Hello everyone here’s our survey results from this week out at Race Rocks.
Thanks to everyone for setting this up and Greg for getting us out there for the survey.
Checklist with photos here.
RPBO / BC Nature Gull survey.
Survey conducted by Andrew Jacobs and James Kennerley.
Survey conducted from Great Race Rock while tides allowed.Surveying adults setting up territory for the breeding season and lingering migrants.
Colour morphs for the resident population of Western x Glaucous-winged hybrids setting up territories recorded. Only one pair was displaying at this time although there were multiple probable pairs present in the area. The Western Gulls were not obviously paired up at this time. One of the Glaucous-winged Gulls was likely paired with a light morph Western x Glaucous-winged hybrid.
The gulls on the high cliff and grassy areas tended to be more positioned as if on territories and the gulls on the lower rocks formed more standard congregation flocks. The adult gulls are in breeding plumage at this date.
Other species
At this time a small number of shorebirds are foraging around the timelines and the Black Oystercatchers appear to not currently be on territory. The Rock Sandpipers and Dunlin are going into breeding plumage. Pigeon Guillemot were absent from the site at this time. Two active Canada Goose nests were present. Only 3 Brandt’s Cormorants were spotted as offshore birds however with time restraints we focused on nearshore surveying.
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull Hybrid (Olympic Gull) Colour Morph abundance results of 215 individuals.
202 adults 13 immatures, light morph (Glaucous-winged trending hybrids) 132 adults and 7 immatures, intermediate morph (Intermediate trending hybrids) 58 adults and 2 immatures, dark morph (Western trending hybrids) 12 adults and 4 immatures. There was a pair of intermediate trending birds courting with synchronized dance displays. One Western-trending adult had a very Western-trending voice.
Avian Species List:
7 Canada Goose
19 Harlequin Duck
4 Black Oystercatcher
17 Black Turnstone
13 Surfbird
5 Dunlin
3 Rock Sandpiper
5 Short-billed Gull (1 immature 4 adults)
3 Western Gull (1 immature 2 adults)
6 California Gull (1 immature 5 adults)
11 Glaucous-winged Gull (5 immature 6 adults)
215 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid (Olympic Gull) (13 immature 202 adults)
1 American Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid (Cook Inlet Gull) (1 immature)
3 Iceland Gull (Thayer’s subspecies) (3 immature)
43 Brandt’s Cormorant
11 Pelagic Cormorant
7 Double-crested Cormorant
2 Bald Eagle (2 adults)
Pinnipeds
24 California Sealion
4 Steller’s Sealion
1 Northern Elephant Seal
17 Harbour Seal
If there are any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
250-507-5360, meowker use the at sign hotmail.com /
Cheers,
Andrew Jacobs
