Tag Archives: bald eagle

First Official Day On The Job

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After training last weekend, and a general review yesterday, I, Riley Strother, have now taken over as Ecoguardian from Alex Fletcher.

Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 15-20 knots NE
  • Water: 1’ chop
  • Sky: overcast

Ecological

  • The first female elephant seal to give birth left the island at 7:30 in the morning and did not return. As such the first pup has now become a weaner.
  • Chunk appeared to mate with the female who lost her pup.
  • The newest pup is quite vocal and seems to be doing well. Chunk and the other female went along the path after mating to inspect the new mother and pup.
  • Alex was able to identify the number on the yellow flipper tag attached to the newest mother: 5928
  • There was quite a disturbance of seagulls and cormorants today when a raven with a small fish in its beak was chased all around the island by two eagles. Eventually the raven managed to land and eat the fish.
  • Conducted a census.
  1. California Sea Lions: 88
  2. Northern/Stellar Sea Lions: 53 (many sea lions were swimming in the waves and thus impossible to count)
  3. Elephant Seals: 8 (Chunk, weaner, grieving mother, new mum and pup, Middle Rock: Chuckles, mum and pup.)
  4. River Otter: 1
  5. Cormorants: 615
  6. Seagulls: 512
  7. Bald Eagles: 9 (7 juvenile, 2 adults)
  8. Raven: 1
  9. Crow: 1
  10. Black Oystercatchers: 6
  11. Harlequin Ducks: 4
  12. Canada Geese: 6
  13. Black Turnstones: 29

Maintenance

  • Cleared logs off the ramp two times.
  • Lowered the boat trailer because the cable coil was quite criss crossed. Managed to recoil the cable in a more orderly fashion.
  • Vacuumed up hundreds of fruit flies in the basement near the composting toilet.

Boats

  • Alex and Virginie left in the morning.
  • Surprised to see no eco-tourism boats about on such a nice Sunday.

bald eagles

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Ecological

  • N 10-15 N becoming E 25, partly clear sky
  • Pigeon Guillemots made a return to the waters around the island, this is the first time i have seen/heard them since starting my shift
  • 21 bald eagles counted in the reserve.  the broke-beak eagle was perched on a solar panel on the engine building in the morning.
  • Second large female e-seal was by boat house throughout day.  Chuckles down by compost bin.  Mother and pup doing fine.  Chunk has been going off island at night and returning in the morning, staying close to females and keeping Chuckles away.
  • One neck-ringed California sealion seen on west side of main island

Vessels

  • 1 ecotour

Maintenance

  • Contacted tidy tanks re dip chart
  • Contacted re wood stove parts delivery
  • Cut and chopped fire wood
  • Cleared ramp

Second large female e-seal

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Ecological:

  • Wind SE 25-30 knots becoming light in the evening.
  • 16 Green Winged Teals were in the mud flats NE of main house.
  • An unusual bald eagle with a damaged beak was on and around the island throughout the day, quite close to the main house at first.
  • Before dusk a second large, pregnant looking female elephant seal was near the jetty and had hauled out up beside boat house just after dark.

Vessels

  • 3 ecotour

Maintenance

  • Cleared ramp
  • Sharpened chainsaw, cut and chopped firewood.

Godwit and Guillemots

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Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit

Ecological Happenings

  • Calm overcast day with light winds and settled seas.
  • Allot of driftwood and deadheads floating past in the current around the rocks from the storms and high tides of late.
  • Marbled Godwit spotted on the main island in the afternoon.
  • Pigeon guillemots and Surf scoters observed around the main island to the North and East.
  • The female Elephant seal remains on middle rocks, while the males and smaller Elephant seal remain on the main island.
  • Pod of Orca seen passing to the south, feeding in the straight. Approximately five in group consisting of males (larger dorsal fins), female and a calf. Group of accompanying birds (gulls and cormorants) circling and highlighting their position.

Marine Vessels

  • One Whale Watching boat through the reserve.
  • Courtney visited on 2nd Nature, from Pearson College, dropping off the winter fuel and a set of repaired steps for the jetty.

Maintenance

  • Steps and fuel unloading from 2nd Nature.
  • General tidying and preparation for end of shift.
Cracking Sunrise

Cracking Sunrise

Cormorants taking a rest on some drift wood

Cormorants taking a rest on some drift wood

Pigeon Guillemots

Pigeon Guillemots

Marbled Godwit and Black Turnstone

Marbled Godwit and Black Turnstone feeding

Immature Bald Eagle landing

Immature Bald Eagle landing. Beautiful plumage.

Double-crested Cormorants

Double-crested Cormorants and Thayer’s Gulls

Courtney prepping 2nd Nature

Courtney prepping 2nd Nature to come into the jetty

Male Orca in strait

Male Orca in strait

Female Orca and calf

Female Orca and calf

Storms and Surf Scoters

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Baby Harbour seal -Around 2 ft long

Baby Harbour seal -around 2 ft long

Ecological Happenings

  • Storm warning with high winds overnight and gale force in the morning. Overcast with lashing rain at points.
  • Small Harbour seal pup seen on the boat ramp first thing.
  • Surf Scooters seen to the south of the main island in the afternoon.
  • The Bald Eagles were seen buzzing flocks of gulls and cormorants on the rocks, driving the gulls into the air and the cormorants to sea. The gulls retaliated by mobbing the Eagles in the air and driving them off.
  • The female Elephant seal was absent this morning and did not return all day. The smaller Elephant seal seemed like it was looking for her through the day. The males barely moved and snoozed through the storm.
  • Sea lions rafted together and played in the surf jumping clear out the water at times.

