Tag Archives: predation

Breakfast

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There was a freshly killed seagull on the NE side of the island this morning. Soon after I had inspected it, a juvenile Bald Eagle came in to continue to deplume and consume it. The Eagle eventually flew off with the carcass to finish it off on Middle Rocks.

Misery was back on Great Race this morning, he has been behind the boat house all day.

For most of the afternoon there two dive boats near Middle Rocks.

I worked on a de-clogging a stubborn sink drain in the bathroom of the main house this morning.

A North wind peaked around 20 knots this morning and dropped to less than 5 knots for most of the rest of the day.

Hydrolagus colliei: The spotted ratfish– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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A spotted ratfish falling prey to a seagull. These are more frequently spotted by divers at night but so far this is the first one seen at Race Rocks

A spotted ratfish falling prey to a seagull. These are more frequently spotted by divers at night but so far this is the first one seen at Race Rocks. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordate
Sub Phylum Vertebrata
Class Condrichthyes
Order Chimaeriformes
Family Chimaeridae
Genus Hydrolagus
Species colliei
Common Name: Spotted ratfish

 

Return to the species index of the Race Rocks Taxonomy.

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of
Lester B. Pearson College
March 2011
Ryan Murphy

Eumetopias jubatus , The Northern Sealion : The Race Rocks taxonomy

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Male, female and pup at Race Rocks .Sept 27,2011. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Male, female and pup at Race Rocks .Sept 27,2011. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Irmsept27mafeedpupn the fall of 2011, a female northern sea lion (Steller) and her pup appeared at Race Rocks. This is the first such pair that we have seen there. Link to Ryan Muphy’s Flickr site for a set of pictures of the sealions at Race Rocks. rmsept27maandpup2Ryan captured some excellent pictures but noted that due to blasting by the DND on the neighbouring Bentinck Island, the pup was injured and the mother disappeared. See below.. Commentary here is by Ryan Murphy : “Steller or Northern sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) are the largest sea lion species in the world and are listed under Canada’s SARA (Species at Risk Act) as Special Concern.” rmsept27maandpup4“The Race Rocks archipelago south of Vancouver Island has long been a haul out for Steller sea lions, and we know from Lightkeeper Kurt Cehak’s accounts from the 60s that these marine mammals came to Race Rocks even when locals were encouraged to kill them to collect bounties. “ rmsept27maandpapup“Today, Steller sea lions are a year-round attraction for a multi-million dollar ecotour industry based in the Capital Region District of Victoria, BC. With the arrival of this pup and its mother to Race Rocks, the Ecological Reserve now protects the reproductive ecology of this threatened species.” rmsept27pup“However, this pup is at risk because of activities of the Canadian Department of National Defence. The island in the background is Bentinck Island and it is used by the Canadian military to dispose of ordinances and explosives training. Their rapid succession blasting during the last two days has caused rmsept27pup2repeated stampedes of sea lions and this pup may be crushed tomorrow.”     See the logs on this website posted by the ecoguardians which include mammal census and observations of sealions.           Northern Sea lion VIDEOS:

lionblasts dndblasts eye-1
EFFECTS OF DND BLASTING at Bentinck Island Sea lion disruption on middle island by DND blasting
Video Clips of Sea lions by Cam Wilson In October of 1998, Cam Wilson of Victoria made an Hi-8 video of Northern and California sea lions while diving off West Race Rocks. Clips are included here.
radiolion flasher2northern-1 RMdetail_20090823s
Tracking devices on sea lions This Northern Sea Lion was photographed with fishing equipment swallowed in September 2003..also see other photos of flashers and boat collisions. This link shows the conflict of motor boats and marine mammals in the reserve.

Posts on Entanglement of Sea lions in fishing gear

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub Phylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Otariidae
Genus Eumetopias (Gill, 1866)
Species jubatus (Schreber,1776)
Common Name Northern or Steller Sea Lion
climb

This sequence was taken in August 2008 by Pam Birley from the remote camera 5.

