Tag Archives: elephant seal

Big Beulah Back

Posted on by

Today’s winds were light, southwest in the morning and west with showers in the  afternoon. Peak force was during the sombre sunset at 22 knots from the west. The UV index was less than 2.5 even during the greatest period of sunshine mid-day. The barometric pressure rose steadily all day and had levelled off at 1017 hPa as dusk settled down.

Four whale watching vessels were observed operating in the Protected Area today. Three out four travelled slowly and respected the regulations; the fourth sped leaving the Reserve by traversing half of its length at top speed. I am curious if it is the same person every day. It is the same company but they have multiple zodiacs that look the same from a distance. I don’t want to think it is an engrained part of the culture in that company to operate in an irresponsible way. It is certainly not sustainable.

A large, female Northern Elephant Seal came ashore. She was dry at dawn and there was no wet trail on the path leading to her napping spot, so I assumed she came ashore early last night. She is the first back since Chunk, (the pup killer) left a few weeks ago. She seems to be in fine form with no wounds, only old scars. Her girth is magnificent and she has an organically hydrodynamic shape. What an amazing creature of the deep.

The gulls on the island are taking advantage of big boils of forage fish coming up with the turbulent currents. This morning as I was cleaning the solar panels on the energy building roof, most of the  500+ gulls gave the call for food, vacated the island and high-tailed it directly to a mixed species, feeding flock frenzy. This evening, fish bone remains can be seen around the island in fresh bolus balls left by the gulls.

The Bald Eagles continue to fish during the day and make the gulls nervous at dawn and dusk. I wish they had that effect on Canada Geese.

The River Otter showed itself today, waddling up past the derrick and heading in under the old platform which is where I am sure they have a den.

Sunlight levels were higher than they have been for the last few days. Insolation peaked at over 650 W/m2, enough sunshine to run the de-salinator for three hours, using only solar power.

Chores were routine and there were no visitors.

 

 

Eagle Food

Posted on by

There was nothing remarkable about the leaden morning with light and languid, north-northeast winds. Partially overcast skies cast a silvery pall over the Strait but bits of blue sky held promise for better things to come. The barometer held overnight at just above 1010 hPA and by mid-afternoon had dropped to 1008 As evening falls the barometer is holding at 1007. In the afternoon there was some sunshine but it was really a day dominated by cloud.

Five commercial whale-watching vessels were observed working in the Ecological Reserve today. Three were seen working in behind (south side) South Rocks and they were travelling very slowly and cautiously. Sea conditions were calm. The sea lions did not appear too disturbed by their presence. A few younger animals close to the water went in but it would be difficult to determine cause. On that note, military blasting continued as planned, from late morning to mid afternoon. Interceptor vessels and red flags warned boaters off. The sea lions and birds did not seem to react.

The wild goose chase continued and progress is happening. By early afternoon, most of the geese had retreated to the military zone to graze on the large lawn there. One pair staking out an area by camera 5 were more persistent, but eventually left for greener pastures. A couple of pairs of gulls were seen doing some of the broody things they do when nest building but as it is early yet, they are probably just practicing for the big day when they actually start to build a nest. The Pigeon Guillemots continue to flock here in the morning and leave in the afternoon as noted by Riley. Many were practicing walking on land today and in the water they worked the ebb flow through the rocks taking a ride and then flyew back upstream for another one.

A partially decomposed Northern Elephant Seal pup and part of its skull was located not far from the octopus in the boulders beach east of the Ecoguardian’s house. From the size, it appeared to have been a very young pup, if not premature, at death. The octopus was bigger. The plentiful, rich food sources are starting to explain the large number of eagles here daily.

A branded Stellers Sea Lions was photographed today 319Y and 4332 was observed. A California Sea Lion with a number on its rump and an X anterior to that was observed but the number was not verified nor was a successful photo taken.

 

There were no visitors and chores were routine today.

