Tag Archives: oystercatcher

First Oystercatcher chicks, an orca and a harlequin duck

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 miles
  • Wind: 20-25 knts W
  • Sky: Clear
  • Water: small white caps

Boats/Visitors/Sightings

  • Quite a few ecotour boats today, with a couple of private boats as well
  • A weirdly shaped plane flew over this morning

Birds

  • I spotted two Oystercatcher chicks near the crane as I was standing on the jetty. I grabbed a photo from far but they were gone by the time I got close. I have walked around the entire shore and haven’t seen any other chicks yet – looks like we had some literal early birds.
  • Saw a harlequin duck near the east shore of the island. Photographed below.

Marine mammals

  • Caught a lone orca swimming past Pedder Bay, but by the time I went to get a photograph it was gone.

Last Day

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 15-35 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Waves 1-2 metres

Boats/Visitors

  • not much boat traffic today

Ecological

  • About 9 elephant seals still around, 2 males, 7 female
  • looks like there are more seagull eggs around
  • unfortunately the oyster catcher eggs haven’t hatched yet, I was hoping they would before I leave tomorrow for the summer

I have had an amazing time at Race Rocks, my shift is over tomorrow and Aziz will be here, I’m sure he will do a great job this summer.

Census

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 20-35 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Waves 1-2 metres

Boats/Visitors

  • not much boat traffic today, its been pretty windy

Ecological

  • less elephant seals
  • also less sea lions

Census

  • stellar sea lions – 11
  • california sea lions – 15
  • elephant seals – 7 female, 1 male
  • gulls – 180
  • pigeon guillemots – 98
  • oyster catchers – 14
  • geese – 16
  • eagles – 2

Sunday

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 20-30 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Waves 1-2 metres

Boats/Visitors

  • quite a few ecotours went by today

Ecological

  • About a dozen elephant seals out there today, one young male, the rest female
  • looks like there is a few oyster catcher nests around, I saw the one by the house awhile ago, I hope to see them hatch before I leave at the end of the month but we will see

Census and Visitors

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 15-25 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Waves under a metre

Boats/Visitors

  • a few ecotours went by today
  • Guy came by with some of the japan house students

Ecological

  • About a dozen elephants seals
  • not many sea lions around lately, some stellars on the south rocks and a few californias on the jetty

Census

  • stellar sea lions – 12
  • california sea lions – 15
  • harbour seals – 23
  • elephant seals – 11 female, 1 male
  • gulls – 180
  • cormorants – 12
  • pigeon guillemots – 124
  • harlequinn ducks – 12
  • oyster catchers – 14
  • fox sparrows – 8
  • geese – 16
  • eagles – 2

Census, sailors and kayakers

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 0-20 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • a few ecotours went by today
  • along with two kayakers and a bunch of sailboats

Ecological

  • about a dozen elephants, quite a few different birds and not a lot of sea lions about today
  • a possible sea otter in the north kelp bed but I couldn’t see it, but there were boats circling around there
  • saw an oyster catcher nest as well

Census

  • stellar sea lions – 12
  • california sea lions – 25
  • harbour seals – 32
  • elephant seals – 11 female, 1 male
  • gulls – 180
  • cormorants – 18
  • pigeon guillemots – 220
  • harlequinn ducks – 12
  • oyster catchers – 14
  • fox sparrows – 10
  • geese – 16
  • eagles – 2
  • sea otter – maybe 1

So Much Fog

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Weather

  • Visibility: 0-15 Miles
  • Wind: 10-25 SW
  • Sky: From dense fog to sunshine throughout the day
  • Water: A bit wavy, under a metre

Boats/Visitors

  • the middle of the day was nice so there were quite a few boats out
  • Guy stopped by today to get the big fuel tank

Ecological

  • Total of 9 female elephants and one young male
  • the geese I think are done laying eggs, but I’m not totally sure
  • it also looks like their might be some oyster catcher nests around, need to take a closer look

Other

  • the fog was pretty dense my fog horn was going off from 10pm last night to 7am this morning and again around 8-9 or 10am

 

Census and Fog

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Weather

  • Visibility: 0-15 Miles, fog a few times throughout the day
  • Wind: 15-35 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Waves 1-2 metres

Boats/Visitors

  • a few ecotours went by today

Ecological

  • there were quite a few californias on the jetty
  • there is one young male in the about 9 elephant seals, photos included

Census

  • stellar sea lions – 38
  • california sea lions – 25
  • harbour seals – 32
  • elephant seals – 9 female 1 male
  • gulls – 150
  • cormorants – 28
  • pigeon guillemots – 50
  • black turnstones – 18
  • harlequinn ducks – 0
  • oyster catchers – 14
  • fox sparrows – 8
  • geese – 16

Visitors and census

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 20-40 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Waves 1-2 metres

Boats/Visitors

  • a few ecotours went by today
  • Guy, dropped off a group of 8 students and 1 chaperone from Pearson College for a little overnight trip

Ecological

  • Seems to be less sea lions lately, and only about 9 elephants

Census

  • stellar sea lions – 23
  • california sea lions – 31
  • harbour seals – 42
  • elephant seals – 9 female
  • gulls – 150
  • cormorants – 28
  • pigeon guillemots – 152
  • black turnstones – 28
  • oyster catchers – 14
  • fox sparrows – 12
  • geese – 16

Census

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Weather

  • Visibility: 15 Miles
  • Wind: 10-20 NW
  • Sky: Partly Cloudy
  • Water: Calm

Boats/Visitors

  • a few ecotours went by today

Other

  • DND was blasting today, the animals were not happy about it
  • 3 of the female elephant seals are tagged one was an orange tag reading T532, then two green tags reading D019 and B198

Census

  • stellar sea lions – 33
  • california sea lions – 29
  • harbour seals – 12
  • elephant seals – 11 female
  • gulls – 174
  • cormorants – 16
  • black turnstones – 28
  • harlequinn ducks – 12
  • oyster catchers – 14
  • fox sparrows – 4
  • geese – 14