 

entangled2-1 rmmar09acipenser-1 tumor
Entanglement of a sealion on Middle rocks and video of release by Vancouver aquarium and DFO personnel White sturgeon images This is a link to the white sturgeon file where images taken by Ryan Murphy show predation by a Northern Sea lion on a white sturgeon at Race Rocks. In early November 2007, Mike Slater took this picture of a Northern Sea lion with a large tumor like growth on the side of its face. The animal was not sighted again at Race Rocks, however on August 22, 2009 it was photographed at Mittlenatch Island.
sealiontower brand632may706s uwsealion
Northern Sea lions peak in numbers in the fall. Branded Sea lions at Race Rocks :  Sea lions underwater, photo by PC Diver Natan.

This is the largest of the Otariidae or ‘eared seals’ family.

Habitat: Northern Sea Lions are found on North-Pacific coasts; in Russia, Alaska, Japan, Canada and the USA in particular. They spend most of their time on rocky shores and in coastal water. During bad weather they stay under water. At Race Rocks , the peak in numbers of these mammals is in October to January , upwards of 400 may be reported at Race Rocks. They mix freely with the Californian Sea Lion which may number well over 1000 individuals between October and February.

See the references on Sea Lions in our RREO Index

Description: The Sea Lions at Race Rocks are mainly bachelor bulls or juvenile yearlings. Since this is not a breeding colony, mature females do not usually come here. There are clear differences between males and females. The males are larger in size and weigh more. Whereas the average sea lion male weighs 566 kg (1,245 pounds) the average female weights only 263 kg (579 pounds). Moreover, the average male has a body length of 288 cm (10 2/3 feet) while the average female has a body length of 228 cm (8 2/3 feet). Most females are yellowish or creamed color and most males are dark.
The average life span of a Steller sea lion is about 20 years for males and old females can even reach 30 years. The breeding season is between May-June and each mating produces a single pup.p10graphSteller sea lions are marine carnivores. They feed on wild fish (salmon, herring, rockfish, flounder, and Pollock) as well as on invertebrates such as squid and octopus. The Steller sea lions feed at night, usually about 15-20 km. from shore. This relatively selective diet is one of the causes of the sea lions’ decreasing numbers since they compete with humans for this food.

An Eastern Alaskan population is now on the endangered species list due to severe declines in numbers over the past decade. They are now a threatened species included in the ‘Red List’ and protected in the USA and by the Commonwealth Independent States ( CIS).

Although they dive and spent s lot of time under water, Northern Sea Lions are also known for their ‘sunbaths’ and are often watched catching sunlight on the rocky shores. Male Northern Sea Lions are generally aggressive and territorial.

References cited Dec. 2001.
http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=wildlife_news.view_article&issue_id=40&articles_id=229

See also:

The stellar sea lion: Two distinct stocks, Thomas Louglin, NMML

Other Members of the Class Mammalia at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The 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.
Dec 2001-Nufar.

 

Lumpenus sagitta: Pacific snake prickleback–Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Lumpenus sagitta, pacific snake prickleback captured by Pigeon guillemot

Lumpenus sagitta, Pacific snake prickleback captured by Pigeon guillemot. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Pigeon guillemots dive up to 15 in the channel in front of the jetty metres to get their food, mainly gunnels and pricklebacks. We see them sitting like this for long periods of time before they are sure that no predators are watching them go into their nest burrows

Kingdom Animalia–
Eumetazoa–metazoans
Bilateria —bilaterally symmetrical animals

Oystercatcher’s territory

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‘Elephant Seal’, 5, ‘Fewer females are visible on Middle Rocks. The tagged female has returned to Great Race Island despite having completed her moult. The larger females on Middle Rocks are in various stages of their moults.’, ‘Ryan’, ’20:56:43 ,
-93, ‘2010-05-12’,

“Brown Pelicans are becoming a common sight at Race Rocks. See the log of May 12, 2010: Ryan Murphy