 

 

Octopus Ashore

Posted on by

West winds of ~25 knots brought heavily overcast skies loaded with rain this morning. The wind continued into the afternoon and the rain stopped occasionally while the sky brightened but remained dynamic and dramatic. As darkness fell it was still blowing 18 – 20 knots west. Barometric pressure rose steadily all day levelling off at dark, just below 1010 hPa. Forecasters call for light winds and showers here tomorrow.

It was a quiet day on the boating front with no whale watching or other vessels observed in the Ecological Reserve. Patrol vessels were positioned in Race Passage to ward off any unsuspecting boaters who might be venturing too close to Rocky Point and loud explosions punctuated lunchtime.

Ecologically, the day heralded spring, which is eternally welcome and now only a few weeks off. Mid-morning, Chunk, the woeful, sole remaining Northern Elephant Seal, shuffled off to the sea, leaving without destroying his daffodil pillow (see yesterday’s Log photo). The first few migrant shorebirds heading north, stopped and rested for a while on Great Race. I think they were Western Sandpipers. A small flock of Rock Sandpipers foraged on small invertebrates amongst the fresh seaweed turf.

A large, dead Giant Pacific Octopus was lodged in amidst the boulders on the south shore. It is hard to say what the cause of death was, but this is a species in which the female tends the eggs, while fasting, for seven months (or more depending on the temperature) and she dies soon after the eggs hatch. Lets hope that 50, 50,000 to  60,000 tiny hatchling octopods are tumbling out on the ebbing tide finding wee plankton to feed on and flashing colour signals to their siblings.

Right now the solar panels need extra help from the Lister generator for a few hours each evening but with spring on the way, there will be longer days and more intense sunlight levels, which will increase the contribution by solar generation. If anyone reading this knows of a small wind generation system that will not damage birds, please let Pearson College know about it. This is a windy place and could possibly be entirely weaned from diesel by using wind to supplement the mighty solar panels. The caveat is that the wind turbine can’t harm the birds that the Ecological Reserve is here to protect.

There were no visitors and chores were routine.

 

 

 

 

Wild Goose Chase

Posted on by

Last night’s north easterlies created a bit of a symphony: percussion on soffits accompanied by back door whistling its multifarious tunes. Morning started with the call of Canada Geese arriving, southerly winds (10 – 15 knots) and rainy skies. By late morning the wind direction had changed to west and the sky eventually cleared to a mix of sun and cloud by late afternoon. The gentle to moderate westerly is forecast to continue tomorrow bringing a 30% chance of showers. The barometer has been rising all day, so things are looking up.

‘Sports’ fishers were seen passing and fishing in the distance today and there were no sightings of whale watchers in the Ecological Reserve.

I went out to clear off the geese first thing and saw a pair mating in the water. That inspired me to ramp up daily goose patrols. No sign of nests yet, but there are a few pairs that are hormonally persistent. The large number of Bald Eagles is potentially helping keep the geese nervous. I saw an adult eagle flying with some sort of large bird, hanging from its talons but could not tell if it was a goose or a cormorant. The gulls seem to be setting up their territories, even though it still seems quite early for anything very serious. Pigeon Guillemots, Glaucous-winged gulls, and Black Oystercatchers are all in breeding plumage, as are many of the three species of cormorant.

Chunk actually moved today, leaving his dead, stink zone for fresh flowers and a sloped recline on the other side of the paths. I also saw him open one eye as I walked past, a small feat of energetic response. He really is wiped out from all of his male activities.

A California Sea Lion, which is equally lethargic, is hauled out beside the derrick and he looks quite emaciated with backbones and ribs showing. The rest of Sea Lions that remain look healthy and haul out tightly together in two spots, a small group just down to the northwest of the Science House and a larger group on the South Islets. There are a few branded animals but I haven’t been able to get photos yet. A male Steller’s 76Y (left side) and a couple of rump branded Columbian California Sea Lions. 76Y was branded at St. George Reef in northern California, just south of Oregon, in 2002 as a pup. 443Y is just going into its third year and was branded at Rogue Reef in southern Oregon, just north of the California border, in 2013.

