Category Archives: Ecoguardians Log

Return of the Pigeon Guillemots

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1 moved over the raised path and is associating with mom #1 again
  • Still no big Male Elephant Seals present, but I thought I may have heard one during the night, south of the reserve.
  • Heard the light peeps and coos I haven’t heard in at least a couple months…… a group of Pigeon Guillemots in the water off the end of the pier.

Shifting from winter plumage to summer plumage

Can’t take too many pictures of Black Turnstones

Visitors:

  • Diesel fuel delivery

Facility Work:

  • Battery system electrolyte top up
  • Battery system equalization charge
  • Desalinator has been working as expected
  • Checked oil, and ran up the gasoline backup generator, and both pressure washers
  • Firewood collecting and splitting
  • Month end records and reporting

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A group of vessels doing manoeuvres west of the reserve. Then more noted between the reserve and Victoria when we went in for fuel.

Weather Events:

  • Tuesday, January 31:
    • Sky: Overcast with some lower clouds
    • Wind: NNE to ENE 10-15 kts
    • Sea: calm and rippled
    • Temperature Low 2oC, High 6oC
  • Wednesday, February 01:
    • Sky:High overcast with sunny breaks
    • Wind: ENE 10-20 kts
    • Sea:  some SE swells early until the tide changed, then light chop
    • Temperature Low  2oC, High  7oC
  • Thursday, February 02:
    • Sky: High overcast with sunny breaks, lower clouds to the south on the Olympic Peninsula side
    • Wind: NE/NNE  10_15kts, veering to ENE in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  3oC, High  7oC

 

** 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?

Cold and Clear

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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

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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?

Birds and Ellies

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals, 2 nursing pups, one still expecting
  • 2 Elephant Seal pups, sometimes struggling to move around with mom when she changes terrain
  • Although the Eagles have been actively hunting gulls out here, I was puzzled but the remains of Turnstones as well. This morning I witnessed the successful hunt of a Turnstone by one of the 2 Ravens here

Facility Work:

  • Covered the broken window on the crane shed
  • Collected and bucked more firewood logs

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 Ecotourism Vessels

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Saturday January 21):
    • Sky: Overcast with very occasional rain sprinkles
    • Wind:NE 15-20 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Today (Sunday January 22):
    • Sky: Overcast with sunny breaks in the morning, light haze by afternoon
    • Wind: N/NE 0-5kts, shifting to SE in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High  7oC

** 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?

Wildlife and Media

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals. 2 nursing pups, and 1 expecting to give birth any time now.

Newest Female Elephant Seal, arrived Jan 19

  • 2 Elephant Seal pups nursing and growing very fast! The smaller pup is 7 days old, the large pup is 24 days old.

Moms and Pups

  • There are now at least 10 pairs of Canada Geese, display territorial behaviour prior to nest site selection.

  • With the aid on binoculars, still able to spot an Adult Humpback and calf in the separation zone, south of the reserve
  • Orca passed back and forth in front of the pier, as well as circling the main island, appears to have taken a younger Sea Lion in the process.

1 of the group of 3

Visitors:

  • The Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator  brought groceries, plywood, and fuel over 3 trips. Also aided in log retrieval for firewood
  • Also transport 2 people from the IT Department to continue troubleshooting the internet system.

DND events:

  • Some detonations over the last few days

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 or 4 Ecotourism vessels enjoying the sights and sound of the reserve
  • 5 Private vessels, 1 rental from a local marina

 Noted Infractions:

  • The rental vessel circled the main Island 3 times, quite close to the rocks, then went through the main channel at full speed when departing
  • Vessel was approached by the Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator (who was on his way here with deliveries), and the rental location was politely contacted by phone. They will remember to let their customer know about the guidelines for Ecological Reserve at Race Rocks.

 Feature Event:

  •  Have spent lots of time working with Media requests around the birth of the second Elephant Seal pup ……. all requests vetted through the Pearson College Director of Communications
  • For anyone who may have missed it, here is the link to the Video on the Pearson College YouTube channel:

 Recent Weather included a mix of overcast and sun, seasonally mild temperature, and only one day of rougher seas to 1 meter waves.

Weather – Current:

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

 

Weather – Past:

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

Census

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  • Bald eagle adult                     4
  • Bald eagle juvenile                  12
  • Black Turnstones                 38
  • Surfbirds                                 10
  • Black Oyster Catchers           22
  • Gulls (mostly Iceland)            53
  • Cormorants                             65
  • Canadian goose                    10
  • Ravens                                      2

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                               78 (mix of large, medium, and small)
  • Harbour seal                                     8
  • California sea lion                           52
  • Female Elephant Seal  adult            2
  • Newborn Elephant Seal (Dec 26)     1
  • Newborn Elephant Seal (Jan 13)     1

Elephant Seal Baby #2

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Ecological Notes:

  • 2 female Elephant Seals

  • 2 Elephant Seal pups (one born the morning of Friday the 13)

  • The yearling male is still determined top rest near the others, but they keep chasing him away
  • Humpback female and calf far west of the reserve, but viewable with binoculars (thanks to clarification by an eco-tourism guide)

Facility Work:

  • Fence work
  • Restacking some old lumber
  • Sweeping outbuildings 

Visitors:

  • Shorefront Coordinator brought 2 groups of students from Pearson College to see, and learn, about the Elephant Seals and the new pups

DND events:

  • 6  or 7 Detonations throughout the day on Friday
  • Some Sea Lion disturbance noted
  • The new mother Elephant Seal, jumped for the first couple of blasts at least

Weather Events:

  • Friday January 13:
    • Sky: Overcast with snow flurries
    • Wind: N/NE winds 20-30 Kts
    • Sea: 1 meter swells
    • Temperature Low 7oC, High 9oC
  • Saturday January 14:
    • Slight Overcast with mostly sunny periods during the day
    • Wind: E/NE 10-20 kts
    • Sea:  calm to 1 meter waves
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 10oC

 

 

** 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?

Christmas Bird Count

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Thank you Ann Nightingale for providing the species break down for us.

CHECKLIST S125327057

Main details

Tue 27 Dec 202210:00 AM
LocationRace Rocks
View with Google Maps

Additional details

People

OwnerCBC5 BCSO

Other participating eBirders

Effort

Protocol: Traveling
  • Observers: 1
  • Distance: 0.5 km

Totals

12
Species observed
+2 other taxa
619 individuals

Observations

  1. Canada Goose

    Number observed: 8

  2. Black Oystercatcher

    Number observed: 132

    Details

    several large groupings on known refuge for this species- exact count

  3. Black Turnstone

    Number observed: 95

  4. Surfbird

    Number observed: 28

  5. Rock Sandpiper

    Number observed: 6

    Details

    Photos to follow

  6. Iceland Gull

    Number observed: 28

  7. Glaucous-winged Gull

    Number observed: 4

  8. gull sp.

    Number observed: 100

  9. Brandt’s Cormorant

    Number observed: 40

  10. Pelagic Cormorant

    Number observed: 46

  11. Double-crested Cormorant

    Number observed: 50

  12. cormorant sp.

    Number observed: 60

  13. Bald Eagle

    Number observed: 18

    AGE & SEX:

    Age Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown
    Male
    Female
    Sex Unknown 10 8

  14. Common Raven

    Number observed: 4

Students Visiting the Elephant Seals

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** 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?