‘The diversity of bird life continues to increase with the appearance of
Dunlins, Brandts and Pacific Loons today.
Small groups of Brandts flew West throughout the day, followed by several large flocks numbering up to 100 birds in the evening.
A mature Brown pelican roosted here for the night, much to the gulls ” dissatisfaction.
There are still 2 pairs of Harlequin ducks spending their days around Great Race Island, plus
4 Whimbrels were again seen on the SW corner of the island where up to
3 Black Oystercatcher pairs have staked nesting territories. There are a total of
7 pairs of Oystercatchers with territories on the island, but only 2 confirmed nests so far, and of those only one nest with 2 eggs at the moment. Could be a bumper year as a maximum of 5 breeding Oystercatcher pairs have been recorded in the past. ‘,
‘Northern Sea Lion’, 10, ‘The numbers of Northern Sea Lions have been down the past several days, however they are still finding food in the reserve. A commotion right above the tidal turbine today attracted a number of gulls, and I could soon see a Northern sea lion was thrashing a large fish on the surface. Reviewing my photos it turns out the sea lion had captured a wolf eel! Long tasty filets on those protected fish, I can ”t say I ”m not envious!’,

‘Ryan’, ’21:10:38 ,

Acipenser transmontanus: white sturgeon

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In this amazing picture, Ryan captured the spray of blood from the sturgeon as the northern sealion takes a bite. This is a first record we have for sturgeon in the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. These images were taken by Ryan Murphy on the evening of March 2, 2009.

See Ryan’s Flickr site:

For confirmation of the identity of this fish, we contacted Lisa Spaven of DFO in Nanaimo and she helped us get in touch with a number of Canadian and American specialists in Sturgeon. There were some initial considerations that it may be a Green Sturgeoon but as the following conversation indicates, they have settled on the White Sturgeon:

Mar 06,2009,
From Chris Wood:
Conservation Biology Section
Science Branch, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Biological Station:
Hi Troy
White or green?

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Mar 08,2009
From Troy Nelson: Director of Science
Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society
” I have looked at the pics of the sturgeon at Race Rocks and think it
may indeed be a white. Although darker/tinted coloration is present, I think this may be partially caused by the low sun and color of the sunset (see the pinks in the water behind the fish in the last pic).Most notable is the lack of a dark stripe on the bottom side of the sturgeon, anterior of the pectoral fins.  There is one shot of the bottom of the sturgeon and this section looks devoid of any dark stripe.I have attached pics of a confrimed green sturgeon (from the Albion Test Fishery); note the dark stipe that ends in an “arrowhead” shape on underside of the upper body. I have copied Olaf Langness (WA DFW) who works with green sturgeon; he may be able to confirm if the Race Rocks sturgeon is a green (or white) in 10 seconds or less”.

——————————————

March 9, 2009
From Chris Wood

“Thanks Troy, I was expecting it to be a green sturgeon in that location, but in one
picture, there seemed to be a (too?)close spacing of lateral scutes
between the pelvic and anal fin. We’ll see what Olaf says”…

——————————————

March 9, 2009
Olaf Langness Fisheries Biologist (Washigton State Department of Fish and Wildlife)
“Thanks Troy for sending this to me.
I would say your assessment is correct.  I think the Race Rock sturgeon was a white sturgeon.  Besides your comments about the lack of a belly stripe, I also think the lateral scutes look small and plentiful, more that of white sturgeon than green sturgeon.  As to the pink coloration, I agree that some of that may be the result of time of day when the photo was taken, but also would not be unusual for a sturgeon under stress to pink up on the lighter belly area, and even to darken slightly on top.  Furthermore, there are way more white sturgeon identified in the surrounding waters of Race Rocks (off southern tip of Vancouver Island, in the Straits of Juan de Fuca) than green sturgeon, based on tagging studies and commercial or recreational landing reports. As you know, white sturgeon are being attacked this time of year, just below Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.  Many of these fish are mature adults, taken by large Steller  (Northern)  Sea Lions.  The more prevalent California Sea Lions are smaller than the Stellers, so they tend to go after salmon and mostly leave the sturgeon alone. While we have been authorized to kill up to 85 California Sea Lions a year, the Steller Sea Lion is listed under our Endangered Species Act. So our marine mammal hazement program is  focused on reducing predation on spring chinook salmon, and limited on what can be done to control the predation on sturgeon.  This is of great concern to sturgeon managers in Washington and Oregon, especially due to the sea lions targeting of the spawning broodstock .”