Marine Vessels

  • None

Maintenance

  • Jetty cleared of driftwood from yesterday’s storm.
  • Logs at the student house re-stacked as they had been blown over in the high winds last night.
  • Pressure washer pump lubricated and reassembled.
Surf Scoter

Surf Scoters

Small Elephant seal looking for female

Small Elephant seal

Sealion raft

Sea lions rafting

Sea lions playing in the surf

Sea lions playing in the surf

Black Oystercatchers preening and hiding from the wind

Black Oystercatchers preening and hiding from the wind

Adult (left) and immature (right) Thayer's Gulls

Adult (left) and immature (right) Thayer’s Gulls

Rainbows and Rough seas

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Gold at the end of the jetty?

Gold at the end of the jetty?

Ecological Happenings

  • Strong gale force winds in the morning with showers and rough seas. Bright periods later with rainbows. Gale force winds dropping to a fresh breeze before a calmer evening.
  • Fourth elephant seal seen on North East of the main island. This one seems much smaller, though it is difficult to tell at distance.
  • The two males and female that have been here for a few days rehydrated, by taking dips in the ocean, at the jetty before returning to land.
  • Birds found sheltered spots while sea lions either saw out the rough weather in the ocean or braved the rocks. If they could get up.

Marine Vessels

  •  None

Maintenance

  • Stripped and re-built pressure washer pump. Still not operating correctly.
  • Oil leak to generator ‘B’ investigated and found. Part required to fix problem.
New Elephant seal

New Elephant seal

Male and Female Elephant seal

Male and Female Elephant seal

DSC_5692

Hmmn... maybe not

Hmmn… maybe not

Double bow

Double bow

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

The sun tried to break through

The sun tried to break through…….

Sunset

Sunset

Battle of the Bulls

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Female Elephant Seal

Female Elephant Seal

Ecological Happenings

  • Blustery overcast day with periods of rain.
  • The male Elephant seals continued to be vocal, following the arrival of the female, and were issuing challenges in the morning. The males fought in the water later with the victor trumpeting after having beaten his opponent.
  • Injured Black Turnstone seen hopping about as it was missing a leg.

Marine Vessels

  • Coast Guard Helicopter overhead.

Maintenance

  • Spliced new stern line onto the Whaler.
  • Finished heat shrinking electrical connections on the new power/fuse panel to the Whaler.
  • Cleaned U-bend to bathroom sink in main house.
Challange

Challange

Battle wounds

Battle wounds

Trumpeting in the water

Trumpeting in the water

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

Dunlin

Dunlin

Canadian Geese

Canadian Geese

Bald Eagle with catch

Bald Eagle with catch

BEagle with fish2BEagle 2

BEagle in flight2

Eagles Rock

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BEagle REcological Happenings

  • Light winds with large swells from the South East breaking on the rocks.
  • Birds moved higher up the island to get away from the breakers.
  • Bald Eagle posed for the camera.
  • Female elephant seals seen at the boat ramp. Males more vocal and moved across the island leading to the new arrivals returning to the sea with only one returning to land later.

Marine Vessels

  • One whale watching boat through the reserve.

Maintenance

  • Started looking at energy center equipment specifications and setup.
  • BEagle L
    Female Elephant seal

    Female Elephant seal

    Vocal Male

    Vocal Male

December Dawn

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December Dawn

December Dawn

Ecological Happenings

  • Adult and immature Bald Eagles around the reserve and using the derrick as a lookout.
  • Building winds and overcast skies.
  • Two Bull Eseals came up onto the main Island today.
  • Winds building. Blustery and overcast.

Marine Vessels

  • Coastguard helicopter passed overhead.

Maintenance

  • More familiarisation and settling in.
  • New pressure gauge fitted to the brine pump on the De-sal unit.
  • Fid made for splicing new lines onto the Whaler.
Elephant seal guarding the energy centre

Elephant seal guarding the energy centre

Elephant Seal Snoozing

Elephant Seal Snoozing

What do you mean I’m not camouflaged?

What do you mean I’m not camouflaged?

Buzzzz Off

Buzzzz Off

Buffeted Bald Eagle

Buffeted Bald Eagle

A new Ecoguardian arrives

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Ecological Happenings

  • Adult and Immature Bald Eagles on South and West Islands.
  • Harlequin Ducks fishing around the jetty.
  • Lesser spotted Scotsman seen.

Marine Vessels

  • 2nd Nature from Pearson College dropping of the new eco-guardian. Me! (Ecoguardians past and present)
  • No other vessels or aircraft seen in the reserve.

Maintenance

  • System run through and training with Courtney.

Other

  • Investigating and settling in.
    Black Turnstone

    Black Turnstone

    Harlequin Ducks

    Harlequin Ducks

    Juvenile Gull

    Juvenile Gull

    Immature Bald Eagle

    Immature Bald Eagle