I have only one week left on this incredible rock. I’m trying to get a few big jobs completed. Today I finished clearing the debris off the Energy Building roof. It was hard work crawling under the panels. I collected three and half buckets of organic debris which I distributed in the grass and one box of construction/installation debris. One day when there is some rain or lots of extra water, someone can brush it down and hose it off.

Wildlife notes:

Every day there is a new dead chick on or near the walkway.  Today it was “Intersection” gull’s chick. She made her nest at the four way intersection of the walkway leading from the house and is very perturbed when I pass, which I do many times a day.  The gulls a few feet from her are relaxed by comparison. Yesterday there was a large, two to three week-old chick lying dead near her. The way she runs at me, I assumed she killed it. Today one of her one week old chicks was lying in the path.  Was it revenge? I wonder if birds do the tit for that thing?

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• finished clearing Energy Building roof
• pumped salt water to cistern

Vessels:

16 ecotourism, 3 skilled sea kayakers touring and playing in the tidal current – all of us where wearing kayaking crash helmets, only mine is for gull protection. This is only to be attempted by advanced paddlers.

Weather:

Fresh to strong breeze westerlies. Daytime temperatures: minimum 13, maximum 17 degrees.

Greg and Cedric came to work on the desalinator. They made progress and we are closer to being able to produce fresh water on site again. Work began on filling the cistern with sea water.

Water pump at the end of the jetty. Pumping sea water up to the concrete cistern on west side of the Keeper’s house. The smoke in the background is from the Sooke fire.

Wildlife notes:

The number of Stellar sealions in the area is increasing. About 18 of them hauled out on Middle Rocks this morning. Their roars sound so much more lion like than the yelping of the California sealions. The injured CA sealion was also around today. It is hard to say how much his wound has healed since the photo posted on July 5.

Stellar sea lions on Middle Rock.

Injured California sea lion.

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• cleaning Energy Building roof
• repairs on the desalinator and filling the cistern

Vessels:

15 ecotourism

Weather:

Sunny day. Moderate to fresh, westerly breeze most of the day, with a strong breeze in the evening. Daytime temperatures: minimum 12, maximum 14 degrees.

Wildlife notes:

The injured CA sealion and one other were at the jetty for a while today.  Its wound is still visible. The female elephant seal is progressing quickly with her molt. The east beach is becoming more popular with the little birds and there appears to be more birds than stones.

Female elephant seal molting.

Black and ruddy turnstones, surfbirds and a short billed dowitcher in the late afternoon on east beach.

California sealions near the jetty with their hind flippers bent forward. This is contrast to the elephant seals who can only pull themselves along with their front flippers when moving on land.

Tidal stream on the north side near the jetty.

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• weeding/clearing pathways

Vessels:

0 ecotourism, 0 private

Weather:

Sunny windy day. Near gale force westerlies most of the day. Daytime temperatures: minimum 12, maximum 14 degrees.

Wildlife notes:

I felt a bit odd doing it but I photographed the molting elephant seal’s private parts. It is a She, so there may be some variation in the stated molting dates (1, 2) based on sex and maturity, at least at this northern location.

Her bottom end

His bottom end

An opening only he has

A few least sandpipers and a ruddy turnstone were foraging in the vegetation away from the shore. The sandpipers are such small birds. I was surprised to see them darting around in the gale force winds. The high winds didn’t put a damper on the gulls either.  I watched a small seagull chick jump off a rock to escape with its life as a fight ensued above him.

Least sandpiper

Ruddy turnstone

A seagull chick escaping with its life.

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• topped up battery fluids
• cleaned Keeper’s house windows

Vessels:

2 ecotourism, 1 private

Weather:

Overcast and fog in the morning. Periods of fog throughout the day.  Strong breeze in the morning, gale force in the afternoon, building to 38 knots with gusts of 43 at 19:00. Daytime temperatures: minimum 12, maximum 15 degrees.

