Helicopter Visit

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Ecological Notes:

  • 1-2 female Elephant Seals, 1 still nursing her pup, the other coming and going. Mom #1 has been gone over a week now
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups, 1 nursing and 2 weened
  • Still no Adult Male elephant Seal
  • Bald Eagles, both mature and juvenile, continue to visit daily for hunting

“Not much, but good enough for breakfast”

Visitors:

  • 2 Coast Guard techs visited via helicopter to trouble shoot tower electronics.

  • 3 student groups of 6 to see and learn about the Elephant Seals and pups
  • A VIP group, with students, visited for a quick overview or the reserve, with particular interest in the Power System

Facility Work:

  • Replaced all pier fencing, hoping the worst of the combination king tides and storms have passed

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Several visits by Eco-tourism vessels

Weather Events:

  • Friday, February 10:
    • Sky: Overcast, with occasional light rain
    • Wind: S 5- 15 knots, veering to W 20 kts later in the afternoon
    • Sea: Waves to 1 Meter
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 8oC
  • Saturday, February 11:
    • Sky: Mostly clear with occasional overcast skies moving through
    • Wind: W 5 – 10 kts
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC

 

 

** 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?

Animal Census

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Birds

  • Harlequin duck             12
  • Bald eagle adult            6
  • Bald eagle juvenile        8
  • Turnstones                     40
  • Dunlin                              9
  • Gulls                                132
  • Cormorants                     78
  • Oyster catcher                 8
  • Canadian goose              14
  • Ravens                              2

 

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                      24
  • Harbour seal                          27
  • California sea lion                 84
  • Elephant seal female            1
  • Elephant seal pup                 3

 

Animal Tracking and Injuries:

  •  Currently 2 California Sea Lions dragging the hind section, apparent broken backs. They are both healed and at reasonable weight.

Spring is trying!

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Ecological Notes:

  • 2 Female Elephant Seals nursing their pups
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1 on his own again
  • Still no big Male Elephant Seals present
  • Although it looks chubby, a very small harbour seal pup(?) hauled out on the boat ramp next to the pier. This is only the second time I’ve ever seen any harbour seal in that location.

  • Signs of an early spring ….. the Geese, and the Black Oyster Catchers are pairing off and defending locations …… and the Early Crocus are sprouting

Visitors:

  • Cedric from Seafront Support kayaked out for a social visit.

Facility Work:

  • Cutting firewood
  • Started re-establishing the electric fencing on the pier, but had the high  winds bring a log over and took it back out
  • Made, and installed a replacement part for the toilet in the Student and science building

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A large sailboat motored through the reserve in front of the pier, but maintained proper distance and speed while enjoying the sights.

Weather Events:

  • Friday, February 03:
    • Sky: Cloudy with occasional sun peaking through, low haze to the south, visibility to about 10 miles
    • Wind:Morning winds E 10 – 20 kts, backing to NE 20 – 35 kts by noon
    • Sea: waves up to 1 meter
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Saturday, February 04:
    • Sky: High overcast, scattered low clouds to the south
    • Wind: N winds, veering to ENE,  12-18 kts
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  7oC, High  9oC
  • Sunday, February 05:
    • Sky: High overcast, scattered low clouds to the south
    • Wind:E winds, veering to W in the morning,  gradually rising from 2 kts to 30 kts by evening
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  7oC, High  9oC
  • Monday, February 6:
    • Sky: High overcast, occasional very light showers
    • Wind: S winds, backing to ESE,  5-15 kts
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, 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?

DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS January 2023

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DAILY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS
Institute of Ocean Sciences, North Saanich, B.C., V8L 4B2
Please email monthly to Sebastien.Donnet@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Station RACE ROCKS
Observer Derek Sterling January
YSI ID: 27 Year: 2023
YSI YSI
Temp Sal
Day Time ºC ppt
1 9:15 7.9 32.4
2 10:00 7.8 32.4
3 10:50 7.9 32.2
4 11:30 7.7 3.0
5 12:15 7.9 2.4
6 13:00 7.8 32.6
7 13:30 7.8 32.2
8 14:15 7.8 32.2
9 15:00 7.7 32.4
10 15:45 7.8 32.4
11 16:45 7.7 32.2
12 17:45 7.9 32.2
13 18:45 7.9 32.4
14 19:30 8.0 32.6
15 7:00 7.8 32.4
16 8:15 7.9 32.2
17 9:15 7.9 32.2
18 10:15 8.0 32.4
19 11:00 7.9 32.4
20 11:45 7.8 32.2
21 12:40 7.9 32.4
22 13:30 7.7 32.4
23 14:30 7.9 32.6
24 15:30 7.8 32.4
25 16:45 7.9 32.6
26 17:40 8.0 32.6
27 18:30 8.1 32.2
28 19:30 7.8 32.4
29 7:45 8.1 32.4
30 8:30 7.9 32.2
31 9:30 7.8 32.6