———————————–

March 9,2009
Chris C. Wood


Species transmontanus
Common Name: White sturgeon
Pacific White Sturgeon

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Acipenseriformes
Suborder Acipenseroidei
Family Acipenseridae
Subfamily Acipenserinae
Genus Acipenser
Species transmontanus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The 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. March 2 2009- Ryan Murphy

Falco peregrinus: Peregrine falcon –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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ryanperegrine

This photo was taken on Race Rocks by Ryan Murphy in December of 2008.

See all the posts on this website with observations of Peregrines

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: peregrinus
Common Name: Peregrine falcon

Unusual footage taken by Pam Birley using the remote camera 5 of a falcon eating a seabird. Also see similar sequence on right below..

 

The Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, is a bird of prey (or raptor) which has captured the attention and imagination of ornithologists and bird-watchers alike for several thousand years. With a body length of 15-20 inches and a body weight of 1.25-3.75 lbs, the falcon is built specifically for travelling at high speeds (up to 180 m.p.h.) in order to catch its prey. The name Falco peregrinus is derived from the Latin falx, or sickle-shaped, and peregrinus, meaning wandering. It is unclear whether the former is derived from the shape of the bird’s silhouette in the sky or from the shape of its beak, but the latter name comes undoubtedly from its propensity to migrate great distances.In the picture of a Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle from his Flickr site, Ryan Murphy said
“This was amazing to witness in person, I regret not having been able to capture it better than this! Just before this the eagle rolled backwards towards the chasing falcon… awesome aerial battle!”
Predation
Two sequences of pictures from Race Rocks below have been taken by Pam Birley showing the peregrine eating a shorebird.and a sea gull. Though peregrine falcons, like other birds of prey, are considered to be near the top of the food web, they are not completely free from predators. Great horned owls and golden eagles have been known to attack them. Humans have also been known to take their eggs in hopes to raise the falcons for hunting purposes.
As top predators, peregrine falcons play an important ecosystem role in regulating the populations of their prey.
Habitat
Peregrine Falcons prefer open habitats such as grasslands, tundra, and meadows. They nest on cliff faces and crevices. They have recently begun to colonize urban areas because tall buildings are suitable for nesting in this species, and because of the abundance of pigeons as prey items.
Peregrine falcons prey almost exclusively on birds, including mourning doves, pigeons, shorebirds, (see slide shows above) waterfowl, and smaller songbirds. They will also eat small reptiles and mammals. Although peregrine falcons capture their prey with their claws, they generally kill prey with their beak.The photos for this slide show and video were taken on the remote camera 5 at Race Rocks, by Pam Birley operating the camera from Great Britain. Pam had observed the peregrine falcon on various perches around the island in the mornings for several weeks in October and November. Her persistence paid off on November 17, 2005. Pam wrote in her e-mail ….”Today we had just returned home .. I just came up to the computer, switched it on and there was Perry with his breakfast….I really caught him in the act of devouring his prey today! “You may see other pictures that Pam has taken using the remote camera at Race Rocks by clicking here to go to her photo album .
CLICK ON THE BLANK SPACE

PEREGRINE FALCONS AT RACEROCKS: OCTOBER, 2004

Pam Birley of Leicester England captured some of the pictures remotely on robotic camera 5 and Mike Slater, our reserve guardian took the pictures of the antenna perch on the towerPam was interviewed recently about her wildlife viewing on racerocks.com
ref: Anderson, Charlie, “Live Wildlife for your Living Room “,
The Province (newspaper) , Vancouver, B.C. ( Sunday, Nov.21, 2004)

