Tag Archives: DND blasting

Cleaning and Maintenance

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Ecological Notes:

  • 7 Elephant Seals, including 2 “pups” still using the grass areas
  • Monday saw a dramatic reduction of animals and birds in the reserve (almost no guillemots or Sealions, and about half the number of gulls) but they are gradually returning.
  • An anecdotal possibility is that Sunday night had a 50+ knot storm, lining up with a high tide and lots of big ocean swells, making the reserve a very nasty place to be!
  • Noticing more Black Oyster Catcher nests. These are more just an indentation in the gravel, and the birds rely a lot on the camouflage of the eggs. Due to high egg loss rates (here, primarily gulls snatching them), Oyster catchers can lay up to 3 or 4 replacement clutches in a season.

Very distant photo

Visitors:

  • Guests left Sunday
  • 4 Pearson College students on Monday, for an informal visit, with some discussions on marine mammal adaptations life in the ocean.
  • Was also nice to re-instate the visitor log in the newly painted and repaired Visitor Welcome Box

Facility Work:

  • Trouble shooting power interruptions originating from the Student Building
  • Cleaning and minor repair to the housing on the Camera 5 unit.
  • There’s an old prairie saying “Make hay while the sun shines” …… out here, the addendum could be “Clean stuff while the rain falls!” Rain makes it much easier to clean paths and windows, and through the rain collection, provides water for the pressure cleaner.

DND events:

  • 6 or 7 loud blasts today, all sealions left the rocks again

 

Weather Events:

  • Westerly winds, 15-20 knots brought rain showers in the morning. Mostly sunny with cloudy periods in the afternoon. Calm seas. Clear skies and 20 knot westerly winds in the evening

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Oyster Catcher nest

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Ecological Notes:

  • 7 Elephant seal on the grass, including 2 pups. 4 have moved the furthest away from the ramp as I have seen them (towards the southern side of the island, but still up in the grass)

By the solar building

  • Knowing the extra importance of staying off the rocky/gravel areas this time of year, I did my normal perimeter check from the grass, and solid rock areas. I noticed a Black Oyster Catcher doing more of a distraction behavior rather then their normal “go away” squeals.
  • I immediately left the area and searched from a distance with the spotting scope. It took a while, but sure enough I found the nest!!!! (my first ever sighting)
  • Although always true, I CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH – photos shot from as far away as possible, with a 600mm equivalent, then cropped to show better detail! (please read the captions)

Facility Work:

  • More waste wood stacking ……. Due to the obvious fire ban in the reserve, and to the unknown paint content, all waste wood has to be removed from the island and processed properly. Making it easier and safer for the recovery team just makes sense.

DND events:

  • 6 detonations during the day

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • none (DND vessels kept area clear)

Weather Events:

  • Westerly winds during the day at 10 – 15 knots, increasing to 25 knots early evening.
  • Fog in the morning, followed by mainly clear skies, then fog returning in the evening. Low fog throughout the day to the west and south.

All day distant fog

Evening fog, can’t see the mid channel rocks

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Visitor Sign In Station

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Ecological Notes:

  • 7  Elephant Seals still using the grass area and ramps. 4 Adult females, 1 Juvenile male ….. 1 male, and 1 female “pup”

Guess I’m not checking the Water Tank today!

Visitors:

  • Jeff brought out 7 Pearson College students for a quick tour and discussions on pinnipeds, and cultural significance of the main island.

Facility Work:

  • more painting, and sorting random wood piles

DND events:

  • 5 major blasts, noted animal disturbance, All Steller sea lions moved off the island

 Feature:

  •  expanding on a tool made from found items by a previous ecoguardian, we obtained proper pyrex tubes, to use as a pipette to accurately measure the electrolyte levels in the storage batteries

Weather Events:

  • Early morning fog, giving way to mainly sunny day, returning to fog later in the evening. Low lying fog belt on the south side of the strait all day. Wind westerly 10 – 15 knots, rising to 25 knots in the evening.

 

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

New Decks!

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Ecological Notes:

  • Most Elephant Seals nearing the end of their molt, still moving to and from the water, but not venturing too far from the pier, the larger ones seem to be tolerating the pups getting closer to them now. I thought one was missing, but found it on my evening walk about, behind the water tank building.

