Fall Day

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Ecological Notes:

  • Sub-adult Male elephant seal has taken a couple days off island now.
  • Several adult and juvenile Bald Eagles present and hunting gulls on the island. Appeared to be teaching young, as sometimes adults were swooping without attempting to grab prey, followed closely but juvenile who was attempting to grab prey. Each time a juvenile did grab a gull, there was a frenzy of the other juveniles swooping in to try to take the prey.

Facility Work:

  • Serviced Battery system and checked solar panels.
  • Chopped firewood previously salvaged and bucked up.
  • Serviced chainsaw.
  • Troubleshooting on hard-line (voip) phone system. Checked routers and reset each phone. Passed onto the IT department for further input.
  • Has been near impossible to maintain the pier electric fence! High winds and swells continuously wash the pier, and the posts, breaking wires and losing posts into the water. Had to go down late at night when the tide was low enough to recover post and concrete blocks. Hopefully overall weather will subside a bit soon.

In a subdued state

 

Weather Events:

  • Westerly winds, dropping from 20knots early morning to  5 knots mid day. Raising over the afternoon to 30 knots by early evening. Overcast, with occasional rain squalls in the strait. Clear visibility.

 

** 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?

Census

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Birds

  • Bald eagle adult                          6
  • Bald eagle juvenile                     5
  • Turnstones                                   24
  • Dunlin                                           14
  • Gulls, Glaucous and Western    132
  • Cormorants                                   37
  • Canadian goose                           12

Mammals

  • Steller sea lion                             78
  • Harbour seal                                48
  • California sea lion                       432
  • Elephant seal male (sub-adult)  1

Firewood, and Rockfish Conservation Area

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Ecological Notes:

  • Sub-adult Male Elephant Seal appears to have left this island early morning. Will see if he returns tonight

  • For some reason, there are lots of adult and immature Bald Eagles on the rocks today. I have checked for any carcasses or other reasons, but could not find any.

Facility Work:

  • Changed oil and filters on the main generator, checked all connections, and cleaned drops etc.

  • Daily rounds of electric fences.

  • Chopped and stacked more firewood, trying to get ahead of the game for the next Ecoguardians.

  • Diagnosed and fixed problems with some of the newly installed windows. Several of the vertical window spaces had horizontal windows installed on edge. Because of this, they did not drain water as it was accumulating in the lower tracks (that should have been side tracks) Weepholes added to the outside of the windows did not reach said tracks, so I had to add new weepholes from inside the track to reach the outside.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • 4 Ecotourism vessels enjoying the  reserve, as well as 5 private vessels.

 Noted Infractions:

  • One private vessel with 5 passengers onboard, spent a considerable time fishing, well within the Rockfish Conservation Area, ignoring warnings via radio and blowhorn. At times, they were within 150 meters of the main Island here. (yes I happen to have a laser rangefinder here with me.)

Weather Events:

  • Westerly winds at 15-20 knots, rising to 25-30 knots later in the afternoon, bringing a full mixture from sun and clouds, to intense rain squalls. Slight fog and clouds to the south, but the Olympic Peninsula is still visible at the water level.

Rain squalls moving through

** 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?

Maintenance and Repairs

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Ecological Notes:

  • The younger Elephant Seals left after just a short visit. The adult female stayed and rested for about 4 days.

  • The sub-adult male is still onsite, nestling in the bushes in the center of the island. At one point, the contractors left the basement door open on the main house, and we caught the male bee-lining for the door! Luckily, he stopped once someone called out to him.

    As he slowly turned back towards his favorite spot by the tall bush.

  • Sealion numbers are down to about 1/3 since the big storms left (will do a count on Monday)

  • Many Black Turnstones present at this time.

    Many nestled in the rocks

Visitors:

  • Window Contractors, and deliveries by both Greg and Jeff.

Facility Work:

  • Almost continuous repairs and upgrades to electric fencing.

Sometimes it’s lucky and they just knock down the posts without damaging anything.

  • Collecting wood brought in by the storms.

Pulled up by hand and pipe pole!

  • I keep an eye on the Web Cams by checking them daily. A little water got in, and this happened!

 DND events:

  • Detonations most of the week, some very heavy ones. Marine Mammal Observers were on the water, keeping an eye out for cetaceans. Noted sealion disturbance, they have seemed to be very edgy since the storms subsided.

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Mostly just daily visits from Ecotourism operators, and a couple private vessels, also primarily looking at the birds and wildlife.

Weather Events:

  • Variable weather, medium winds and rain showers.

 

** 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?

Race Rocks CAS week 2021, including Wildlife Census

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8 students, 2 elephant seals & over 1200 sea lions for 1 week

The Ecological Reserve hosted instructor Laura Verhegge and 8 IB students from Pearson College for 5 days of learning, exploring, and fun!

Ecoguardian Derek also included some naturalist-level sharing of information about Race Rocks, pinnipeds, bull kelp, and even great views of humpback whales and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orca)!

 And the students did the Wildlife Census

A busy week!