 

There were no visitors and chores were routine.

 

 

 

Blue Sky Grey Sky

Posted on by

It was a blue-sky day at Race Rocks for most of the day, as the wind switched from west to northeast and then finally greyed over. The wind started light in the morning and rose to 36 knots NE, by late afternoon. The barometer climbed out its early morning hole of 993 hPA and dove back in as night fell. As I post the log it is falling past 989. The forecast is calling for the wind to drop and switch to southwest 15 to 25 knots Sunday afternoon and to light Sunday evening.

Four whale watching vessels were observed in the Protected Area today. They seemed to be travelling out to the west probably in search of migrating Gray Whales. They were a little more cautious on the south side, a trend, which tends towards sustainability.

The “sporty” halibut fleet was out fishing today. They anchor for the slackest part of the tide, spaced out like a beads on a necklace around the Ecological Reserve. Not all of them know about (or they choose to ignore) the ‘no go’ and ‘go slow’ limits of the Protected Area .

The reasons for speed limits in the Protected Area are the high density of marine mammals and birds and the location’s inherent dangers. Going slow protects the wildlife from boat strikes and reduces disturbance if boats stay far enough away. The no go areas also extend that protection to human life. I am not sure how many people have died in the waters around Race Rocks, but if it were a road intersection, it would have one of those high crash scene signs, combined with a wildlife crossing sign. I look forward to the day when boaters know and respect the rules. The quickest way for that to happen is by word of mouth and peer pressure. So if you boat in the area, please feel free to give others a friendly ‘reminder’ about the rules You might save their life. For the professional mariners, it is a very important part of being professional.

Chunk, the only remaining Northern Elephant Seal continues to slumber in the same spot. He has completely fried the vegetation where he is stretched out and seems to have lost a lot of mass since I saw him last fall. I guess he has been fairly engrossed with breeding, killing pups and fighting with other males. It must soon be time for him to head off and bulk up in the depths. He has massive “stretch marks” from slimming down to what looks like about 50% of his portly, fall physique.

There were a dozen Bald Eagles here today and the cormorants roosted on Great Race so it was possible to see the subtleties of the neon blue under the Brandt’s Cormorants’ chins and their whiskery white feathers.

The numbers of Canada Geese have risen rapidly, going from six, the day I arrived, to twenty by this afternoon. Canada Geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Regulations, however, they can wreck havoc on a tiny islet like Great Race, which is also used by other species that cannot easily, (unlike Canada Geese), nest elsewhere successfully. Like some people, they are loud, pushy and tend towards aggression, not making the best neighbours for nesting Black Oystercatchers, Pigeon Guillemots and Glaucous-winged Gulls. Although the status of all three of these nesting species, is ‘Least Concern’ as listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), we are hoping to keep them that way and discourage geese from staying (under strict permit from Environment Canada).

Other than wild goose chases, chores were routine today including camera and computer care.

Back on the Rock: March 2– 4th

Posted on by

Wednesday morning, while tide, wave height and current speed were just right; we slipped a crew change through a narrow window between two gales. As we waved goodbye, and I turned to get moved in, the barometer started to drop again.

After four and half months away, it was good to be back on Great Race with its familiar views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As an averred naturalist, I couldn’t help notice that North Rock was bristling like a military brush cut, with 350 – 400 cormorants. All three species Pelagic, Double-crested and Brandt’s, were ‘drying out’ on this strategic roost after foraging in the sea. An adult Bald Eagle swooped in and the cormorants en masse, hit the water. The tidal ebb started to clear them out to sea, pulled by moon and pushed hard by rainwater rising in the Salish Sea. The cormorants dispersed and the counting moment was over; some flew, some dove and others disappeared into the gloom, as more rain squalls swept in.

