Tag Archives: branded sea lion

The Journey of #444X

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Wednesday September 18, 2024

Not a huge day facilities wise. We did our daily repair of the electric fences, and chopped a little more wood.

However, we did receive some cool news from Brian Wright, the NOAA scientist who we reported the branded sea lions to. He told us that number 444X, was first tagged in Astoria all the way back in 2016, and he has not been reported since.

This information is super valuable to scientists and managers because it shows what areas are being used by these animals, the extent of their ranges, and how long they can live. (Which for a California Sea Lion is 15 – 25 years!).

Mark and recapture studies are also very important for estimating functional population size, and this type of study design is used for lots of fundamental ecological work. This infographic from FishBio, nicely explains how a mark-recapture study can work in an open environment! Again, this is a good reminder to report any tagged animals you encounter!

Whale Watching Vessels: 20

Private Vessels: 0

Weather: Mix of Sun and Cloud.  Calm during the day, wind picked up to 12kts W

Tagged Sea Lions

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Scott spent some more time with the chainsaw today. He is putting a huge dent in the pile of logs down by the jetty, and the stacks of firewood in the basement are steadily growing for the winter.

As the numbers of sea lions on the island continues to climb we have been seeing quite a few tagged and branded individuals. These markings are implemented by researchers in Oregon and along the West coast of the US. They give the researchers an idea of animal movement, functional population size, and more. If you ever see a tagged or branded sea lion remember to report it!

Whale Watching Vessels: 18

Private Vessels: 4

Weather: Overcast all day. Winds W 6knts

Branded Sea lions

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Allen & ilka Olsen, Eco Guardians 6 –13 Oct 2023

Fri 13 Oct
Sun AM; cloud PM. Stiff NE wind/swells 12C
Last day; shift change at 1900 when winds calmed. Second Nature not available/smaller vessel used. Began day looking for more branded sealions; 13 in total sent to researchers.

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Observed much humpback activity in Juan de Fuca; 5
confirmed—do they circle back or are there many more? Five ecotours out with them. Before sunup again, streams of cormorants flying by as well as feeding. Sky and water filled with gulls. Three geese encouraged to leave as feeding on tender new grass around keeper’s house.
Filled batteries with water; ran generator. Generator diesel tank brought down and refilled from tank house. Cleared some concrete walkways. Repaired more fencing—endless task. No sealions in compound, whew.
Housekeeping: The usual cleaning for shift change plus wiped down stair railings/moldings & some of the cabinets; cleaned compost bucket. Emptied toilet. Swept downstairs entry.
We had a marvelous eight days! Signing off from this precious spot……ilka & Allen Olsen

August 14 and 15

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It was a short but great stay for Carl and Brady Hughes. They managed to see all of the expected mammals and got to know the Glaucous-winged Gull community quite well during their visit. Carl spotted the season’s first Sooty Shearwater on Saturday and attempted overnight audio recording that night. He will post his recordings to iNaturalist and eBird. The compost rejuvenation project continues with 48 more buckets of aged compost removed from the first chamber.

Ecological Notes:

  • All three elephant seals were seen on August 14 and 15.
  • Passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird, Barn Swallow and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. A Northern Harrier flew north over Great Race on Saturday.
  • A juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher was wandering the paths in the fog on August 15.
  • The branded Steller’s sea lion sighted on August 12 has a history! Originally branded at Rogue Reef, Oregon in July 2003, he has been sighted at least 70 times. Previous sightings on Race Rocks include Dec 2007, May 2008, Sept 2009, Aug 2014, and Aug 2017. The most spectacular resighting, though, involved an escape from a pod of Orca in the San Juan Islands in 2020.
  • Humpbacks and Orca are being seen regularly, but generally at great distance.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Sunday, August 14):
    • Sky: Sunny with light cloud. Scattered fog patches
    • Wind: W 8-23 kts
    • Sea: up to 1′ chop
    • Temperature Low 12 oC, High 16 oC
  • Today (Monday, August 15):
    • Sky: Fog most of the morning, clearing to partially cloudy in the afternoon
    • Wind: W/WSW 11-37 kts
    • Sea: calm to 3′ chop
    • Temperature Low 11 oC, High 17 oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
  • Battery electrolyte level topped up.
  • Compost renewal project continues.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ship traffic is increasing.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

Second Nature taking visitors back to Pearson College.

Bonaparte’s Gull

Early morning fogbow

Almost empty!

Progress on the compost project

Young Pigeon Guillemot with adult

Elephant seal in the East Bay

 

Traffic jam on the ramp

California Gulls

Young Glaucous-winged gulls almost ready to fly

Young Glaucous-winged gulls almost ready to fly

Male elephant seal

Sleeping Harlequin Duck

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Male elephant seal

Cruise ship traffic

Juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher

Juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher showing diagnostic markings in tertials

Brown-headed Cowbird

August 12 and 13

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Two new visitors, Carl and Brady Hughes came to Race Rocks on Friday. They will be put into service helping clean solar panels, windows and decks. Carl will also assist with bird reports and attempt to record night-flying migrants passing over the island.