Conservation Status
Peregrine falcons have suffered due to their dangerous position atop the food chain. Pesticides accumulate in small (not lethal) quantities in the tissues of small birds and mammals, but become concentrated enough in predatory birds, such as falcons, to kill them or render them incapable of producing offspring. Organochlorine pesticides (DDT and dieldrin) have been proven to reduce the birds’ ability to produce eggshells with sufficient calcium content, making the egg shells thin and more likely to break. Peregrine falcon populations dropped greatly in the middle of the 20th century, they were threatened worldwide by the increasing use of pesticides. All breeding pairs vanished in the Eastern United States. A successful captive breeding/reintroduction program, combined with restrictions in pesticide use, has been the basis of an amazing recovery by peregrine falcons. Now the use of many of the chemicals most harmful to these birds is restricted. It is not yet restricted in the areas of Central and South American where many subspecies spend the winter. After having been on the endangered list since 1969, the incredible recovery of Peregrine Falcons has become a perfect example of how effective human conservation can be. In the 1990’s they were taken off the lists of endangered species in the United States.

Jan 25, 2010 Brian Mury sent this link to a set of images he took from Camera 1 on the top of the tower. The falcon is perched on the FM antenna which is used by Environment Canada to transmit anemometer readings from the top of the tower.

 

Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The 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.

Chiara Ravetti PC yr 31

 

Calliostoma ligatum: Blue top snail–The Race Rocks taxonomy

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topsnail
Calliostoma ligatum surrounded by Epiactis or brooding anemone.

Size: To 1″(25mm)diameter

Screen Shot 2016-07-25 at 9.05.20 PM

Upper left is Caliostoma ligatum photo by Ryan Murphy

Range: Northern B.C. South to California. This species is very common subtidally and intertidally at Race Rocks. It is common in rocky areas and kelp beds to 100′(30m) and deeper, among algae and under rocks.

At RaceRocks it is frequently used as a dwelling by small hermit crabs.
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Order Archaeogastropoda
Family Calliostomatidae
Genus Calliostoma
Species ligatum
Common Name: Blue top snail


Food: Omnivorous feeding on hydroids, bryozoans, detritus and diatoms.This common and abundant species also eats compound tuncates and sponges

Comments:. It exhibits an escape response to the ochre sea star Pisaster ochraceus .
Other Members of the Phylum Mollusca at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The 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.

 

Dec. 2002 Carmen Zana (PC yr29)

Bald Eagle Predation on Birds at Race Rocks

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We received the pictures for this file attached to an e-mail from Pam Birley, a regular observer from England on our cameras. She saved these images from our remote camera so we have quoted her e-mail here describing the events as they unfolded…….

. ” On January 22/04, it was a peaceful scene on the cliff with a large group of cormorants and a grazing goose….when suddenly a young bald eagle swooped down and made a meal of one of the birds….

 

Note that the cormorants were swimming out beyond their perch at this point as the eagle stands on his prey . …..A passing seal kept popping up to see what was going on….

 

…….and when the eagle had finished its meal it flew off, leaving the rest of the carcas for the seagulls to finish off.. Quite a little drama. What a fantastic site – always something of interest”

 

….Pam goes on to say…” Do you know where the elephant seal is (we call him Big Guy) – I can hear him but can’t find him on the cam – he was under that rock for about a week. I belong to Whale Watchers Group on Yahoo, most of us being addicts of Orca-Live.com during the summer and we have been pasting some RR captures on that site. We do give credit to you of course and we are spreading the word about your excellent website. Thank you so much !!! .”….

(ed. note) : Well thank you Pam! We really value your observation and quick action in recording these scenes and sending them along to us as an e-mail attachment. One of our Japanese students has suggested the name “Debu” (Fatty in Japanese) for the elephant seal that spends much of his time up on the main island. If you can hear him but not see him, he is hauled out just out of range of the camera on the North side of the house. He likes the soft long grass of one of the lawns. See the marine mammals archives for several videos of this elephant seal who was badly injured last year.