Category Archives: Facility work

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?

Winter setting in ….

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Ecoguardian Notes:

  • (lack of photos due to no reliable  internet, and running this through a phone hotspot) Will try to add photos later!

Ecological Notes:

  • noted 2 Sea lions with raw injuries, trying to monitor them as they heal

Visitors:

  • 4
  • Greg, Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator, and Cedric – grocery and fuel delivery, and help with some maintenance
  • 2 Techs form Environment Canada, to work on the weather electronics on the tower….. some success, but found more work than they anticipated

Facility Work:

  • Diesel delivery – 570L
  • We had wind speed (but no direction) on the monitor in the house, but now have wind direction, (but no speed!)

DND events:

  • A few blasts, scheduled to continue until Nov 13. Humpback Whales south, and west of reserve, none noted to the north.

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Tuesday November 08)
    • Sky: Mostly clear with some clouds moving past
    • Wind: NE 15-20 kts
    • Sea: Waves to 1 metre
    • Temperature Low 2oC, High 4oC
  • Today (Wednesday November 09):
    • Sky:Mostly high overcast, mixed cloud and clear overnight
    • Wind: N/NE 10-15 kts
    • Sea: 1/2 meter chop
    • Temperature Low  4oC, High  8oC

 

** 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?

Back to the Rock, and prepared for the Storm

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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

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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

August 20 and 21

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Compost project was completed on Saturday, with incorporation of a barrel of rain/fog water from the roof as the final touch. The rainwater was heavily contaminated with gull droppings, so not useful for much, but excellent to keep the compost moist and provide nutrients. The number and aroma of sea lions is increasing, but bird diversity remains low.

Ecological Notes:

  • Only the alpha male and one young female elephant seal were seen present in the last couple of days.  The male remained in his spot alongside the science house until mid-day Sunday. One of the young females made her way to that spot Sunday morning, and was still in place at sunset.
  • Only passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird.
  • Another branded Steller’s sea lion (431Y) was seen. He was branded at Rogue Reef, Oregon in Jul 2013, and had not been reported since 2014. (Although some data is still pending.
  • Birders touring the area on Sunday found a single Common Tern, rare for this area.
  • A Short-billed Dowitcher was on East Beach on Sunday.
  • The aroma from the California sea lions and resulting flies are increasing. All  California sea lions have remained outside the fence–so far.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Saturday, August 20):
    • Sky: Overcast in the early morning becoming clear and sunny
    • Wind: W/WNW 12-29 kts
    • Sea: light chop to 3′ chop
    • Temperature Low 13oC, High 17oC
  • Today (Sunday, August 21):
    • Sky: Overcast in the early morning becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon
    • Wind:   W/WSW 9-24 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 14 oC, High 16 oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
  • Compost renewal project completed
  • Fences all checked and one west of lighthouse repaired

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.

Brown Pelicans

Short-billed-Dowitcher

Surfbirds

Short-billed Dowitcher with Black Turnstones

Birders checking out the shorebirds in East Bay

Young Glaucous-winged Gulls and young elephant seal

Young elephant seal beside the Science Building

Harbour seal and pup

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Bonaparte’s Gull

Steller’s sea lions

Steller’s sea lions

Branded Steller’s sea lion

Steller’s sea lions

Steller’s sea lions

Steller’s sea lions

Collected rainwater makes good compost moisture!

Boards all in place and ready for compost action

Compost project – Done!

 

August 16 and 17

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The compost rejuvenation project continues with 58 more buckets of aged compost removed from the first chamber to complete stage 1. Stage 2 involves moving the compost from the second chamber over to the first, turning and mixing it in the process.

Several branded sea lions are being seen.  When their histories are obtained, updates will be posted.

It has been very quiet on the water the last two days both mammal and bird-wise.

Ecological Notes:

  • All three elephant seals were seen on August 16 and 17
  • Only passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird.
  • 26 Brown Pelicans circled Great Race before heading towards Esquimalt at dusk on Wednesday.
  • 2 branded Steller’s sea lions (486Y and 304Y) and 1 branded California sea lion (X759) were seen during census on Wednesday. 304Y was branded at Rogue Reef, Oregon in July 2011, and has been resighted from California to BC.
  • Very quiet on the water over the last two days.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Census (Wednesday, August 17):

Mammals

  • Elephant seal: 3 (1 adult male, two juvenile females)
  • Steller sea lion: 129 (including branded 304Y and 486Y)
  • California sea lion: 115 (including branded X759)
  • Harbour seal: 131