Return of the Pigeon Guillemots

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1 moved over the raised path and is associating with mom #1 again
  • Still no big Male Elephant Seals present, but I thought I may have heard one during the night, south of the reserve.
  • Heard the light peeps and coos I haven’t heard in at least a couple months…… a group of Pigeon Guillemots in the water off the end of the pier.

Shifting from winter plumage to summer plumage

Can’t take too many pictures of Black Turnstones

Visitors:

  • Diesel fuel delivery

Facility Work:

  • Battery system electrolyte top up
  • Battery system equalization charge
  • Desalinator has been working as expected
  • Checked oil, and ran up the gasoline backup generator, and both pressure washers
  • Firewood collecting and splitting
  • Month end records and reporting

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • A group of vessels doing manoeuvres west of the reserve. Then more noted between the reserve and Victoria when we went in for fuel.

Weather Events:

  • Tuesday, January 31:
    • Sky: Overcast with some lower clouds
    • Wind: NNE to ENE 10-15 kts
    • Sea: calm and rippled
    • Temperature Low 2oC, High 6oC
  • Wednesday, February 01:
    • Sky:High overcast with sunny breaks
    • Wind: ENE 10-20 kts
    • Sea:  some SE swells early until the tide changed, then light chop
    • Temperature Low  2oC, High  7oC
  • Thursday, February 02:
    • Sky: High overcast with sunny breaks, lower clouds to the south on the Olympic Peninsula side
    • Wind: NE/NNE  10_15kts, veering to ENE in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  3oC, High  7oC

 

** 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?

Cold and Clear

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Ecological Notes:

 

  • 3 female Elephant Seals (mom #1 returned in the night)
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups. Pup #1, born Dec 26, 2022, is independent, not associating directly with mom #1

  • Relative rare sighting of a Sanderling

Black Oystercatchers feeding

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 Eco-Tourism Vessels

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Sunday January 29):
    • Sky: Sunny and clear
    • Wind: NNE 15kts shifting to NE later in the day
    • Sea: Rippled, no swell or waves
    • Temperature Low 1oC, High 6oC
  • Today (Monday January 30):
    • Sky: Mostly clear with some clouds, very slight overall haze, full light overcast by afternoon
    • Wind: NNE 10 kts , veering to SSE in the afternoon
    • Sea: Rippled, no swell or waves
    • Temperature Low 0oC, High 3oC – although wind speed is low, there is definitely a wind chill factor
    • Standing “fresh” water pools are all frozen

 

** 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?

Archives of Victoria Newspaper Articles on Race Rocks

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The  British Colonist Newspaper Archives 1859-1906
https://racerocks.ca/newspaper-archives-1859-1906/

Since the last time I looked at the digitized versions of the early newspaper of Victoria, further work has been done by the University of Victoria Archives in digitizing and more of the early Victoria Newspaper references to Race Rocks have been found.  Here are some that I have come across to date..

1858/08/12 .. (page2 left column)Lighthouse Commissioners: HMS Plumper, Capt. Richards left Esquimalt Wednesday morning to select a site for a lighthouse on Race Rocks…
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist18590812uvic/mode/1up

1934/12/30  Historic Race Rocks Lighthouse (recounts construction of lighthouse as well as story of Davies and tragedy)
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19341230/page/n26/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks

1970/04/26  Californians Come for Good Life. (California Sea Lions)
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19700426/page/n70/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks

1070/06/07 In Stiff Wind off Race Rocks Yacht Mishap Kills Four
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19700607/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks+rock

1970/08/09 Unusual Homecoming ..   ( Race Rocks Construction, light-keeper George Davies )
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19700809/page/n57/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks

1971/09/26 Dreaded Race Rocks : https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19710926/page/n75/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks+rock+race%E2%80%99s

1977/02/20  Race Rocks Treasure. ( Thomas Argyle)
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19770220/page/n71/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks

1977/10/02 Zone of Silence
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19771002/page/n80/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks

178/04/23 Sea Lions Transients of the Coast. ( Stellers sea lions) 
https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19780423/page/n82/mode/1up?view=theater&q=race+rocks

 

Third Elephant Seal Pup

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Ecological Notes:

  • 2 female Elephant Seals (first mom has left the island for now)
  • 3 Elephant Seal pups, 3rd one born just before sunrise on Jan 26th, one month after the first pup was born

Visitors:

  • 36 Pearson College students, (over 6 trips) with their instructor

  • The Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator transported students, groceries, parcels, and supplies.

