Mammals:
- California sealion: 17
- Stellar sealion: 29
- harbour seal: 143 plus 6 pups
Birds:
- gulls: 1371 (of these 809 were outside of main nesting area, chicks not counted)
- cormorant: 74
- black oystercatcher: 14 plus 5 chicks
- pigeon guillemot: 234
- bald eagle: 1
- harlequin duck: 3
- surfbird: 39
- black turnstone: 113
- ruddy turnstone: 1
- brown headed cowbird: 1
- Canada goose: 3
Wildlife seen this week inside the reserve but not observed today include: killer whale, humpback whale, short-billed Dowitcher, least sandpiper, western sandpiper, wandering tattler. The majority of the gulls outside the main nesting area (i.e., those on the South Islands, Seal Rocks and on the western shore line of Great Race Rock) were California gulls.
Wildlife notes
The sealions are returning in small numbers and are mostly on the South Islands for now. This started early in the week with the arrival of some large growling Stellar sealions. California sealions started appearing (and barking) the past two days. It will soon start to get louder at night around here.
There are very few gull eggs left unhatched. Some seem eggs abandoned in shallow or untended nests. The single egg made in a nest spun of grass by the door to the Student Building is starting to hatch. Two eggs were in this nest on June 29th.
A simple nest made only of grass from the immediate area near the Student Building door. This may be one of the last gull eggs to hatch this year. This means no more short cuts across the grass to get to the Student Building. This is unfortunate as “Intersection” gulls has moved their three chick to the start to the Student Building walkway.
I think we are up to 6 seal pups in the area. Like the gulls, they are spread apart in age are vary is size. The pup on East Beach this afternoon still had its umbilical cord attached so it is a new one since last Census.
Young harbour seal pup on East Beach this afternoon with its umbilical cord still attached.
Same young pup swimming away with its mother.
Vessels
- Ecotourism: 24
- Private: 3
Weather
Partly cloudy. Winds from the west and southwest, calm to 15 knots. Daytime temperature 14 to 17 degrees.