clear sky, wind varying between N and E throughout the day, 10-15 NMPH.
I went off island in the morning to run errands, came back mid afternoon. I noticed that the barometer reading from the davis instruments (racerocks.ca) is different from tower reading, will try to correct it.
Bertha hasnt moved much from her spot near centre of island.
There was 1 eco-tour vessel in the reserve while I was on site.
-picked up 40L gas at Pedder Bay Marina
-cleaned panels
Wind was gusting up to 45 NMPH W overnight, blowing 30 NMPH in the morning and diminished to calm by afternoon. The sky cleared up during the day.
Bertha arrived back on Great Race today, she looks good and pretty big. In 2011 she gave birth to a pup (Squall) here on January 14. The other elephant seals are on Middle rock, it looks like 4 females and Chunk out there. There seemed to be another large female next to Chunk.
See the Elephant seal Index for other Elephant seal births at Race Rocks
A coast guard helicopter flew over in the morning, one ecotour vessel entered the reserve in the afternoon.
-cleaned panels
-replaced flag
-finished month end report
-did animal census
-cleaned cam 5 dome
-gathered drift wood from East shore
-cut, chopped wood
It started raining in the evening and continued throughout the day. This was the first significant rain here in a few weeks. The wind picked up late in the day and was gusting over 45 NMPH West in the evening.
1 ecotour and 1 recreational vessel were in the reserve. A coast guard helicopter flew over coming from the West.
There were 3 small ducks in the NE puddle, I believe they were Green Winged Teals. I counted 15 canada geese on the island today, the most I have seen lately.
-worked on month end report
-entered salinity data into spreadsheet and submitted to DFO
-checked on drainage from roofs and downspouts around basements
-collected drift wood
-contacted wood stove contractor
overcast, wind light.
Chris came out in the morning with a group of 8 visitors.
Several octopus encounters today: there was an octopus near jetty as the guests were leaving, I heard a fisherman on the radio talking about having caught an octopus, and in the evening I came a across a small octopus in a tide pool at a very low (0.1 meter) tide.
1 ecotour and 1 recreation boat in the reserve today
-tidy engine room and house for visitors
-did a maintenance tour with Chris
-cut, chopped, stacked wood
-checked battery water level
-fuel inventory for month end report
-started preparing month end report
Wind light, overcast.
2 ecotour vessels in the reserve today
There is a sea lion on the East bay of the island that has some kind of neck injury. It is usually higher up in the rocks and isolated from other sea lions. It’s neck is swollen on one side and fur is moist/matted, some blood is visible. It has been there for several days now. Though it does go into the water occasionally it is mainly stationary.
-cleaned solar panels
-replaced burnt out florescent tube lights in boat house, work room, engine room
-measured and photographed fuel lines on generator for replacement
-cut, chopped, stacked fire wood
-sharpened tools
-ran chain saw
The wind picked up right around noon reaching up to 35 NMPH from the West with an average speed around 30 NMPH throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
One ecotour vessel was in the reserve.
-worked on trying to fine tune boat house door, unsuccessful.
-cut, chopped, stacked fire wood, successful.
-cleaned solar panels
-fuelled up station whaler
-replaced corroded hose clamp on whaler fuel line
NE wind 10-15 NMPH , 2-3 ft swell coming into the jetty. The fog horn started up sometime in the middle of the night but stopped before sun rise, visibility was less than 5 NM most of the day. Light rain most of the day. Barometer falling.
I had planned on going in to campus for christmas lunch and to pickup guests but the lunch was canceled because of snow on the roads and the NE swell kept me from leaving the island.
Another day foiled by Black Oyster Catchers, I scrutinized around 12 of them on the South side of the island but no leg band seen.
-Sharpened bow saw
-cleaned solar panels
-ran desalinator
Overcast, good visibility, wind NE 10 NMPH, light in the afternoon.
Went off island around noon to get parts and provisions.
-brought 15 fire extinguishers off island to the college to get serviced, brought back spares.
-cleaned solar panels
Ed note: Congratulations Alex…. this is the 1000th Posting to be added to the Race Rocks website.
Steady west wind 15-20 NMPH most of the day. Bit of hail in the evening.
Chunk went off the island last night and is back on middle rocks with the female elephant seals. I have been trying to get a closer look at the Oyster Catchers to get the ID from the banded one but have not been able to see it yet.
-Cut, chopped, stacked firewood
-Cleaned solar panels
-Installed rain water container on down pipe of energy building to use for cleaning solar panels.
Still grey out here, the fog rolled in before noon, fog alarm was going for a few hours. The fog had lifted by late afternoon. Wind has been light today and yesterday.
The DND were burning again yesterday at Rocky Point.
I went off island yesterday to get plumbing parts and some provisions. It was my first time using the new boat dolly. It is a much appreciated improvement that makes launch and recovery easier and faster.
-getting parts off island
-fixed broken pipe and faucet on roof for PV panels
-pressure tested then drained lines
-sent photos and measurements for wood stove
-ran desalinator