Ecological Notes:

  • Increasing numbers of California Gulls around the island. This smaller gull doesn’t tend to intermingle with the nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls very much.
  • Passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird and Barn Swallow.  Readers are reminded that Race Rocks is an eBird hotspot and more detailed updates on bird sightings can be found at Race Rocks, Capital District, BC, CA – eBird Hotspot
  • Two Ruddy Turnstones continue to be seen.
  • Sea lion numbers continue to climb. A branded Steller’s sea lion (183R) was seen on the north rocks near the jetty.  Information is being sought and updates will be provided.
  • Whale action picked up on Saturday, Aug 13 with multiple sightings of humpbacks and Orca.
  • Low tides continue to expose the intertidal areas in the early morning.
  • Only one young elephant seal was seen on Aug 12 and none on Aug 13. The alpha male continues on the island, often resting near the researcher residence.
  • See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

  • Yesterday (Friday, August 12):
    • Sky: Overcast, with a few sunny periods
    • Wind: W 13-33 kts
    • Sea: up to 3′ chop
    • Temperature Low 11 oC, High 19 oC
  • Today (Saturday, August 13):
    • Sky: Cloudy most of the day
    • Wind: Variable calm-24 kts
    • Sea: calm to light chop
    • Temperature Low 13 oC, High 17 oC

Facility Work:

  • Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed. Two loads of water pumped from the Second Nature to the holding tank. Desalinator pump expected in the next week. Deck at the ecoguardian house partially scrubbed.
  • Compost renewal project continues.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ship traffic is increasing.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

Second winter Heermann’s Gull

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron with California Gulls

Very large mussels (with boot for comparison)

Velvety Red Sponge

Purple sea urchins, leatherback chiton, lined chiton, see anemone exposed at low tide

killdeer

Elephant seal on the move

California sea lions

 

Gulls can have vicious disputes even in the water

Young gull swimming in East Bay

Surfbird

Black Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Branded Steller’s Sea Lion 183R

August 2 and 3

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Tomorrow is a shift changeover and my last day on the Island. Ann Nightingale is coming to be the Ecoguardian. I have enjoyed my stay here for the past five weeks. The near constant west wind provided excellent air conditioning. I learned to live harmoniously with the nesting gulls and chicks. The marine mammals (elephant seals, sea otter, humpback whales, orcas, and Steller sea lions) provided me with plenty of entertainment. I fixed more things on the island than broke. Another successful Ecoguardian shift.

Ecological Notes:

  • The large male elephant seal spent the whole day today on the land, most of the time nestled against the north side of the Guest House.
  • The population of Steller sea lions has doubled in past week. The stench of sea lion poop is also growing down wind of Middle Rocks. There are even a few California sea lions showing up on the main island.
  • In the morning yesterday, myself and the two visitors took the station boat out for a trip to the closest land to the north. I enjoyed seeing a closer view of Bentinck Island, Rocky Point, Church Rock and Swordfish Island. There were many harbour seals hauled out on the rocks and little jumping fish along the way.
  • See the photo gallery below for the ecological happenings from the past two days.

Weekly Census observed on Wednesday, August 3:

  • Elephant seals: 3 (1 adult male, two juvenile females)
  • Steller sea lions: 95
  • California sea lions: 3
  • Harbour seals: 146
  • Bald eagles: 2 adults
  • Brown pelican: 1
  • Canada geese: 2
  • Cormorants: 5
  • Glaucous-winged gulls: 232
  • Glaucous-winged gull chicks: approximately 200 (They are hard to count due to their hiding in plants and rocks. Some chicks have died and new chicks have been born recently.)
  • Gulls (uncertain of species): 331 (around outer islands and congregating on the south end of Great Race Rocks)
  • Black oystercatchers: 8 adults (no chicks seen today)
  • Harlequin duck: 1 female
  • Pigeon guillemots: 132
  • Surfbirds: 12
  • Black turnstones: 148

Weather:

  • Yesterday (August 2):
    • Sky: Partly cloudy
    • Wind: W 11-28 kts
    • Sea: up to 1′ chop
    • Temperature Low 12 oC, High 15 oC
  • Today (August 3):
    • Sky: Overcast until mid morning, then partly cloudy
    • Wind: W 15-34 kts
    • Sea: up to 3′ moderate
    • Temperature Low 12 oC, High 15 oC

Visitors:

  • Abi and Jeremias, the two volunteers
  • 9 visitors from Pearson College in the afternoon of August 2

Facility Work:

  • Scrubbed and squeegeed solar panels, poured cement to fix a broken section of sidewalk, routine tidying and checking infrastructure around the island. 

