Tag Archives: elephant seal

Flocks on the Rocks – Census Day

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Flocks on the rocks

Flocks on the rocks: Thayer’s gulls and some double crested , Brandts and Pelagic Cormorants. Note orientation into the direction of the wind.

Ecological Happenings

  • Storm force winds in the morning with large swell from the North East leading to high seas and larges breakers on the rocks. Periods of (horizontal) rain with winds dropping later in the day.
  • Four elephant seals on the island now. The new arrival is much smaller than the female and thought to be a juvenile/subadult. There also seems to be a bond between the smaller Elephant seal and female. Could this be Squall, born here in 2012? Checks are being made to see if identifying features match.
  • Birds grouped together in flocks on the rocks while most of the sea lions stayed off the land.

Marine Vessels

  • Coastguard helicopter overhead.

Maintenance

  • Electrical outlet in main residence fixed.
  • Battery health test carried out with individual readings taken on each of the 96 cells.
  • Pressure washer pump stripped back down and soaked in cleaner. To be reassembled.

Census Count

Sea Lion 194
Harbour Seal 9
Elephant Seal 4
Cormorant 207
Gull 404
Oyster Catcher 42
Black Turnstone 18
Spotted during the week
Bald Eagle (Adult/Immature) 2/8
Sparrow 4
Dunlin 2
Pigeon Guillemots 8
Raven 4
Harlequin Duck 16
Canadian Geese 18

 

Seawater sample missed due to safety concenrs

Seawater sample missed due to safety concerns.

The latest arrival

The latest arrival.

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Maternal bond? Elephant Seals are not known for this

Maternal bond? Elephant Seals are not known for this.

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Scratching. Not surprising with all those Kelp flies on old wounds

Scratchy. Not surprising with all those Kelp flies on healing wounds.

Rainbows and Rough seas

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Gold at the end of the jetty?

Gold at the end of the jetty?

Ecological Happenings

  • Strong gale force winds in the morning with showers and rough seas. Bright periods later with rainbows. Gale force winds dropping to a fresh breeze before a calmer evening.
  • Fourth elephant seal seen on North East of the main island. This one seems much smaller, though it is difficult to tell at distance.
  • The two males and female that have been here for a few days rehydrated, by taking dips in the ocean, at the jetty before returning to land.
  • Birds found sheltered spots while sea lions either saw out the rough weather in the ocean or braved the rocks. If they could get up.

Marine Vessels

  •  None

Maintenance

  • Stripped and re-built pressure washer pump. Still not operating correctly.
  • Oil leak to generator ‘B’ investigated and found. Part required to fix problem.
New Elephant seal

New Elephant seal

Male and Female Elephant seal

Male and Female Elephant seal

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Hmmn... maybe not

Hmmn… maybe not

Double bow

Double bow

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

The sun tried to break through

The sun tried to break through…….

Sunset

Sunset

Battle of the Bulls

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Female Elephant Seal

Female Elephant Seal

Ecological Happenings

  • Blustery overcast day with periods of rain.
  • The male Elephant seals continued to be vocal, following the arrival of the female, and were issuing challenges in the morning. The males fought in the water later with the victor trumpeting after having beaten his opponent.
  • Injured Black Turnstone seen hopping about as it was missing a leg.

Marine Vessels

  • Coast Guard Helicopter overhead.

Maintenance

  • Spliced new stern line onto the Whaler.
  • Finished heat shrinking electrical connections on the new power/fuse panel to the Whaler.
  • Cleaned U-bend to bathroom sink in main house.
Challange

Challange

Battle wounds

Battle wounds

Trumpeting in the water

Trumpeting in the water

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

Dunlin

Dunlin

Canadian Geese

Canadian Geese

Bald Eagle with catch

Bald Eagle with catch

BEagle with fish2BEagle 2

BEagle in flight2

Eagles Rock

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BEagle REcological Happenings

  • Light winds with large swells from the South East breaking on the rocks.
  • Birds moved higher up the island to get away from the breakers.
  • Bald Eagle posed for the camera.
  • Female elephant seals seen at the boat ramp. Males more vocal and moved across the island leading to the new arrivals returning to the sea with only one returning to land later.

Marine Vessels

  • One whale watching boat through the reserve.

Maintenance

  • Started looking at energy center equipment specifications and setup.
  • BEagle L
    Female Elephant seal

    Female Elephant seal

    Vocal Male

    Vocal Male

Gift from the storm

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Black Turnstone

Black Turnstone

Ecological Happenings

  • A generally bright day with gentle winds and calm seas.
  • Significant quantities of driftwood have been washed up including large sections of telegraph poles and tree roots.
  • The elephant seals seem to be here for the duration. Though their route off the island (boat ramp) has only just been cleared of driftwood.

Marine Vessels

  • One whale watching tour in looking at the sea lions and birds. Good speed through the reserve, though at times strayed too close to animals.