Concentrating on moving in and checking all systems in order, counts were put on hold for Thursday’s census. Chunk, the big, pup-killing, male Elephant Seal was lying where he had apparently been, on and off, for a week. He was a little too close to the path for comfort, which meant that coming and going to the energy building involved tip-toeing by, while keeping a look-out for his eyes to open and being ready to run, if necessary. Of course it is never necessary but absence makes the fear forget.

Riley left things fairly ship shape and I knew that everything was going to be fine when the old Lister generator roared to life. In the evening, the wind gradually rose to 36 knots, ESE, a speed and direction that makes the back door of the house whistle a weird, three-toned tune, but it didn’t keep me from a deep sleep.

Seawater sampling came early and the morning weather was fairly wet and windy. The sun broke out with rainbows in the afternoon and the wind dropped to less than 10 knots. As the sun sets now, the forecast is calling for light winds, a chance of showers Friday morning with rain again by afternoon.

Once established that it was a beautiful afternoon, three small whale-watching boats came out to watch the sea lions on South Rocks. It always makes me a little nervous to see them with their human cargo in close to the south reefs and the sea lions. Their insurance companies probably wouldn’t be too keen on that sight either.

Today was census day and there were interesting differences in the timings of comings and goings of different species. Today, the Pigeon Guillemots were here at first light and numbers kept increasing until about noon. They were all gone by late afternoon. The Black Oystercatchers were together in a squawky flock early in the morning and then dispersed. The sea lions hauled out mostly in the morning but additional individuals hauled throughout the day. The cormorants started roosting late morning and were mostly back in the water by late afternoon. The Harbour Seals hauled out in the late afternoon. There were few gulls in the morning, but by mid-day some were pairing up and looking like they might already be standing near their nest sites. By late afternoon there were over 200 gulls roosting on the island but they were gone by the time I came back from shutting down the generator at 21:00. The Killdeer, as usual arrived after dark.

The diverse temporal use of the Ecological Reserve by different species would be missed in a standard count where the observer passed through during a set amount of time. By having an Eco-Gaurdian here throughout the day, a much more thorough accounting of the different species use of the Protected Area is possible.

Here are the results of the animal census:

2016 03-Mar
River Otter 1
Northern Elephant Seal 1
Harbour Seal 72
Northern Sea Lion (Steller’s) 36
California Sea Lion 41
Canada Goose 6
Harlequin Duck 16
Surf Scoter 11
Common Merganser 1
Brandt’s Cormorant 50
Double-crested Cormorant 150
Pelagic Cormorant 100
Cormorant 50
Bald Eagle (juvenile) 9
Bald Eagle (adult) 2
Killdeer 2
Black Oystercatcher 24
Black Turnstone 23
Surfbird 1
Mew Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull (+hybrids) 214
Pigeon Guillemot 147
Northwestern Crow 2
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1

Friday’s weather was windy and wet. There was a lull early, as it switched for a short time to southwest but then turned back with a vengeance to strong northeast and big seas. The forecast is for a switching back and forth from southeast veering to southwest and back. It is blowing north 24 knots as I post this Friday evening, but is supposed to come down to light variable in the morning, rising againSaturday afternoon.

One whale watching vessel used the Ecological Reserve today and like yesterday’s boats, it too ventured into the danger zone of breaking reefs on the south side. The ebb was so large at the time that there were standing waves and a huge overfall along the string of rocks, islets and shallows. After a few tippy moments, they got out of there and I was glad they were all safe and sound.

I fought entropy today doing a few minor cleanups, making kindling and moving propane tanks around (downhill and empty). The usual chores also kept me busy. I tried to figure out what is going on with the camera, which has not yet fully cooperating. Now that I am through the technical barriers and able to post the blog I will be doing so daily and hope to post photos soon.

