Once a month we need to be sure that every tool is still in good order.It was interesting to see the different results and if the new method is more accurate, we got exactly the same number for the water temperature: 11.2 Celsius. When we went to get the water in the bucket we heard a splash and first thought that it was a sea otter because it was very quick but just following was the most adorable creature: a small harbor seal.It might be 50 cm at the most. That one has not been born long ago! Happenings never stop on Race Rocks!
Gale warning forecast
We began the day with 32 knots and the wind never stopped rising to 40.7 knots around 8:00PM. What a pretty windy month!
All the birds were in the sheltered side away from the wind so it was easy to spot them. Before dusk we saw 10 Turnstones, 2 Western Sandpipers and 3or 4 Dunlins. They were not around a few days before. Exciting!
I even found a ladybug, a small one in the house. Another new species on this small rock
No whale watchers today …Thanks to the wind.
Fishers and Hunters : Stewards of the Environment?
We received a copy of this article from a Sooke newspaper in July. It never ceases to amaze me how some people can be so out of touch about conservation and species and ecosystems at risk. It seems that some think that as long as “humans have it all ” then it doesn’t matter about others with whom we share the resources of this planet.
Click to enlarge
windy day
Tuesday and Monday actually were two pretty windy days with gusts reaching 30 to 35 knots at times. That gave a lot of interest to the water sampling trips just before sunset. Imagine how noisy it can be with seagulls shouting (sometimes 5or 6 just above us) but you get used to!! And on Tuesday night 2 big eyes were looking in the dusk: Chunk taking the last bath of the day. A pretty sight to bring back home!
Boat stories and visitors
Monday was a busy day for vessels: 12 whale watchers and in the Juan de Fuca Strait ships were in a raw in the 2 directions …a lot to see by the windows. We also had 2 visitors from the college Courtney and Bobby (a volunteer). They brought on the Rock 3 propane tanks and 3 barrels of 200 liters each, for the oil transfer (1100 liters has to be transferred to the new tank and to the house tanks)
Birdy stories
On Sunday, which was a sunny but windy day, we found one dead chick, the first one and beyond the student house on the rocks we discovered some newcomers, two beautiful little birds. By deduction and with the pictures sent to Garry, we came to the conclusion that they were 2 Western Sandpipers. A change from gulls!
On the 13th when we went to clean the solar panels we discovered the fresh, bloody, half eaten body of a pigeon – guillemot. We think that it was a Sea otter’s job because of the hidden place where we found it. Busy night!
Day off !
It has been 10 days without leaving this nice place so it was good to have a little break even if coming back delighted us…
No wind, no current, flat sea.
The South, South West wind brought a very iodineic smell above the usual strong smell of the island at this time of the year!
We have noticed very high tides those days and especially on that day( full high tide in the night around 11PM).
When we came back around 6PM a pleasure boat was anchored just on the other side of the jetty. I will say 30 meters. They seemed not understand why they were not allowed to do so! And soon they got some problems ( had to dive ) because their anchor got stuck in the kelp or rocks! At least that we didn’t have to explain! for the rest they were gone …before we got the camera .
Around 9PM with the coming darkness and a lovely pearl colored sky, we had (first time that happened at that time of the day) the last watching boat of the day.
Nursery Island
Nursery island
It was still 20 knots when we awake but the rest of the day was pretty calm from 15 knots to 22 at the most. What a change! We could see very far that day…
After so much wind we were not alone outside enjoying a normal summer day. ..We could call the rock “Nursing Island “because chicks are really everywhere and the gulls are pretty nervous never stopping between feeding the young one and watching out for danger. No way to go around without your yellow helmet like a big bill on the top of the head! Those birds hit you once but not two times and it hurts! You remember!
We had another show from Chunk and the young female in the water. She really wanted to please him! Even after weeks we are still amazed by those attaching animals. They have lost a lot of weight and are now pretty active spending a lot of time in shallow water and each time going back and forth from water to a grassy spot.
Desalinator and generator have been on for a few hours. Everything is working perfectly.
Nursery Island
Friday: Nursery island
It was still 20 knots when we awake but the rest of the day was pretty calm from 15 knots to 22 at the most. What a change! We could see very far that day…
After so much wind we were not alone outside enjoying a normal summer day. ..We could call the rock “Nursing Island “because chicks are really everywhere and the gulls pretty nervous never stop between feeding the young one and watching out for danger. No way to go around without your yellow helmet like a big bill on the top of the head! Those birds hit you once but not two times and it hurts! You remember!
We had another show from Chunk and the young female in the water .She really wanted to please him! Even after weeks we are still amazed by those attaching animals. They have lost a lot of weight and are now pretty active spending a lot of time in shallow water and each time going back and forth from water to grassy spot.
Desalinator and generator have been on for a few hours. Everything is working perfectly
July 9th: ANIMAL CENSUS CORRECTION
In the afternoon I spotted 2 Oystercatchers close to the crane and 2 chicks at least 2 weeks old if I compare with the really small one I saw the first day we came back. I couldn’t find other couples so I will try to find out in the coming days if they have left or not.