Race Rocks Ecological Reserve-

marine ecology educational resource, remote-control webcams,elephant seal colony,Sea lion haulout,sustainable energy, solar energy

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve-

Category Archives: Ecoguardians Log

Canada Geese

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Ecological Notes:. Canada Geese are nesting on the island. I found five nests this week. Canada Geese are not native to the island and are very aggressive to all the native birds. Both myself and my guest were aggressively charged by two sets of males guarding their nests.  They have become more aggressive towards the gulls too!

Visitors: 1

Facility Work: Battery maintenance day. Cleaning the outside of buildings and solar panels.

Vessel Traffic: Two privet boats.

 

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

Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

 

Black Oystercatcher

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Ecological Notes: Today, a Black Oystercatcher is walking the main island and looking to make a nest. Two breeds of gull on the island including the Glaucous Gull and Western Gull. Pigeon Guillemot are making their nest on the edge of the helicopter pad and north wall below the camera.Spring is here!
Animal Tracking and Injuries: California Sea Lion injured shoulder.
Elephant seal pups: 4
Elephant seal female: 3
Visitors: 1
Facility Work. More cleaning inside and out.
Vessel Traffic:  2 Eco tour boats
 
Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72
 

Low tides

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Ecological Notes: Very low tides today which was awesome for checking out invertebrate.
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 Elephant seal pups: 4
Visitor: 1
Facility Work. Cleaning buildings today. Back stairs on the main house have been taken down. Ready for new build.
Vessel Traffic. 3 Eco-tour boats
Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72
 

Seawater Salinity and Temperature, March, 2021

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Institute of Ocean Sciences, North Saanich, B.C., V8L 4B2
Station RACE ROCKS
Observer Rod King March
YSI ID: 24 Year: 2021
YSI YSI
Temp Sal
Day Time ºC ppt
1 15:00 7.9 32.1
2 19:00 7.9 31.9
3 9:00 7.5 31.6
4 17:30 7.8 31.4
5 20:10 7.8 31.7
6 20:37 7.7 31.6
7 19:59 7.7 31.6
8 21:08 7.7 31.5
9 23:30 7.8 31.5
10 13:00 8.0 31.0
11 11:38 8.0 31.5
12 10:40 8.0 31.5
13 10:00 8.0 31.5
14 18:00 8.0 31.6
15 19:21 8.0 31.6
16 21:27 8.0 31.9
17 20:22 7.8 32.0
18 21:10 7.9 31.9
19 20:23 7.9 31.5
20 19:12 7.9 31.4
21 8:20 7.9 31.5
22 9:07 7.8 31.4
23 11:37 7.8 31.4
24 11:01 8.0 31.0
25 11:11 8.0 31.2
26 20:12 8.1 31.4
27 16:00 8.2 31.6
28 15:50 8.2 31.4
29 22:50 8.0 31.5
30 18:11 8.2 31.8
31 20:05 8.2 31.7

Grey Whale

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Ecological Notes: Today, a grey whale passed by the South East side of island going west bound.
Animal Tracking and Injuries: California Sea Lion bad bite mark on his shoulder.
Elephant seal pups: 4
Visitors:1
 
Facility Work: The work to clean the buildings continues. I fixed the power washer, life is better now.
Vessel Traffic. Speeding in the reserve.
Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

Pearson Students leave today.

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Ecological Notes: River otter spotted on main island again.Surf Birds are around the island on the low tide lines today and Black Turn Stones.. Pearson students gone home.

Animal Tracking. California injured perhaps by an encounter with Orca.

Elephant seal pups: 4 molting

Elephant seal female: 3 molting

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

Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

 

Female elephant seal

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Another female elephant seal arrived and we now have three molting on the island..
Elephant seal pups: The four pups are getting closer to the water.
Canada geese. The geese are nesting. Some have laid eggs already. The river otter is trying to find the nests as are the gulls. The geese are getting aggressive to anything that gets close to the nests.
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Visitors:10
Pearson College students over to study shoreline invertebrates. With the moon getting fuller the tides are very high and very low. This makes for perfect beach walking and shoreline classes for the students.
Facility Work With the help of a couple students, the cleaning continues on the sides of building today.
Vessel Traffic Three Eco-tour boats doing respectful viewing.
Weather Events:Flat water and light wind
Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72
 

Census March 28

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Birds

  • Harlequin duck 14
  • Snowy plover 0
  • Bald eagle adult 2
  • Bald eagle juvenile 4
  • Turnstones 23
  • Killdeer 2
  • Gulls 243
  • Cormorants 76
  • Pigeon guillemots 37
  • Oyster catcher 8
  • Canadian geese 8

Mammals

 

  • Steller sea lion 36
  • Harbour seal 87
  • California sea lion 34
  • Elephant seal male 0
  • Elephant seal female 2
  • Elephant seal pup 4
  • Sea otter 1

Vessel traffic: Tug in tow East bound Race pass.

 

 

Weather Events: Wind went from 5 knots west to 40 knots in 20 minutes.

Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

 

Canada Geese

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          Ecological Notes:. Canada Geese are nesting on the island. I found 2 nests this week but they don’t last long.  We have a river otter appetite for goose eggs!

Visitors: Saturday, the PC boat arrived to take my brother home before the forecasted high winds.

Facility Work: Battery maintenance day. Stacking wood for keepers house. Cleaning the outside of buildings.

Vessel Traffic: 4 Eco-tour boats, a morning fishing derby and lots of sport boats fishing vessels around the park.

 

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

Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72