DND Blasting:

  • Just before 13:00, there was one large blast from the DND lands at Rocky Point.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian and American ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

July 13 and 14 – Weekly Census

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Ecological Notes:

  • The sea lion population is growing. For the past few days there have been 18 Steller sea lions hauled out on Middle Rocks. That is up from four sea lions one week ago. One of the sea lions has a brand. It appears to say 620R, although the researcher I contacted in Oregon mentioned it is what they call a bad brand and he was unable to determine the brand from the photos I sent. I will keep a look out for the sea lion and see if I can get a better view. The researcher will check his records to see if he can identify the sea lion and be able to record the resighting.
  • The super moon on Wednesday night rose in the southeast at 10:00pm. It was a big bright orange orb that looked more like the rising sun, than the moon.
  • Today’s extremely low tide of -0.2m or -0.7′ was at 10:13am. The overnight high tide at 00:55am was 3.0m or 9.8′. It is apparently the lowest tide in a decade. I was fascinated to see the extended edge of the water all around the many islands. I looked at the exposed intertidal zone from a distance and up on the jetty, so as not to disturb the many delicate species.
  • See the photo gallery below for more ecological happenings from the past two days.

Weekly Census Results from July 13:

  • Steller/Northern sea lions: 18
  • Sea otter: 1
  • Harbour seals: 133
  • Bald eagles: 2 (1 juvenile and 1 adult)
  • Canada geese: 9 (5 adults, 4 goslings)
  • Black oystercatchers: 11 (8 adults, 3 chicks)
  • Cormorant: 4
  • Glaucous-winged gulls nesting on the main island: 247
  • Glaucous-winged gull chicks: approximately 200 (it is hard to get an exact number due to their camouflage in the grass and hiding under their parents)
  • Gulls not nesting (some glaucous-winged and some other species) on the south end of the main island and outer islands: 96
  • Pigeon guillemots: 142
  • Black turnstones: 2
  • Western sandpiper: 2

Weather:

  • Yesterday (July 13):
    • Sky: Part Cloudy
    • Wind: W 12-32 kts
    • Sea: rippled, then up to 3′ waves in afternoon and evening
    • Temperature Low 12oC, High 16oC
  • Today (July 14):
    • Sky: Part Cloudy
    • Wind: W 15-27 kts
    • Sea: rippled, then up to 2′ chop in afternoon
    • Temperature Low 11oC, High 13oC

Visitors:

  • No visitors

Facility Work:

  • Scrubbed and squeegeed solar panels, routine tidying and checking infrastructure around the island.

Vessel Traffic:

  • Many Canadian and American ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

Windy Windy Spring Weather

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Weather:

  • Visibility 8-10 NM
  • Sky overcast
  • Wind 35-40 knots W
  • Sea state: large swells and chop, breaking at 1m

Visitors/Marine Traffic:

  • No marine traffic today as it has been very windy
  • Greg and a technician came on Wednesday
  • Garry and a visitor came yesterday evening

Ecological: 

  • there is one elephant seal now. She spends most of her time near the fuel shed, or on the jetty near “Boris” the sea lion (with the propeller injury on his head).
  • The seagulls have been fighting quite a bit now that their population is becoming denser and space is limited. The male seagulls fight more often, and their female mates are usually nearby observing.

Sunny Days, Census

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Weather:

  • Visibility 10+ NM
  • Sky Clear, partly cloudy throughout the day
  • Wind 15-20 knots NW
  • Sea State white caps, waves up to .5 m

Visitors/Boats:

  • No visitors to the island
  • Two kayakers in the reserve yesterday- very respectful of the wildlife, well done folks!
  • One pleasure craft yesterday that drifted around the reserve for quite a while (at least an hour)
  • A few “drifting through” pleasure crafts/off shift whale watching boats sprinkled over the past two days
  • We spotted the HMCS Regina heading into Pedder Bay

Ecological:

  • We found another goose nest yesterday underneath the back steps of the main residence containing 8 eggs. We noticed that the nest near the desalination structure has been looted by seagulls and abandoned.
  • The seagulls continue to arrive and establish their nesting spots. There are roughly 50% more gulls this week.
  • Two juvenile gulls spent yesterday in the reserve. We didn’t observe them catching or eating anything.

Census:

  • 92 Harbour Seals
  • 87 Sea lions
  • 11 elephant seals
  • 8 pelagic cormorants
  • 1 double crested cormorant
  • 1 bald eagle (adult)
  • 14 Canada geese
  • 140 seagulls
  • 3 black turnstones
  • 2 black oystercatchers
  • 1 black brant goose
  • The HMCS Regina
  • A cormorant taking flight
  • A young seal waits for mom to return (1/6)
  • 2/6
  • 3/6
  • 4/6
  • 5/6
  • 6/6
  • An oyster catcher searching for snacks at low tide
  • A branded sea lion
  • The elephant seals have been soaking up the sunshine
  • A young eagle
  • Two kayakers making their way through race passage from Pedder Bay
  • Seals resting on a sunny day