Newly hatched oystercatchers on the south side of the main island last
Rain gutters pre-cleaning
Whale watchers near Middle Rock
Branded California sealion #B101
Cleaning the cable for underwater camera 2
Young male elephant seal with bloody mouth
Orca dorsal fin and onlookers
Branded California sea lion #8595
Dead gulls. Seems to be a high number this year.
Black Oystercatcher near the jetty
Juvenile Black Oystercatcher on the north side of the main island
Our viewer from England, Pam Birley, sent us this image image of a branded Northern Sea lion (Steller’s) that she had taken with the remote control camera 5 today. She noted that this is the first time this particular one has shown up in her records which she has been keeping for several years now.
For other posts on branded sea-lions, see this link: https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/branded/
For our taxonomy file and gallery of images on this sealion see our archived file: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/nufar.htm
Also for an explanation of why the tagging program goes on see this link also on our website: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/marmam/sealion/tracking/tracking.ht
Branded Northern sealion # 183R
Strong West winds. Clouds. Steady Force 6.
The barometer is on the rise. The forecast is for it to be light-15W tomorrow.
No tour boats today. Strange.
2 halibut boats
All of the Canada Geese have abandoned their nests now. But they are starting their annual feather moult, so they’ll be around for a while yet. Garry says they leave in June when all the fresh water puddles dry out. I found another Oyster catcher nest on the bluff between the jetty and the tank shed. Probably the most stressful place the pair could have chosen to nest, but apparently they nest there every year, so it must work for them. Still plenty of Elephant seals in the reserve. I watched them playing in the rapids this morning at low tide. A lot of them are in the water first thing in the morning and they wrestle on the seaweed covered rocks and eventually come back up the boat ramp for a busy day of laying around on Great Race. The large adult male has finally started to moult; It was hard to take him seriously before, but now with his moulty nose he looks even more ridiculous. No sign of the White Fronted Goose.
-Keeper’s house water heater kicked the bucket today :(
-Collected data for intertidal transect 5
Clear skies, variable light to no wind. Force 0.
Barometer is falling. Forecast is for light to moderate Easterlies.
9 tour boats
2 recreational fishing boats passed through
Animal Census
Steller Sea lion: 24
California Sea lion: 8
Elephant Seal:30
Harbour Seal: 111
Eagle: 3
Canada Goose: 39 adults, 8 goslings
Gull: 180
Oyster Catcher: 10
White Fronted Goose: 1
Pigeon Guillemots: 34
This is the highest number of Elephant seals we have ever counted in the reserve. This morning there were 2 juvenile eagles, and one adult. I have found 3 Oyster Catcher nests: one by the Keeper’s House, one on the bluff West of the jetty, and one on the rocks by the energy building. The Cackling goose is gone. I took the boat past the West bluffs yesterday on my way home and there is no sign of Pigeon Guillemot nesting yet.
Clear sky. Moderate W winds.
1 Tour Boat
Animal Census
153 Gulls
474 Cormorants
27 Canada Geese
2 Cackling Geese
1 White Fronted Goose
4 Turnstones
6 Oyster Catchers
1 Elephant seal
58 Harbour Seals
498 California Sea lions
345 Stellar Sea lions
Branded Stellar #8329
-prepped student house, but group cancelled
-pressure washed walkways
-cleaned and organized Boston Whaler
Moderate NE winds all day. 3 ft wind chop. Cloudy but no rain.
The students left yesterday, and some volunteers from the college made a brief photo stop when Chris came to pick them up.
There was a boat fishing illegally in the reserve this morning. It left before I could try to make radio contact.
Strong winds all day, switching between NE and W. Scattered showers.
-prepped student house for visitors
-Erik delivered propane
-made keeper’s house floor plans
Overcast. Calm.
Erik picked up Maciek today.
Sea lions (looking really comfortable) and Cormorants
-Collected recycling and garbage from all the buildings and sent it away with Maciek.