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)
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- “Hey, come this way!”
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- 600mm zoom from the deck
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- Cropped further
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- Different vantage, further away, extreme crop!
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: