13 marine tour boats
1 dive boat
8 Canada geese
There’s been a few turnstones running around too
No recreational fishing effort count this morning due to fog.
Light wind and fog most of the day, currently West 10 kt
Ran desalinator. Slowly making ground and filling the tank a bit every day
Re-aranged sealion fence around house
Black Oystercatchers (over 100–a record for RR) and gulls with westerly swells.
Green Winged Teals
The SGBs (Small Grey Birds). Not only do they all look very similar but they hide their beaks! There was a mix of Black Turnstone, Surfbirds and Rock Sandpipers in the NE bay.
On January 7 an 8th there was a W wind 30-35 knots. The Green Winged Teals returned to the island with slightly higher numbers than last time, they spent their time in the pools on the NE side and picking through the mud with their beaks. I have not seen any Pelicans in about a week and there have not been any Canada Geese here for about two weeks. Karen Benzel from International Bird Rescue contacted us recently to report that Pelican R36 that was seen here in November has been taken in for rehabilitation at Wild Arc in Metchosin.
Census January 8, 2013:
75 Cormorants
7 Harlequin ducks
4 Bald Eagles
1 Mallard
81 Black Oyster Catchers
120 Gulls
17 Green Winged Teals
20 Black Turnstone
10 Surfbirds
10 Rock Sandpipers
1 Kildeer
1 River Otter
20 Harbour Seals
100 Northern sea lions
10 Elephant Seals: 8 female, 2 male
This gallery contains 2 photos.
In most years since 1997 we have been able to contribute to the Christmas Bird Count for the Sooke/Victoria area. This website contains all the past records: This year, Garry Fletcher was picked up with the station boat by the … Continue reading
A few days ago we had two unusual visitors to our waters. Two Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) spent several days on Great Race and North Rocks. Brown Pelicans, though the smalles of pelicans, are enormous birds weighing up to 6 kilos and measuring up to 135 cms with a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters.
A visitor from warmer climes….
Northern vacation to Race Rocks….
We have had two other unusual visitors in the last week. I discovered a Barred Owl in the boathouse attacking a Starling (another recent arrival), and Pam our avid photographer friend from England got several pictures of Peregrine Falcons that came through hunting sparrows and starlings. Pam’s pictures can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
Another tagged e-seal showed up in the boathouse yesterday.
Might as well hang out somewhere cozy…
Tagged 7225
Animal Census Nov 8 2012
| Species | Current Population (Est) |
| Stellar/Northern Sea Lion | 30 |
| Elephant Seal | 7 |
| Harbour Seal | 200 |
| California Sea Lion | 50 |
| Glaucous-winged Gull | 150 |
| Herring Gull | 300 |
| California Gull | 30 |
| Heerman’s Gull | 80 |
| Black Turnstones | 100 |
| Surfbird | 6 |
| Pelagic Cormorants | 40 |
| Brandt’s Cormorant | 30 |
| Killdeer | 6 |
| Dunlin | 16 |
| Harlequin Ducks | 20 |
| Canada Goose | 14 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 |
| Black Oyster-catcher | 40 |
| Sanderlings | 8 |
| Starlings | 8 |
| Race Rocks Eco-Guardian | 1 |
| Rhinoceros Auklet | 100 |
| Common Murre | 100 |
| Sparrows | 20 |
| Brown Pelican | 2 |
| Barred Owl | 1 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 |
The first gentle sou’east weather pattern with clouds and rain occurred in the last few days. The rain is most welcome to wash away a summers worth of gull and pinniped excrement. This island can be smelled from a kilometer away!
At the edge of the world…
Surrounded by ankle-biters!
About 2/3s of the sea lions have left since the weather change. We are down to around 140 animals, perhaps 75 are Stellers down from the 175 of 10 days ago. Californians make up the remainder down from 225. Quite a few juveniles have showed up in the last week.
More birds are showing up. In the last few days several Harlequin ducks and a few dozen cormorants returned to dot the shoreline with the oystercatchers. Flocks of Bonaparte gulls feed on minnows in the eddies, forced to the surface from the deeper water by murres and rhinoceros auklets. Killdeers are spending the nights here. I hear them when I shut down the generator at night. Close to 30 sparrows are flitting about, and yesterday a few eagles and ravens were hunting and scavenging. Late developing gull chicks are on the menu. The flock of turnstones forages in the sea lion haulout ignored by the sea lions.
Tour boats are becoming less frequent and sport fishermen are waning too… yesterday for example a pod of orca passed with only 2 boats watching them rather than 8-10.
Today I used the new seawater pump to fill the cistern which had gotten pretty low. We de-salinate water here for household purposes as there is insufficient rain and the roofs are quite contaminated with gull poop!
The reserve is busy today with tour boats and divers. I had to call one of the companies to ask their operator to slow down at the edge of the reserve. Usually they are pretty good but occasionally a new driver doesn’t realize the reserve boundaries. More troubling are the recreational boaters who frequently speed through the reserve. The problem is that unless you are a local it is unlikely you will know the guidelines. As much as I dislike signs this seems a reasonable place for a few “5 knots” and ” No Fishing” signs. There is simply no way I can ask them to slow down from my perch on Great Race Island…
The California and Steller sea lions are here in droves. I counted more than 175 Stellers in the reserve. The vast majority are bulls but there are a few cows and in the last few days a number of yearlings have shown up. I will get some pictures for the next entry. The view from the tower shows the commotion outside my house!
Hundreds of California Sea Lions adorn the lawn.
In other animal news, quite a few glaucous-winged gulls remain but i think all the chicks can fly now. A few cormorants have returned and about 50 black turnstones wander about between the sea lions picking off insects. I also observed some type of sandpiper picking insects off a dead gull chick. Very resourceful!
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
Air Breathing Animal Census of Race Rocks Jan 2012
Stellar Sea Lions: 30
Elephant Seals: 6-7
Harbour Seals: 50
Bald Eagles: 5-15
Brandt’s Cormorants: 50
Glaucous-Winged Gull: 100
Herring Gull: 30
Black Turnstones: 50
Song Sparrow: 6
Peregrine Flacon: 1
Killdeer: 4
Dunlin: 2
Sandpiper: 6
Harlequin Ducks: 20
Human: 1
There are six E-seals on the island today. The big bull Misery, Bertha, a seemingly very pregnant large female with a distinct scar on her belly, and four youngsters resting uncomfortably on the rubble beach near the engine room.
The scruffy pup closest in the picture has a green hind flipper tag. The number appears to be #6355. I will look for info about from where and whence it cometh
Over 60 black oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) are on the rocks on the south perimeter of the big island.Never have I seen a flock like this! Usually a person is lucky to see 10 together at a time. Along with the Haemas are about 40 Blackheaded Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala).
2 divers in the water at West Rock. An Italian student and her friend are out for 3 days, as is another guest who is a professional photographer. I will try and get some good pics of the seals from her…
An enjoyable end to 2011 starting with the gale on Friday. Winds hit 50knots. I have noticed that cormorants are the last birds flying when the wind picks up. Today the islands of the reserve hold about 30 Stellars Sea Lions, 30 Harbour Seals, 2 elephants seals, 100 cormorants, 200 herring gulls, 15 oystercatchers, 20 turnstones, 10 Canada geese, a couple of sandpipers and sparrows, and one Homo sapiens sapiens. How is it that they can find food where they live but I am required to import it from the 4 corners of theglobe?
I am renaming the bull Elephant Seal Mistery rather than Misery as he was previously nicknamed. Misery doesn’t do this magnificent animal justice, plus I like him a lot; he brings me joy!
I am getting used to my new island home, unpacking, and learning the daily routines. Yesterday saw 15 juvenile eagles in the reserve, along with near 16 black oystercatchers and about 20 turnstones. Seven pairs of Canada geese are mowing the lawn, and the small female elephant seal remains up by the light-tower.