Birds

  • Black oystercatcher: 9 (8 adults 1 chick )
  • Killdeer 1
  • Black Turnstone: 49
  • Surfbird: 11
  • Common Murre: 2
  • Pigeon Guillemot:60
  • Heermann’s Gull: 2
  • California Gulls: 500
  • Glaucous-winged Gulls: 448 adults 203 chicks (including 1 banded adult)
  • Pelagic Cormorant: 4
  • Brandt’s Cormorants: 19
  • Double-crested Cormorant: 4
  • Brown Pelican: 26
  • Bald Eagle: 1
  • Brown-headed Cowbird: 3

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Tuesday, August 16):
    • Sky: Foggy most of the morning; sunny in the afternoon, with light cloud
    • Wind: W/WSW 15-25 kts
    • Sea: up to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 13oC, High 15oC
  • Today (Wednesday, August 17):
    • Sky: Clear and sunny
    • Wind: variable calm to 22 kts
    • Sea: calm to rippled
    • Temperature Low  14oC, High  25oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
  • Fence east of lighthouse repaired
  • Compost renewal project continues.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ships are going through daily.
  • Tours from Pearson College continued on Wednesday.

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

Compost chamber emptied and ready to be refilled.

On to the next chamber!

Potatoes were growing in the compost. Unfortunately not fit for human consumption.

Elephant seals

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Fence in need of repair

Glaucous-winged Gulls circling the tower

Gulls have been particularly aggressive with each other this week.

Colour-banded Glaucous-winged Gull

California sea lion

These look as though there might have been scientific equipment attached. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/marine-mammal-protection/california-sea-lion-research

Adult male and juvenile female elephant seals.

Steller’s sea lions on alert

Possibly scar from previous entanglement. No rope or line was visible.

Pearson College tour.

Branded California sea lion

Branded California sea lion

Brandt’s Cormorant (left) and Pelagic Cormorant (right) demonstrating size and shape differences.

Branded Steller’s sea lion

Brown Pelicans at dusk

Brown Pelicans

Flock of 26 Brown Pelicans

August 14 and 15

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It was a short but great stay for Carl and Brady Hughes. They managed to see all of the expected mammals and got to know the Glaucous-winged Gull community quite well during their visit. Carl spotted the season’s first Sooty Shearwater on Saturday and attempted overnight audio recording that night. He will post his recordings to iNaturalist and eBird. The compost rejuvenation project continues with 48 more buckets of aged compost removed from the first chamber.

Ecological Notes:

  • All three elephant seals were seen on August 14 and 15.
  • Passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird, Barn Swallow and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. A Northern Harrier flew north over Great Race on Saturday.
  • A juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher was wandering the paths in the fog on August 15.
  • The branded Steller’s sea lion sighted on August 12 has a history! Originally branded at Rogue Reef, Oregon in July 2003, he has been sighted at least 70 times. Previous sightings on Race Rocks include Dec 2007, May 2008, Sept 2009, Aug 2014, and Aug 2017. The most spectacular resighting, though, involved an escape from a pod of Orca in the San Juan Islands in 2020.
  • Humpbacks and Orca are being seen regularly, but generally at great distance.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Sunday, August 14):
    • Sky: Sunny with light cloud. Scattered fog patches
    • Wind: W 8-23 kts
    • Sea: up to 1′ chop
    • Temperature Low 12 oC, High 16 oC
  • Today (Monday, August 15):
    • Sky: Fog most of the morning, clearing to partially cloudy in the afternoon
    • Wind: W/WSW 11-37 kts
    • Sea: calm to 3′ chop
    • Temperature Low 11 oC, High 17 oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
  • Battery electrolyte level topped up.
  • Compost renewal project continues.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ship traffic is increasing.

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

Second Nature taking visitors back to Pearson College.

Bonaparte’s Gull

Early morning fogbow

Almost empty!

Progress on the compost project

Young Pigeon Guillemot with adult

Elephant seal in the East Bay

 

Traffic jam on the ramp

California Gulls

Young Glaucous-winged gulls almost ready to fly

Young Glaucous-winged gulls almost ready to fly

Male elephant seal

Sleeping Harlequin Duck

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Male elephant seal

Cruise ship traffic

Juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher

Juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher showing diagnostic markings in tertials

Brown-headed Cowbird

August 10 and 11

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Ecological Notes:

  • First sighting of Ollie the sea otter since I arrived. His new favourite location is in the kelp east of Great Race. I had seen him there on a boat trip on Aug 1.
  • First on-land passerines of my stay seen on Thursday, Aug 11: two juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds. It is possible the bird I saw in the fog last week could have been one of these.
  • Sea lion numbers continue to climb.
  • Whale action must be in the Gulf Islands/San Juans, as fewer whale watching boats are coming this way.
  • Most of the young gulls are busy testing their wings, especially when the wind comes up.
  • Very low tides have revealed the eel grass beds and normally hidden intertidal zone.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weekly Census observed on Wednesday, August 10:

