Alex’s last afternoon today, while Mike becomes the eyes and ears of Race Rocks Ecological Preserve for the month of January. Have a great holiday Alex!
Tag Archives: Great horned owl
orcas sighted again
Aside
The elephant seal was pretty vocal last night but there was no sign or sound of him today. Yesterday at sunset I think I saw the horned owl on top of the flag pole. This morning several Bald Eagles were rounding up the gulls on great race. Before noon a vessel from Pinnacle Divers came into the reserve. They did a dive near the jetty and a second one off of the E rocks. While unloading divers near the jetty the boat accidentally contacted the kelp bed off the NW side of the jetty. I contacted the company by phone and left a message. Around 14:00 hrs a Prince of Whales vessel entered the reserve. There were around 30 Northern Sealions hauled out on N Rock. On the vessels approach to N Rock some sealions exited into the water. I contacted the company by phone and spoke with a staff member. Around 14:30 hrs 3 or more Orcas approached the reserve from the SW passing W of the reserve heading N. Have been gathering scrap wood, propane tanks, garbage etc. today for offloading tomorrow with a boat trip from the college planned for the morning.
owl back again
Elephant seal was up near desalination most of the day but went back down to hang out in the water near the jetty around sunset. Hadn’t seen the owl since Tuesday but was happy to see it up on the crane around sunset today.
Bubo virginianus: Great Horned Owl–The Race Rocks Taxonomy
This great horned owl showed up at Race Rocks on November 12, 2011. There has only been one other reported sighting, on October 14 2006, by members of the Friends of Ecological Reserve field trip . While visiting the island, they saw that an owl had been sitting in a window ledge of the tower, and it flew out when people were going up inside the tower. It was later sighted on the cliff west of the docks, but it flew before they could get a picture.
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- Great horned owl photos by Alex Fletcher
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- The dorsal side of the owl with its head turned 180 degrees.
Images by Alex Fletcher November 12, 2011
Alex reports that this time it was perched at the upper crane deck platform, and goes in under the crane deck as well. It was still there on November 13. The wind has gusted to 60 km. at Race Rocks on both days, and it has rained frequently during that time.
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae
Genus Bubo
Species virginianus
Common Name: Great Horned Owl
Other owls photographed at Race Rock
 Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomyand Image File |
 The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Alex Fletcher |
Great horned owl arrives on Race Rocks
Today a great horned owl took up residence at the winch platform. It often stays under the platform, or perches on the railing, occasionally flying a short distance. I took some photos which are now on the taxonomy page for the owl.
Erik came out with 5 students around sunset and took 2 guests off the island.