storm Friday Nov 04.
  • Although the were in good repair earlier in the week, the electric fences now need major repairs, but waiting for the wind to die down after the stormy weekend

DND events:

  • Many detonations on Wednesday Nov 02. Prior to them, I noted 10 to 15 Humpback whales between the reserve and the detonation area. During the blasting, most, if not all, moved west to just beyond Beechy Head. They returned to the area the next day.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Canadian and American EcoTour vessels visiting the reserve, including regular visits from one company doing an educational program with elementary school children.

Weather Events:

  • Sunny and warm, with relatively calm seas, on November 1st for transfer day!
  • Yesterday (Friday, November 05):
    • Sky: Thunder Clouds throughout the day, mixed with high cloud cover
    • Wind: Variable, 15-30knts during the day, rising to 50knts in the evening, gusting to 65knts
    • Sea:  2′ – 3′ chop, larger swells developing as the wind rose in the evening
    • Temperature Low 7oC, High 10oC
  • Today (Saturday, November 05):
    • Sky: Shifting between  clear skies to high overcast with heavy rains and the low pressure system rolls though. Large hail mid afternoon.
    • Wind: W/WSW 25-30 kts
    • Sea:  2-3 foot waves
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High  8o

 

** 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:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

August 24 and 25

Aside

On Wednesday, a Coast Guard Helicopter arrived with a repair crew to deal with the foghorn.  While the Glaucous-winged Gulls around the helipad were disrupted temporarily, and many California Gulls on the Middle Islands took to the air, most were back in their places within a few minutes. The marine mammals from harbour seals to elephant seals were relatively unaffected, with the exception of several Steller’s sea lions which briefly moved from the jetty area.  They returned within 10 minutes of the helicopter’s departure. Although the foghorn was given a clean bill of health in the good weather, it failed again on Thursday when the fog lasted several hours. The Coast Guard was notified.

Several branded sea lions are being seen.

A Common Raven (not common on Race Rocks) flew over the island around noon.

Census numbers show changes in the birds that have been breeding here. Most of the PIGU have moved on now that young have fledged. Likewise, GWGU numbers are dropping as young gulls take to the air.

Harbour seals and shorebirds have been adjusting to increasing presence of sea lions, with the former loafing more on the outer islets, and the shorebirds bunching up more against the rocks on the east of the island rather than on the beach.

This will be my last post as relief ecoguardian this year. It’s been a pleasure to be here again amongst the wildlife. I hope my personal project–renewal of the compost–will be appreciated by the ecoguardians who follow. For a more personal and detailed look at life as a relief ecoguardian, please check out my blog at http://nightingaleadventures.blogspot.ca

Ecological Notes:

  • The young elephant seals appear to have moved on. The alpha male continues and has started his molt, moving between the Science Building for resting and the jetty for relief.
  • Passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird and Common Raven.
  • Branded Steller’s sea lions (882R, 998E, 431Y, and 486Y) and 1 branded California sea lion (V29) were seen during census on Wednesday.  882R and a new California sea lion (U958) were seen on Thursday. The latter also visited Race Rocks in 2020.
  • Bird action on the water over the last two days, with many birds feeding on the tide lines.
  • 2 California sea lions breached the fences on Thursday Both were escorted back to the other side of the fences.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Census (Wednesday, August 24):

Mammals

  • Elephant seal: 1 (1 adult male)
  • Steller sea lion: 210 (including branded (882R, 998E, 431Y, and 486Y)
  • California sea lion: 343 (including branded V27)
  • Harbour seal: 237
  • Sea Otter: 1
  • Harbour porpoise: 14 (to the west of the reserve)

Birds

  • Black oystercatcher: 5 (4 adults 1 chick )
  • Killdeer 1
  • Black Turnstone: 85
  • Surfbird: 10
  • Common Murre: 300, plus another 550 beyond the reserve
  • Pigeon Guillemot: 28
  • Rhinoceros Auklet: 8
  • Heermann’s Gull: 2
  • California Gulls: 800, plus another 500 beyond the reserve
  • Glaucous-winged Gulls: 343 adults 141 chicks
  • Pelagic Cormorant: 1
  • Brandt’s Cormorant: 11
  • Common Raven: 1
  • Brown-headed Cowbird: 1

