Category Archives: Ecoguardians Log

Animal Census

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  • Bald eagle adult                       6
  • Bald eagle juvenile                  8
  • Black Turnstones                   28
  • Surfbirds                                 28
  • Black Oyster Catchers           42
  • Gulls (mostly Iceland)            62
  • Cormorants                             87
  • Canadian goose                       8
  • Ravens                                      2

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                                98 (mix of large, medium, and small)
  • Harbour seal                                    13
  • California sea lion                           45
  • Male Elephant Seal (yearling?)       1
  • Female Elephant Seal  adult            2
  • Newborn Elephant Seal (Dec 26)     1

 

Second Expecting Elephant Seal

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Slow internet not allowing upload of photos right now

Ecological Notes:

  • 2 Adult Elephant Seals, a new, expecting Female showed up on Saturday
  • 1 Calf , 2 weeks old 
  • 1 Young (yearling?) Male Elephant Seal, drawn to where the others are hanging out, but often chased away be the first Female, minor wounds showing she caught him at least once.

Facility Work:

  • Working on Electronics in Desalinator room
  • Weekly battery maintenance 
  • Re-working fencing around the crane building

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Sailboats looping around the reserve
  • Private vessels visiting the reserve for sightseeing

Visitors:

  •  The Shorefront Coordinator dropped off groceries and supplies, and checked on Desalinator room.

Weather Events:

  • Primarily N/NE winds for the last week, overcast with lots of snow
  • Saturday January 7:
    • Sky: Overcast with occasional sunny periods
    • Wind: N/NE winds 10-20 Kts
    • Sea: 1 meter swells
    • Temperature Low 6 oC, High 9 oC
  • Sunday January 8:
    • Overcast with a mix of sunny periods, very light rain showers
    • Wind: Morning NNE 15-20knts, Afternoon/Evening veering through 360 degrees back to N, dropping to 2-5knts
    • Sea:  1 meter waves
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High  9oC
  • Monday January 9:
    • Overcast with occasional sunny periods, 
    • Low distant haze, Visibility to about 10kms
    • Wind: Early NNE at 25 kts, shifting to E 35 kts by noon
    • Sea:  chop to 1 meter
    • Temperature Low  6oC, High  11oC

 

Weather – Current:

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

 

Weather – Past:

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

Waves and wood

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Ecological Notes:

  • Female Elephant Seal and pup
  • Juvenile Male Elephant Seal just napping.
  • For the past couple months, there have been a daily morning “crew” of eagles actively hunting gulls on the main island. Normally there are between 8 and 12, mostly immature, but  a couple of adults too. There have been less lately as they have pretty much taken/scared away most of the gulls. I was finding up to 2 or 3 carcasses a day in the central area.

Facility Work:

  • Replaced motherboard on the desalinator unit.
  • Quick-fixed some of the siding that was peeling off the buildings.
  • Far from good, but good from afar!
  • Due to king tides, predominately high N/NE winds, and sheer amount of logs and debris in the water, made the long overdue decision to just pack up the pier electric fencing until spring. It’s easier to just move the Sealions off often when the tide is higher.

 

Weather Events:

  • Thursday January 5
    • Sky: mix of cloud and clear skies in the morning. turning to overcast mid day. Visibility 20 – 25 kms, low clouds obscuring the Olympic Peninsula
    • Wind E 25 to 35 knots veering to SE 30 to 40 late in the afternoon …. gusts to 50knts ”” drop tp calm late in the evening
    • Sea: up to 2 meter waves on top of swells from the southeast. You DO NOT want to be taking a boat from here to Victoria in that!
    • Temperature Low 8 oC, High 13 oC
  • Friday January 6:
    • Overcast with a mix of sunny periods, clear skies after dark
    • Wind SE 5-10 knots in the day, then increasing to SE 25 to 35 knots early  evening.
    • Sea:  Flat calm in the morning (wind with tide),
    • 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?

Happy New Years!