Wildlife notes:

Every day I discover a new dead chick as I travel the walkways. There are bound to be more elsewhere. I’ve witnessed the chicks being attacked on the ground, carried into the air, usually by the head or neck, and in one case eaten. It is tough life in a gull colony. No wonder they start with three eggs.

The female elephant seal is molting. I found two references (1, 2) stating the females molt first (April-May), then subadult males (May-June), followed by the adult males (July- August). The male here is a subadult. They start to develop their large nose or proboscis at puberty and will quickly outgrow the females, weighting about 3 times more. The two elephant seals here are around the same size, have different shaped faces, and I assumed the “female” might be a bit older, but now I am confused. Tomorrow I will go out and try to compare their orifices!

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• labelled fuse panel
• cleaning

Vessels:

15 ecotourism, 2 private

Weather:

Periods of fog throughout the day, sunny evening. Fresh westerly breeze most of the day, increasing to a near gale in the evening. Daytime temperatures: minimum 11, maximum 13 degrees.

It has been a challenging few days. We lost water pressure and a supply of running water in the house on July 17. Today Greg, Cedric and Bruce came out to repair the system and do some electrical work. I learned about the inner workings of the pressure tank – a sealed container that stores water under pressure.  The pressure tank and the jet pump work together to deliver water from the outdoor water storage tank to the house and maintain water pressure in the pipes. The tank was waterlogged (the entire tank was filled with water without any pressurized air) which was causing the pump work harder and frequently cycle on and off. Everything worked well after the tank was drained, the bladder cleaned, reassembled and re-pressurized to 28 psi.

The blue pressure tank.

I had a busy time after they left, having to rescue the half finished laundry that sat in the tub for 3 days and wash 3 days worth of accumulated pots, pans and dishes. It is amazing how many times a day a person turns on a water tap… to wash hands, wipe a counter, rinse a coffee mug, wash veggies or dishes or yourself, and just 10 minutes later you reach for the tap again forgetting it doesn’t work. Luckily we have a separate supply of drinking water, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towel, and enough pots, pans and plates in the house for an army of dinner guests.

Wildlife notes:

The gulls are going about their day fighting, shrieking, feeding and protecting their young. The chicks near the house that hatched on June 28 are three weeks old today. They are starting to grow feathers on their wings. Below are some photos of the 3 week old chick scratching, stretching its wing, and calling, and of “Compost” gull bringing new bedding to her 3 day old chicks.

Three week old seagull chick

Gull with fresh bedding material

Freshening up the nest for the 3 day old chicks.

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• water pressure system repairs

Vessels:

21 ecotourism, 6 private

Weather:

Sunny with a fresh westerly breeze most of the day. Daytime temperatures: minimum 13, maximum 14 degrees.

Wildlife notes:

The number of California gulls are increasing. They can’t blend into the crown with those dark wing tips and their yellow wellies.

California gulls

Two Caspian terns did a fly by and made a few rounds. I haven’t seen them in over two weeks.

Caspian terns

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• topped up battery fluid levels
• battery maintenance/equalization charge

Vessels:

7 ecotourism, 1 private

Weather:

Cloudy until late afternoon. Moderate westerlies in the early morning, building to a strong breeze by 10:00 and gale force by early evening, peaking at 40 knots. Daytime temperatures: minimum 13, maximum 17 degrees.

Wildlife notes:

The elephant seals are getting along famously. They lie together, nibble at each other, groan, growl, croak and gurgle together, both on land and swirling in the sea. It’s always the fellow that seeks her out and initiates things. Sometimes, he slowly sneaks closer and lays his head on her back or puts his flipper on her back. It is adorable.

Facility work:

• cleaned solar panels
• clearing Energy Building roof of debris

Vessels:

20 ecotourism, 2 private

Weather:

Sunny, winds variable and light in the morning, gentle westerly breeze in the afternoon. Daytime temperatures: low 10, high 18 degrees.