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Really hit the ground running this time! Many things going on at the same time, as well as getting myself re situated in the ecological reserve!

Ecological Notes:

  • California Sealions taking over any area available to them. The Steller Sealions pretty much keep to the outer edges and off-island rocks

    California Sealions wanting to hold their ground

  • Now  4 Elephant Seals working their way up the ramp towards the grass area. Looks like an almost mature Male, a fully mature female, and 2 sub-adults. They’re all a little timid, so I’m giving them lots of space.

3 Elephant Seals, just before the male showed up (the sealions are not impressed)

  • Also 1 large male I can hear frequently but can’t find, (maybe he is staying in the water and circling the island as he bellows in the evening.)

Visitors:

  • Various contractors working on replacing windows.

Facility Work:

  • Window replacements on the main house, and soon proceeding to the student building as well.
  • New toilet in the student building!
  • New electric fencing from the power building, around past the outside of the lighthouse, then back to the corner of the main house. Really important as there were up to 300 California Sealions between the student house and the lighthouse, totally blocking off access to the power building (until they were persuaded to leave, but would return the minute the coast was clear)

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Ecotourism vessels and private vessels enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve this time of year.

 Feature Event:

  •  Canadian Coast Guard checked in with us, as they kept a watchful eye on the smoke level and direction from the freighter at Constance Bank that had a fire in some of it’s containers.

Weather Events:

  • A varied week, ending in 2 days of stormy weather with strong winds (up to 50 Knots), and swells from the southeast.

 

** 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?

Exciting Visitors shows the feed is here!

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What a day it was! Overcast and a little drizzle and I do my regular morning routine of firing up the Generator, running the Desalinater all before breakfast. As I finish up restocking the fire, eating and my coffee at my now favourite spot the big living room window. I look out and scan the horizon, there towards the west I just catch a glimpse of that distinct hump. I think before it even finished going under I was up, boots on and cameras in hand running towards the west.

 

 

Sea lions chased after the 4 Humpbacks and the whales seemed annoyed by them, splashing at them. It was very entertaining to watch as the whales moved close along the western shore of the Great Race Rocks, and down to the south.

T041s Visit!

Then that afternoon, as I do my regular Electric Fence fixing and Sea Lion Wrangling, I noticed some of the whale watching tours lounging north of North Rocks. I head up to the Northern Shore (of course with cameras) to just catch a glimpse at a couple dorsal fins before they disappear. Many minutes later as I’m looking around, all of the sudden I hear the PUFF of one, directly below me in Middle Channel.

5 Orca cruise back and fourth throughout the channel for roughly 10 minutes (time stood still so that’s a very rough guess) Until they headed back out into the far north and vanished from sight. The 5 orca are identified as the T041s.

 

 

One of the most interesting parts about the day, was the way the sea lions acted when the Humpback were here compared to the Orca. The Humpback the sea lions were engaging with, playing or chasing, however when the orca arrived it was chaos and panic. The sea lions all congregated together while the orca were around, mean while when the humpbacks were near, they each just did their own thing.

 

Facility Work:

Generator

Desalinator

Fixed Electric Fences multiple times

Sea Lion Wrangling

Trial run of putting Ropes up around the lighthouse to slow the sea lions.

 

 

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

Weather – Past: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Environment Canada forecast:

https://weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02

Officially Sea Lion Season!

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BONUS! 2- Spectacular Rainbows!

Up before sunrise and already feeling a good flow to my morning routine. Of course coffee! Light up the woodstove and head out to start the generator. Today I skipped the Desalinater as our cistern (where we store our water to run through the Desalinater) needs a top up. The rain scheduled for today and tonight with add a little and then when Greg is out we plan to get the pump in the ocean to refill.

Today is Animal Census Day! The Lighthouse is the perfect perch to count the wildlife among the southern rocks and spot the Sea lions that are difficult around the edges of Great Race Rocks.

After this mornings routine I grabbed my journal, clicker and headed out to start counting the animals at sunrise accompanied by low tide.

Low tide is a great time to count the seals lounging on the surrounding rocks.

Harbor Seals lounging at Low tide on the South Islands

Through out the day I spent wandering the out skirts of Great Race Rocks and up the lighthouse a few times.

Black Turnstones seemed the most active today out of the others I’ve been here, as well as the fox sparrows.

Black Turnstone

Fox Sparrow

Seemed like a slow day for the cormorants compared to others, however, my first Humpback Whale while here, made up for that!

Humpback Whale passing through on the South West.

Humpback Whale Diving 4-6 minutes

 

Animal Census:

1- Humpback Whale

1- Bald Eagle

1- Sanderling

1- Sea Otter

1- Western Sandpiper

3- Black Oystercatchers

9- Canada Geese

10- Fox Sparrow

15- Black Turnstone

18- Cormorants

194- Harbor Seals

199- Stellar Sealion

679- Glaucous-winged Gull – 2- injured unable to fly (1 passed morning of 20th)

882- California Sealion

Bonus:

2- SPECTACULAR Rainbows!