Maintenance

  • Solar panels cleaned.
  • Maintenance routes of the energy centre roof scrubbed clean of slimy algal build up.
  • Boat ramp and jetty cleared of driftwood washed up in the last few days of strong winds and rough seas. Derik used to lift larger logs up for drying and cutting into firewood.
  • Windows cleaned on the main house.
    Black Oystercatchers

    Black Oystercatchers

    Sealions on South Islands

    Sealions on South Islands

    Harlequin duck

    Harlequin duck

    Hello

    Hello

    Fox Sparrow

    Fox Sparrow

    Black Oystercatcher

    Black Oystercatcher

    Whale watchers

    Whale watchers

Business as usual

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Male sealion soaking up the winter sun

Ecological Happenings

  • A brighter sunnier day after the winds and overcast skies of the last few days.
  • Business as usual after the high winds with animals back on the rocks.
  • One of the Bull Eseals moved up to the lighthouse today while the other remained near the path intersection.

 Marine Vessels

  • 2 pleasure boats in the reserve (plus 2 fishing just outside the reserve).
  • 1 commercial boat (spill clean-up) posing as a pleasure craft came in for a look.
  • 1 whale watching boat.
  • Coastguard helicopter flew overhead using the lighthouse as a way-point along with one private helicopter.
  • Vessels noted to be respecting the speed limit, but not all the proximity, with both the whale watching boat and commercial boat coming too close.

 Maintenance

  • More driftwood moved up the boat ramp to dry.
  • Camera 2 system checks, power and network cycling. This camera continues to give us problems……..
  • Energy monitoring and investigations started, looking at the system, power use, generation and storage on the island.
  • Minor internal works (fire alarms, fan, doors).
  • Door to boat house adjusted to run better on tracks.
To shore!

To shore!

Solar fins at the ready

Solar fins at the ready

Ponderings

Ponderings

Immature cormorant preening

Immature cormorant preening

Cormorants

Cormorants

Commercial pleasure

Commercial pleasure

Sunset

Sunset

A Stormy Census

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Ecological Happenings

  • A Stormy day on the Rock with Gale force winds and large swell running.
  • Sea lions rode out the winds in the ocean swells, rafting together in large moving masses or surfing in groups.
  • The two Bull Eseals stayed on the island.

Marine Vessels

  • Navy vessel on manoeuvres outside the reserve.
  • Accompanying Navy helicopters flying out from the ship over the reserve at night.

Maintenance

  • Some driftwood cleared from the boat launch ramp after the winds dropped.
  • Camera 2 re-set. Further investigation needed to resolve the network problem.

Other

  • Number of animals in the reserve was affected by the storm (and maybe the counting too due to conditions!).

Census Count

Sea Lion 135
Harbour Seal 4
Elephant Seal 2
Cormorant 37
Gull 212
Sparrows 2
Surfbirds 3
Oyster Catcher 10
Black Turnstone 28
Raven 2
Spotted during the week
Bald Eagle (Adult/Immature) 2/8
Sparrows 5
Surfbirds 12
Oyster Catcher 18
Black Turnstone 12
Harlequin Duck 18
Canadian Geese 3
Bufflehead 1
Whales (Humpback) 2
Thayer's gulls hunkered down

Thayer’s gulls hunkered down

Surfs Up

Surfs Up

Catching a wave

Catching a wave

Jetty

No Landings today!

 

Elephant seal hiding from the storm

Elephant seal hiding from the storm

Black oystercatchers

Black oystercatchers

December Dawn

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December Dawn

December Dawn

Ecological Happenings

  • Adult and immature Bald Eagles around the reserve and using the derrick as a lookout.
  • Building winds and overcast skies.
  • Two Bull Eseals came up onto the main Island today.
  • Winds building. Blustery and overcast.

Marine Vessels

  • Coastguard helicopter passed overhead.

Maintenance

  • More familiarisation and settling in.
  • New pressure gauge fitted to the brine pump on the De-sal unit.
  • Fid made for splicing new lines onto the Whaler.
Elephant seal guarding the energy centre

Elephant seal guarding the energy centre

Elephant Seal Snoozing

Elephant Seal Snoozing

What do you mean I’m not camouflaged?

What do you mean I’m not camouflaged?

Buzzzz Off

Buzzzz Off

Buffeted Bald Eagle

Buffeted Bald Eagle

Bull E-seal Heads to the Main Island

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Ecological Happenings

  • The bull Elephant Seal that’s been hanging out at middle rocks made its way up the main island today.
  • Male Bufflehead spotted today.
  • Great weather and water conditions today.

Marine Vessels

  • Three tour boats.
  • Four pleasure vessels  – one of which was travelling very fast within the reserve.
  • 2 helicopters just outside of the reserve.

Maintenance

  • Finalizing the boat works and cleaning it out. Boat was tested and works well.

Other

  • 2 visitors today (friends of the eco-guardians).

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Bull elephant seal arrives

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Ecological Happenings

  • Big bull elephant seal now in area.

Marine Vessels

  • Two tour boats today.
  • Navy vessel still in area.

Maintenance

  • Boat maintenance complete.
  • Another round of logs blocking the boat ramp were removed.