Mammals

  • Elephant seals: 3 (1 adult male, two juvenile females)
  • Steller sea lions: 124
  • California sea lions: 40
  • Harbour seals: 186
  • Sea otter 1

Birds

  • Canada geese: 4
  • Harlequin ducks: 8
  • Black oystercatchers: 9 (8 adults 1 chick )
  • Killdeer 2 (only on island between dusk and dawn)
  • Black Turnstones: 194
  • Surfbirds: 17
  • Common Murres: 79
  • Pigeon Guillemots:183
  • Rhinoceros Auklets: 2
  • Heermann’s Gulls: 2
  • California Gulls: 353
  • Glaucous-winged Gulls: 341 adults 169 chicks (probably undercounted as wind caused a lot of chicks to seek cover)
  • Caspian Terns: 2
  • Pelagic Cormorants: 5
  • Brandt’s Cormorants: 12
  • Brown Pelican: 1

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Wednesday, August 10):
    • Sky: Overcast, with a few sunny periods
    • Wind: W 11-31 kts
    • Sea: up to 3′ chop
    • Temperature Low 12 oC, High 19 oC
  • Today (Thursday, August 11):
    • Sky: Overcast until mid morning, then partly cloudy
    • Wind: W 4-21 kts
    • Sea: calm to rippled
    • Temperature Low 14 oC, High 18 oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Some windows washed.  Postponed on Wednesday due to brief electrical storm. North side of researcher building skipped on Thursday due to presence of large elephant seal.
  • Compost renewal project continues.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ship traffic is increasing

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

Eel grass

Race Rocks mussel beds appear unaffected by last year’s heat dome

Eel grass and mussel beds

Leatherback chitons

Bull Kelp

Many varieties of seaweeds exposed by the low tides

Feather duster tube worms in the intertidal zone

Alumni tours from Pearson College continued.

Cooperative Brown Pelican for census

Brown Pelican south of Great Race

Lots of food available Aug 10

Bait balls nearby were a boon for gull chicks

Young California Gull

Heermann’s Gull

Harlequin Ducks (females)

Young elephant seals on the ramp

Young elephant seal

Caspian Tern

Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds

Brown Pelicans west of Great Race Aug 11

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelicans west of Great Race

Smoke is coming. Moonrise on Aug 11

California sea lions

Black Oystercatcher

Ollie the sea otter sighting

Pigeon Guillemots

California sea lion

August 8 and 9

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We said good-bye (for now) to Jeremias and Abi on Monday. It was great having them on the island, helping with the chores and sharing their interest in this amazing place. I am here for another couple of weeks or so, and so have undertaken a new project to rejuvenate the large compost bins near the ecoguardian’s residence. The weather has shifted from the calm and beautiful days on the weekend to more typical wind and fog of “Fogust”.

Ecological Notes:

The elephant seals continue, much to the delight of the ecotourism boat operators who always check out the ramp for them.

Steller and California sea lion numbers are still on the rise. I’m looking forward to a good count on this week’s census.

Black Turnstones dominate the east bay, with high numbers still continuing. About 200 are on the island in the late afternoon.

Many of the young Glaucous-winged Gulls are stretching their wings, jumping into the wind in preparation for their first flights.

Harbour porpoises, including one with a youngster, were seen on August 8. No whale sightings in this report, but only one day of visibility was a factor.

Weather:

Yesterday (Monday, Aug 8)

  • Sky: Clear and sunny all day
  • Wind: Variable 4 to 29 kts
  • Sea conditions: rippled to light chop
  • Temperature: Low 13 oC, High 22 oC

Today (Tuesday, Aug 9)

  • Sky: Heavy fog in the morning and late afternoon. Partially cloudy for a few hours mid-day.
  • Wind: W 11 to 26 kts
  • Sea conditions: unknown to 3′ seas late afternoon
  • Temperature: Low 12 oC, High 16 oC

Visitors:

Volunteers Abi and Jeremias departed Monday morning.

Facility Work:

Solar panels cleaned; electric fence checked and in good condition. Battery bank checked and topped up with distilled water on Monday. Generator was run during fog on Tuesday morning to top up battery levels. Compost rejuvenation project got underway.

Vessel Traffic:

Many Canadian and American ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. More alumni from Pearson College toured the area on Tuesday. Cruise ship traffic is picking up.

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

Farewell to Jeremias and Abi. Safe journeys ahead!

View from the solar panel array at sunrise

Young Glaucous-winged Gull testing its wings

California Sea Lions and their most popular poses

A (very) little bit of sunshine

 

Glaucous-winged Gull pair doing courtship/bonding display.

A beachload of Black Turnstones (and a few Surfbirds)

Alumni tour from Pearson College

Young elephant seals on the move

Compost project supervisor

Large root masses at the top of the old compost

The first buckets of aged compost into the hole