A good way to keep track of cormorants using the ecological reserve as a winter resting areas is by regular photographs from the remote cameras. Pam Birley has frequently provided such images as this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66339356@N00/8418080956/in/set-72157632533500094
Tag Archives: cormorant
Animal Notes and Census
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 |
Bird and Mammal Count
At least 8 orcas passed by Race Rocks Sunday morning
For Sunday March 25:
Black Oyster Catcher (Haematopus bachmani): 7 pairs
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis): 3
Surfbirds (Aphriza virgata): 100+
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicilatu, P. pelagicus, and/or P.auritas): 200+
Gulls (mostly Larus glaucescens): 230+
Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba): 30+
Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus): 5
Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) : 30+ S islands
Northern Sea Lions (Eumetopisa jubatus): 14 S islands, 1 Middle Rocks
Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris): 3 Middle Rocks, 1 Great Race
Orcas (Orcinus orca): 8 in the morning going E between S Islands and Rosedale Reef Buoy
Project Week-part 3 (final)
Yesterday was the last day of project week, in the morning I brought students back to campus in two trips on the whaler. It has been great group to have out here for the past week, they have helped out with several projects and tasks, endured some stormy weather, survived without a shower, cooked their own food (and shared a few good meals 
with me), and experienced the isolation and richness of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. During their stay they were very conscious of the time and resources required for importing fuel and generating energy and fresh water and did a great job minimizing consumption and waste.
In the final days of the week students helped out with transferring diesel to the furnace tanks and cleaning cupboards in the science centre kitchen. Throughout the week the group maintained a daily count of animals in the reserve, the count is included below.
| Feb 27 | Feb 28 | Feb 29 | Mar 1 | Mar 2 | Mar 3 | |
| Harbor seals | 45 | 50 | 10 | 22 | 20 | 16 |
| Elephant seals | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Sea lions | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Gulls | 57 | 23 | 33 | 43 | 31 | 26 |
| Cormorants | 60 | 27 | 29 | 40 | 56 | 32 |
| Oyster Catchers | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 7 | |
| Bald Eagles | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Brown Sandpiper | 4 | 12 | 8 | 6 | ||
| White Sandpiper | 5 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Pigeon Guillemots | 22 | 150 | ||||
| Common Mergansers | 2 | |||||
| Harlequin Ducks | 12 | 7 | 6 |
Thanks to the group for their contributions and good company.
Camera 5 working
The remote camera on the N side of the Great Race is working now, you can access it here: www.racerocks.com/racerock/video5.htm
Note: there are 20 presets which cover all major points in a 300 degree view.
Squall has been staying around the SE side of the tower. Misery comes and goes, the pup usually keeps out of his reach.
Yesterday there were 2 eco-tour vessels in the reserve.
Facility work: replaced toilet vent fan, replacing basement basin drain plumbing, planning composting containers.
Bird count today: 6 Harlequin ducks, 150 Cormorants, and 90 gulls.
Wind 20- 30 knots from the west all day, rainy.
Cormorants, Elephant Seals, Fuel Line, Plumbing Parts
This morning I counted over 200 cormorants on the South Rocks and saw a pair of Harlequin ducks by the jetty.
The female elephant 6360 went back in the water before noon. Misery was near the centre of the island at sunset.
I went off island to campus around noon. I brought some scientific instruments back to campus and went into Langford to pick up plumbing parts and other supplies. Erik worked on the whaler’s fuel line over the afternoon and got it fixed up. I got back out to the island as the sun was setting on the lowest tide I have ever landed on out here, the boat ramp was longer than usual.
Misery and 6360 back on Great Race
From bed I watched Misery haul himself up the boat ramp around 7:30 this morning. He had spent the last week lying on Middle Rocks along with two female elephant seals. Over the course of the morning he made his way past the boat house and along the North side of the Student Centre before coming to rest on the North side of the Solar/Engine room this afternoon.
The female with the green tag No. 6360 was also hauled this morning, she stayed on the rocks next to the jetty all day.
6360, taken from the crane deck above.
Pam has a image capture on her flickr page taken from the webcam in the tower on Saturday of 6360 and the other female elephant seal on Middle Rocks
I counted over 40 cormorants on the South Rocks this afternoon and I couldn’t even see how many were on the south side of that island. Pam has a great photo here from a few days ago of Cormorants preening on the South Rocks.
The NE wind and falling tide left a lot of garbage around the jetty today. I wonder what it feels like when animals accidentally swallow this stuff.
Pelagic Cormorant Juvenile
‘Another first for my stay here at Race Rocks. This evening a trio of Pelagic cormorants flew along the N side of Great Race. The first is that the third was miniature version of what I assume to be its parents. I have never seen a juvenile pelagic cormorant before!’, ‘Ryan’,
Pelagic Cormorants
The Reserve has had the greatest abundance of Pelagic cormorants that I [Ryan] have seen in my 3 years here. The NW corner of Great Race is coated in guano and is a very different sight and smell! From 1/3 to 1/2 of the Pelagics are adult in beautiful breeding plumage. Adam and I have noted groups of 50 or more feeding in the channel between Great Race and Middle Rocks -photos on file). Abundance peaked early this week at ~120 individuals. There are a few Brandt’s around and equal numbers of juvenile and adult Double-crested -~20). ‘, ‘Adam’, ’17:05:27 ,
Pelagic Cormorants
The Reserve has had the greatest abundance of Pelagic cormorants that I [Ryan] have seen in my 3 years here. The NW corner of Great Race is coated in guano and is a very different sight and smell! From 1/3 to 1/2 of the Pelagics are adult in beautiful breeding plumage. Adam and I have noted groups of 50 or more feeding in the channel between Great Race and Middle Rocks (photos on file). Abundance peaked early this week at ~120 individuals. There are a few Brandt\’s around and equal numbers of juvenile and adult Double-crested (~20).
The vessel “Servus”, license 14K3162 passed E to W through the Reserve at high speed. There were 0 visitors to the island today.