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Wednesday, August 24):
    • Sky: Brief period of fog in the morning, then clear
    • Wind: Variable calm-25 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 12oC, High 18oC
  • Today (Thursday, August 25):
    • Sky: Foggy until mid-afternoon, clear and sunny to overcast
    • Wind: W/WSW 16-37 kts
    • Sea:  light chop turning to high waves by evening
    • Temperature Low  12oC, High  20oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
  • Fence line visually inspected and several posts put back into place.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ships are going through daily.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

431Y remains at Race Rocks

486Y still on Race Rocks

882R branded at Rogue Reef, OR in 2011

998R still on site

Sea Otter is back in the kelp off the east side of Race Rocks.

Foghorn repair crew landing

Coast Guard crew cleaning their solar panels.

Alpha male elephant seal beginning his annual molt.

Steller’s sea lions

California Gulls circling during helicopter approach

Marine mammals were unperturbed by the helicopter.

Adult and some juvenile gulls departing as helicopter landed.

Youngsters gathered into creches when the adults left due to helicopter landing

It didn’t take long for the gulls to resume normal activities.

Alpha male elephant seal beginning his annual molt.

Alpha male elephant seal beginning his annual molt.

Alpha male elephant seal beginning his annual molt.

Brown-headed Cowbird

U958 was branded in Astoria, OR in 2015 and was previously seen at Race Rocks in 2020.

Surfbird molting from its breeding plumage.

Neck wound caused by entanglement.

Fence breach!

California sea lion branded at San Miguel Island, California in 2010.

August 22 and 23

Posted on by

Both Monday and Tuesday were foggy for much of the day, as can be typical in August.  At about 11 am on Tuesday, the fog signal stopped sounding when the fog was at its most dense.  The Coast Guard and nearby marinas were notified.  Most boats have GPS and/or depth sounders so a grounding was unlikely but still a concern. It started up again at 1 pm, then off again an hour later. The Coast Guard hope to be able to come tomorrow to repair it, but in the meantime a navigation advisory has been issued.

Ecological Notes:

  • The alpha male elephant seal has been present both Monday and Tuesday, but the young female headed back to the water sometime late Monday or early Tuesday.
  • Steller’s sea lion (431Y) was seen again on Tuesday.
  • A Short-billed Dowitcher remained on East Beach on Monday.
  • An unofficial tally of sea lions during high tide on Tuesday evening produced a count of 456 (not separated by species).
  • A Common Murre was seen aground beside the jetty on Tuesday afternoon. This is an unusual behaviour for this species away from their nest site.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Monday, August 22):
    • Sky: Foggy in the early morning becoming partly cloudy
    • Wind: W 10-31 kts
    • Sea: light chop to 3′ seas
    • Temperature Low 12oC, High 15oC
  • Today (Tuesday, August 23):
    • Sky: Foggy most of the day
    • Wind:   W 17-29 kts
    • Sea: moderate to heavy chop
    • Temperature Low 12 oC, High 15 oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
  • Batteries topped up on Monday.
  • Fences are being checked and downed posts reset daily.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ships are going through daily.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

Alpha male elephant seal and young female come nose to nose

California sea lions swim with their tails up!

Glaucous-winged Gull chicks nestled in compost

Float seen east of Great Race

Standing waves in Race Passage

Common Murre

Seal lions moving closer to the fence line

Seal lions moving close to the fence line. Downed post was picked up and straightened without causing a stampede, although the sea lions were paying close attention.

Young Glaucous-winged Gull with a “toy”

Black Turnstones have been moved inland by sea lions on East Bay beach

Sea lions on East Bay beach

Alpha male elephant seal seen from the tower

Navigational warning issued when foghorn failed