“All good, nothing to see here”

  • New visitor today ( at least since I got here) ….  a Greater White Fronted Goose!

Greater White Fronted Goose

 

Facility Work:

  • An overdue shout out to the last Ecoguardian, Rod King, and his friend, Colin Baird for the incredible new main house stairs and decks completed last month! Colin came out as a volunteer to help complete this project.

     

DND events:

  • 5 Detonations throughout the day, starting at noon, some animal disturbance noted

Noted Vessel Traffic:

  • small private vessel went through the channel rather fast, but stayed centered, no visible animal disturbance, but collision potential

Weather Events:

  • Light winds from the southeast earlier, switching to northerlies later in the day. calm and overcast, with only a hint of rain the never really materialized.

** All photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Pressure Cleaning

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Ecological Notes:

  • 6 female Elephant Seals, 2 “pups”
  • Lots of time in the water, staying close to the ramp
  • 2 Canada Goose nests lost all their eggs to other birds, they are extra aggressive now!

Just Chillin’

Visitors:

  •  Shorefront Manager, food and de-ionized water delivery

Facility Work:

  • Fine Tuning Deck work
  • Pressure washing until rain water storage was dry

Never ending

Fresher look

Then, you run out of rain water for the pressure washer!

DND events:

  • 4 Detonations YESTERDAY (Wednesday April 28) …… noted animal anxious startled, especially those in the water

Weather Events:

  • Mostly sunny, some light overcast. Light westerly winds

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

Student Morning

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Ecological Notes:

  • 6 female Elephant Seals, molting well underway, some are completed
  • Elephant Seal pups: 2 pups on land, moving around lots
  • Even more Gulls preparing nests

Visitors:

  •  Pearson College: 11 students in the morning doing marine biology class

Facility Work:

  • Power maintenance, more building cleaning

DND events:

  • 6 Detonations today, very little animal disturbance noted

Feature Event:

  • Although a very regular event, today was a great day to clean the Solar Panels, and do the battery maintenance. Overcast, so the panels don’t dry too fast as you’re cleaning, and not too much wind, making it safer to be on the roof!

    Soft Brush and Squeegee

    Gulls “left-behinds”

    Nice and Clean!

    Safety first for battery maintenance.

 

Weather Events:

  • Overcast and medium winds, mostly from the south until this afternoon when it switched to west. Calm seas.

 

Weather – Current:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

 

Weather – Past:

http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?

New Elephant seal

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Ecological Notes:Today, we have a new elephant seal. We now have three female with one new arrival. The new arrival is laying with its back up and chest down hard and it is difficult to identify the sex. Canada geese are nesting and we now have seven nests on the main island. Groups of pacific harbor porpoises were sited off the south side of the island. DND had one blast.

Elephant seal pups:4 swimming at night. Spending lots of time on the boat ramp testing the waters.
.
Facility Work: Lots of  indoor repairs and cleaning.
.
Vessel Traffic: 1 Eco tour boat.
Weather Events:Grey day and rain.
Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72
 

DND blasting

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Ecological Notes: There are lots of Daffodils flowering all over the island.

Visitors: The fresh water tank is topped up and ready for visitors.

Facility Work: The PC students arrive next week.  We have been busy cleaning the buildings and preparing for their arrival.

Vessel Traffic: Eco tour boats, three DND ribs and marine mammal observer boat

 

Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

 


 

DND blasting

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Ecological Notes: Again, DND blasting. Today, five good bangs!

Elephant seals: The pups continue to molt and are very active. For the last couple of days, they continue to play, wrestle and move around the island.

Facility Work: Scaffolding up to scrub and power wash the buildings and walk-ways.

Vessel Traffic: Two private boats, three DND ribs, one marine mammal observation vessel.

Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=

 

 

DND blasting today.

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Ecological Notes: DND Live Testing Today

Animal Tracking and Injuries: California Sea Lion on the island with a band on neck. This has been reported.

Vessel Traffic: 3 DND and one marine mammal observer

Weather Events: West wind at 25 knots all day

Weather– Current: http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72

Weather–Past:  http://www.victoriaweather.ca/station.php?id=72

Other notes: Today, DND produced seven to 9 test blasts