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Ecological Notes:

  • Adult Female Elephant Seal and Pup are doing well …. the pup is filling out rapidly

A milk mustache

  • A young Male Elephant Seal has come up onto the main island, Momma keeps him on the run and chases him if he gets within her eyesight.

“Keep your distance!”

  • Orca were hunting actively in the reserve, circling the main island very close to shore, before heading to the outer rocks. Thanks to one of the Ecotourism captains for keeping me in the loop to their location.

Nervous Sea Lions!

Facility Work:

  • Weekly battery maintenance.
  • Monthly Equalization charges of the batteries.
  • Troubleshooting the desalinator, power to the control box, but the input panel is non operational. Located replacement motherboard to install.
  • Collecting wood from the shore and boat ramp.
  • Moving fuel and restocking the reserves.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A few Ecotourism vessels, and at least 1 private vessel.

 Noted Infractions:

  • Private vessel got a little close to the sea lion haulout, but backed away as soon as the sealions started to move.

 

Weather Events:

  • Lots of blustery days, with winds 20 to 30 knots, mostly NE/E
    • Sky: Overcast with occasional light showers
    • Sea: 1 meter swells
    • Temperature Low3 oC, High 6 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?

December 2022 Seawater Data

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Institute of Ocean Sciences, North Saanich, B.C., V8L 4B2
Please email monthly to Sebastien.Donnet@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Station RACE ROCKS
Observer Derek Sterling December
YSI ID: 27 Year: 2022
YSI YSI
Temp Sal
Day Time ºC ppt
1 9:20 8.8 32.5
2 10:00 8.7 32.1
3 10:55 8.1 32.3
4 11:45 8.3 32.3
5 12:30 8.0 32.4
6 13:10 8.6 32.5
7 13:45 8.2 32.4
8 14:20 8.3 32.5
9 bad storm. Pier awash
10
11 16:00 8.3 32.3
12 17:00 8.1 32.4
13 14:00 8.1 32.6
14 14:45 5.2 32.4
15 8:00 8.1 32.1
16 8:30 8.2 32.3
17 9:30 8.3 32.6
18 10:00 7.9 32.4
19 11:00 7.9 32.5
20 11:45 8.1 32.1
21 12:30 8.3 32.4
22 13:15 8.0 32.3
23 14:00 8.3 32.6
24 14:45 8.1 32.4
25 15:30 7.9 32.3
26 16:30 8.0 32.1
27 17:45 7.8 32.4
28 19:00 7.8 32.6
29 8:00 7.9 32.3
30 8:30 7.8 32.5
31 9:30 7.8 32.4

Census

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  • Bald eagle adult                         8
  • Bald eagle juvenile                   10
  • Black Turnstones                     42
  • Brown Turnstones                    53
  • Surfbirds                                    28
  • Black Oyster Catchers             132 (in very large groupings)
  • Gulls                                           128
  • Cormorants                                175
  • Canadian goose                         8
  • Ravens                                        4

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                        168 (mix of large, medium, and small)
  • Harbour seal                              23
  • California sea lion                      87
  • Male Elephant Seal                      0
  • Female Elephant Seal  adult       1
  • Newborn Elephant Seal (Dec 26)   1

Boxing Day Baby

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Ecological Notes:

  • Was able to witness and photograph the birth of an elephant seal, right from the kitchen window! Nicknamed “Boxer” by Greg, as it was born on Boxing Day. More photos to follow in a later post.
  • As exciting as this was, hoping for more Elephant Seal to show up. In the past 2-3 years, there have been from 4 to 7 here at this time of year, but right now, these are the only 2.
  •  A couple distant Humpback Whale blows in the distance.
  • 2 Ravens have been around since the 26th

Facility Work:

  • Fuel transfers and top ups
  • Battery Maintenance
  • Basic furnace maintenance, and had to reset and prime the fuel pump.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • The odd Eco-tourism vessel visiting the reserve

Weather Events:

    • Mixed weather and wind directions, scattered rain showers
    • Storm winds up to 45 knots from the west on the evening of the 27th
  • 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?

Happy Holidays

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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

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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

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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?