 

Bald Eagle out on North Rocks

 

Black Oystercatcher

 

Steamy California Sealions after a rain storm

Stellar Sealion male yawning

Facility Work:

Topped up water in Batteries

Animal Census

 

Weather:

Overcast on and off

Rain storms in the afternoon

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

Weather – Past: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Environment Canada forecast:

https://weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02

Welcome to the Rock!

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My First Sunset on Race Rocks!

I have been counting down the days to this moment and I couldn’t be more excited and honoured!

I was fortunate enough to arrive at Race Rocks a day early and spend an afternoon and night learning from Cedric! What a huge benefit! We walked through the routine and technical operations with the Generator and Desalinater. Happy to answer my many questions and repeat the processes. He was super knowledgeable on history, ecology and one heck of a handy man!

The following morning (which is today) we walked through everything once more before Greg arrived with a tank full of Diesel for the generator and we all teamed up on a few tasks. Around 1600hr I had my final wave and am now alone… well… that is to say, without another human. I’m not sure I’ve actually lived within such a large population in many years now.

Let me introduce myself. I’m Jillian Brown, the new Eco-Guardian! For the past 2 years I have been CEO and Lead Guide for a Not-Profit camp that takes First Responders, Veterans, and at risk youth affected by PTSD out into the wild, and share tools to move that trapped energy in a safe and natural environment. Sharing how to find comfort within the uncomfortable. Accompanied by this, I am an adventure/expedition photographer, writer, public speaker and mental health/ptsd educator and advocate. I have had the pleasure to explore many corners of North America through paddling, hiking and pushing limits. Achieving both a world first (paddling a tandem sea kayak down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon) and a Canadian First (Paddling a new route across America). Connecting to nature, people, cultures, myself and so much more along the way! This has opened up amazing opportunities for speaking, from Cadet and military members, to high schools, CBC Documentaries, Conventions, and universities! @jillianabrownphotography

All Leading me here to this moment to connect to Race Rocks!

AND WHAT A BEAUTY OF A SUNSET TO SET THE STAGE FOR MY STAY HERE!

 

Facility Work:

Repaired broken siding

Transferred Diesel

Filled Generator

Filled Battery Banks

Repaired Electric Fences

 

 

 

Revisiting Intertidal Transect sites at Race Rocks

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Watden’s Report, September 3, 2021

I was fortunate to be able to get out to Race Rocks on one of the last morning low tides of the season. I wanted to revisit intertidal locations around the island in order to take photos of belt transects in locations I had recorded with baseline studies back in May of 1995. Photographic transects are valuable records in the event of changes that may happen along coastlines, usually caused by humans and/or by extreme weather events . 

 

Images taken in 1995 can be seen in this index on transects: https://racerocks.ca/ecology/ecological-monitoring/

The belt transect files with images will be linked here when they have been processed :

Peg 6  Peg5: Peg 5a  Peg 5b Peg 14a,  Peg 14b Peg 115. 

I was fortunate to have the assistance of Cedric Torres, the ecoguardian in doing the work on the transects.

 

At this time of year the island is populated by many young  glaucous-winged gulls, some fully fledged and other son various states of maturity. There were also a number of mortalities around the island which is typical for this time of year in a breeding colony.  In the following videos a number of behaviours of the chicks are shown .

Harbour seals with pups are hauled out on the southern most reef, note the current was still  ebbing in this video.

The California and Stellers sea lions have started coming back in large numbers. typically the Californias outnumber the Stelllers at this time of year.

Beneath the tower, the Californians( barking)  are predominant: but there is alos a mix of the growling Stellers.

 

On the East side cove a large group of Californian Sea lions were hauled out. The ones here were very skittish, any movement near the east end of the  house would startle them

.

Other observations : two orcas in Race Passage ( surprizingly with no whale watching boats nearby.  The nice weather on Sept 3 brought out many whale watching boats and as usual they approach closer to the north side in front of the docks than necessary and well within the distance for viewing marine mammal colonies. The sea lions on that side are more habituated to the presence of humans and these boats than on other parts of the island, but many still go into an alert stage when the boats pass by.

Only a few pelagic cormorants were seen on the south west tip of the island.

The Calendula escapes from gardens of lightkeepers over 50 years ago still exist along the pathways, although the dry summer has been challenging. I was able to make a new species observation of these green blow flies on the flowers.

 

This summer with the heat dome experience on Vancouver Island there have been reports of damage to intertidal life. I took these images of high intertidal level barnacles in the arintertidal between peg 14 and 15. which show very little damage from this event,

We checked out Anita’s pool #6 . The intertidal life in the area has been unchanged for decades.

On the west side of the cliff near peg 5 , we took these images on the vertical rock face as records of barnacle distribution:

And near peg 15 we noted these finger limpets in a shaded rock at an extreme high intertidal elevation.

And a follow-up photo of The ill-fated tidepool #13 which was readjusted in the hurricane of 2006