Facility Work:

  • Replaced the motherboard on the Desalinator (again) as the last one was defective

Concentrate outflow from the Desalinator

  • After the first run, the main unit was due for an oil change, completed for the  high pressure pump.
  • Pacing myself on bucking, splitting and moving firewood

DND events:

  • Several detonations over a couple days. No disturbance noted.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 4 Eco-Tourism vessels
  • 3  private vessels

 Feature Event:

  •  Checking heater tapes and heaters preparing for possible freezing weather.
  • Stored some extra tap water for dishes and washing, in case the lines freeze again

Not for drinking!

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Friday January 27):
    • Sky: Overcast
    • Wind: Variable 5-15 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 1 meter chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Today (Saturday January 28):
    • Sky: Overcast in the morning, afternoon, clear and sunny to overcast in the evening
    • Wind: E 5 to 15 knots in the morning,increasing to northeast 15 to 25 near noon and to NE 40+ kts in the evening
    • Sea:  1-2 meter waves and chop
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High 8 oC

 

** 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?

Birds and Ellies

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals, 2 nursing pups, one still expecting
  • 2 Elephant Seal pups, sometimes struggling to move around with mom when she changes terrain
  • Although the Eagles have been actively hunting gulls out here, I was puzzled but the remains of Turnstones as well. This morning I witnessed the successful hunt of a Turnstone by one of the 2 Ravens here

Facility Work:

  • Covered the broken window on the crane shed
  • Collected and bucked more firewood logs

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 Ecotourism Vessels

Weather Events:

  • Yesterday (Saturday January 21):
    • Sky: Overcast with very occasional rain sprinkles
    • Wind:NE 15-20 kts
    • Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
    • Temperature Low 6oC, High 9oC
  • Today (Sunday January 22):
    • Sky: Overcast with sunny breaks in the morning, light haze by afternoon
    • Wind: N/NE 0-5kts, shifting to SE in the afternoon
    • Sea:  light chop
    • Temperature Low  5oC, High  7oC

** 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?

Wildlife and Media

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Ecological Notes:

  • 3 Female Elephant Seals. 2 nursing pups, and 1 expecting to give birth any time now.

Newest Female Elephant Seal, arrived Jan 19

  • 2 Elephant Seal pups nursing and growing very fast! The smaller pup is 7 days old, the large pup is 24 days old.

Moms and Pups

  • There are now at least 10 pairs of Canada Geese, display territorial behaviour prior to nest site selection.

  • With the aid on binoculars, still able to spot an Adult Humpback and calf in the separation zone, south of the reserve
  • Orca passed back and forth in front of the pier, as well as circling the main island, appears to have taken a younger Sea Lion in the process.

1 of the group of 3

Visitors:

  • The Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator  brought groceries, plywood, and fuel over 3 trips. Also aided in log retrieval for firewood
  • Also transport 2 people from the IT Department to continue troubleshooting the internet system.

DND events:

  • Some detonations over the last few days

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 3 or 4 Ecotourism vessels enjoying the sights and sound of the reserve
  • 5 Private vessels, 1 rental from a local marina

 Noted Infractions:

  • The rental vessel circled the main Island 3 times, quite close to the rocks, then went through the main channel at full speed when departing
  • Vessel was approached by the Marine and Seafront Operations Coordinator (who was on his way here with deliveries), and the rental location was politely contacted by phone. They will remember to let their customer know about the guidelines for Ecological Reserve at Race Rocks.

 Feature Event:

  •  Have spent lots of time working with Media requests around the birth of the second Elephant Seal pup ……. all requests vetted through the Pearson College Director of Communications
  • For anyone who may have missed it, here is the link to the Video on the Pearson College YouTube channel:

 Recent Weather included a mix of overcast and sun, seasonally mild temperature, and only one day of rougher seas to 1 meter waves.

Weather – Current:

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

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?