 

Shift Change Delayed by Gale

Posted on by

Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 20-40 knots E, later S, W, and N.
  • Water: 3′ chop
  • Sky: overcast and rain

Ecological

  • Chuckles was gone all day.
  • Chunk was hanging out under the water beside the jetty at 18:00.
The only sign of Chuckles

The only sign of Chuckles.

Maintenance

  • Cleared logs off the ramp.
  • Final bit of tidying and packing in the main house.
  • Typed out and sent off sea water data report for February.

Boats

  • Conditions were unsuitable for a shift change today, as no boats were able to traverse between Race Rocks and the college.
  • The HMCS Ottawa was out near Esquimalt today.
  • Watched the Coho chug across the straight headed for Port Angeles in the afternoon.
The Coho Ferry

The Coho Ferry

Last Full Day of the Shift

Posted on by

Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 5-10 knots East
  • Water: 1′ chop
  • Sky: mix of sun and cloud

Ecological

  • Chunk and Chuckles still in their respective positions on Great Race.
  • Noticed over 50 harbour seals today.
  • In general much more wildlife than yesterday.

Maintenance

  • Ran the fire pump for 40 minutes. This added about 1′ of water to the cistern.
  • Filled up the tidy tank using the equivalent of one barrel of diesel (55 gallons).
  • Stacked more firewood.
  • Emptied the ash from the wood stove in the main house.
  • General tidying up in the house to make it ready for the next Eco-guardian.
  • Wrote my shift end report.

Boats

  • One pleasure craft was hanging out near West Rock in the morning.
  • In the afternoon one eco-tour came through Middle Channel. It was a strange looking boat that I had never seen before with the words “Luna BC” on it.
  • The HMCS Ottawa was out in the straight. According to the Marine Traffic website it made it all the way out to the open ocean today.

Other

  • I couldn’t get the camera to take any photographs today. I think I bumped one of its many buttons (most of which I don’t know what they do) as it appears to be on a different setting than I am used to.

Animal Census and Gale conditions

Posted on by

Weather

  • In the morning:
  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 5-10 NE
  • Water: 1′ chop
  • Sky: overcast
  • From 10 A.M. onwards:
  • Wind: 25-45 W
  • Sky: showers

Ecological

  • Chuckles spent all day on Great Race.
  • In the morning Chunk went into the water; he returned a couple of hours later. “Watch” him climb over a log in the photo slideshow!
  • Conducted a census. Unfortunately the gale force winds started up just before I climbed the tower to do the largest portion of the census, so by the time I began, many animals had fled seeking shelter.
  1. California Sea Lions: 44
  2. Northern Sea Lions: 13 (1 branded with ?6Y)
  3. Elephant Seals: 2
  4. Seagulls: 106 (there were more before I did my count)
  5. Pigeon Guillemots: 80 (these I counted before the gale)
  6. Cormorants: 57 (there were more before I did my count)
  7. Black Turnstones: 22
  8. Bald Eagles: 20 (13 immature, 7 adults)
  9. Surfbirds: 11
  10. Canada Geese: 10

Very Large Eco-Tour Catamaran

Posted on by

Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 5-10 knots NE
  • Water: rippled
  • Sky: overcast

Ecological

  • Chunk and Chuckles are still on Great Race. I’m not even sure they are going off island at night these days.
  • There was a lone harbour seal hauled out on a rock near the derrick most of the day.
  • Saw some bald eagles gnawing away at the dead elephant seal pup.

Maintenance

  • Cleared logs off of the ramp.
  • Began making a list of things to do by the end of the month.

Boats

  • The Sir Wilfred Laurier patrol vessel was out in the straight this morning. Quite a fine looking ship!
  • One pleasure craft with a family on board stopped by to view the sea lions. They seemed to be too close.
  • Two eco-tours came by this afternoon. The first one was the largest boat that I have ever seen in the reserve. The second one appeared to be too close to the sea lions, and a few of them made haste for the water.