Wildlife Census

Posted on Tuesday,February 25, 2025 by Tristan Blaine

BOOM! With the nice weather improving, a huge cohort of Steller Sea Lions showed up, and took over South Islands. This is a change from the typical South Seal Rocks haul-out next to the generator shed. I’ve attached a Reserve Map for those interested.

South Islands got COVERED in Steller Sea Lions this week.

Race Rocks Reserve Map

Bull Stellers had to figure out the pecking order for the summit.

Mammals:

Stellar Sea lions: 250
California Sea lion: 150
Harbour Seal: 22
Sea Otter: 1 (Ollie?)

Birds

Gulls: 50
Cormorants: 55
Eagle: 4 Adult, 6 Juvenile
Turnstones: 30
Canada Geese: 7 – 3 breeding pairs
Oystercatcher: 44
Pigeon Guillemots: 73
Harlequin Ducks: 4

Pigeon Guillemots taking over the NW bluffs of Race Rocks.

Harlequin Ducks on South Seal Rocks

Double-crested Cormorant

Harbour Seals love that low-low tide.

I was recently reminded that Trans-Mountain is now operational, and we’re seeing an increase in tanker traffic in the Juan-de Fuca Straight.

PIGU!!! On a good day the Pigeon Guillemots can almost drown out the sea lion barking.

Black Oystercatchers are used as an indicator of good coastal ecosystem health.

Probably Ollie, lurking on the edge of South Islands for a few days.

I was trying to decide if Ollie was carrying around an old River Otter again. Your guess is as good as mine here.

Black Turnstone love foraging around the edges of the footpath and outcropping rocks.

Census + Spring has sprung!

Posted on Tuesday,February 18, 2025 by Tristan Blaine

Pearson Students coming out to see the wildlife!

This week Second Nature made a trip out with some students to see the Sea Lions! It’s always great to see just how excited students are to see Race Rocks!

California Sea Lion loving that cozy sunshine.

Canada Geese can eat up to up to 2kg of grass a day. It noticable.

Weather has been fantastic, with new Pigeon Guillemots and Oystercatchers showing up.

Mammals:

Stellar Sea lions: 64
California Sea lion: 87
Harbour Seal: 14

Birds

Gulls: 55
Cormorants: 25
Eagle: 2 Adult, 2 Juvenile
Turnstones: 14
Canada Geese: 5 – 2 breeding pairs
Oystercatcher: 15
Pigeon Guillemots: 52

Ocean swell coming up the Juan de Fuca onto the jetty.

Sea Lion VS Fence

Posted on Tuesday,October 15, 2024 by Kendra Luckow

The never ending battle of sea lions vs electric fence continues!

They behaved themselves overnight with only a couple posts knocked over which in their defence…could have been the wind.

However today was not remotely windy and every time I went outside the fence needed some level of repair. Down by the jetty was jam packed with California sea lions, a few stellers, and even two elephant seals. Throughout the day they continued to rip down lines and tear out the screws, but I managed to keep up with it (or so I thought).

I had just come inside and sat down with a cup of tea when I looked out my window to see a giant steller lounging on the jetty with the electric fence resting on his back….a good indicator that it was grounding out somewhere.

Something tells me the fence isn’t very hot…

Back outside I went and found the source of the problem – a piece of fence so frayed it was hanging on for dear life and it was clear that no current could run through that. I fixed the fence with fresh fencing material and adjusted the other area around the jetty so that nothing was touching the cement.

Fixed!

I plugged the fence back in and crossed my fingers. No one was back on the jetty by the time it got dark so we’ll see how the night goes!

As per usual, whales everywhere today!

Facility Work:

Topped up battery electrolytes
Repaired electric fence

Vessels:

Ecotourism: 7
Private: 0

Weather:

Sky: Cloudy
Wind: Low of 1 knot, high of 7 knots
Sea: Mostly calm
Temperature: Low 9•C, High 15•C

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Friday Fun

Posted on Friday,May 10, 2024 by Kendra Luckow

Today was another gorgeous day with little to no wind and temperatures reaching 25 degrees celsius! I spent the morning puttering around the site and completing tasks like the weekly battery top up. The usual animals are around today, all 4 elephant seals, a handful of sea lions, and of course – Ollie.

In the afternoon, Cedric brought two groups of Pearson student’s over for visit, most of whom had never been to Race Rocks before. It’s always nice to have visitors and I thoroughly enjoy answering questions about the reserve and my job.

Only a few ecotourism vessels today but I expect I’ll see plenty over the weekend if the weather stays like this.

The water around jetty is crystal clear, it’s so fun to watch the sea lions swim and play beneath the waters surface. As I type this now, I am watching a young California sea lion leap out of the water as if it’s having the time of its life.

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Chaos and Creatures!

Posted on Thursday,May 9, 2024 by Kendra Luckow

Today was so action packed I’m not even sure where to begin!

I woke up just after sunrise as I knew today was going to be busy and I wanted to get a few tasks out of the way. At 6am it was already warm out with barely a breeze. The ocean was glassy as I cleaned the solar panels – which were yet again decorated by the birds.

Around 8:30am the first group of Pearson students were dropped off for their marine science exam which was taking place here at Race Rocks. By 9am we had 46 humans on the island which is a lot after not seeing anyone for a whole week. Today’s tide was one of the lowest I’ve seen since being here and its neat to see the rocks and small islands that are usually well below the surface.

Halfway through the exam we had a surprise visit from Coast Guard via helicopter to continue working on the fog horn. Thankfully all of the students were safely tucked away working on their exams down in the tide pools when it arrived. This time they had a smaller helicopter so they actually landed on the grass next to the tower rather than the helipad. Overall disturbance was limited aside from birds leaving the area (but immediately returning) and the minor panic exhibited by me.

If that wasn’t excitement enough, we saw 3 passing transient killer whales shortly after! Once again, they were quite far in the distance but always nice to see. One of these days I’ll see them up close!

On return to the school, one of the boats found a deceased harbour porpoise floating on the surface. I reported this to DFO and the animal was collected and brought back to the college where it can be stored in a freezer until the DFO team and veterinary pathologist are able to perform a necropsy.

The afternoon slowed down once it was just me and the animals alone on site. Ollie was relaxing in the kelp beds, the sea lions were quiet, and the sun was toasty. I ventured down to the rocks behind the student house to soak up some sun when something shiny caught my eye. Partially sticking out in the dirt I picked up what originally looked like some sort of bivalve or calcified shell, almost something you’d expect to see on a tropical beach. Upon picking it up I realized how heavy it was and that it actually appeared to be man made, with grooves that seemed as though they would hold rope or line. My next guess was that it was a lead fishing weight of some sort or maybe a piece of similar equipment. I rinsed it off and sent some photos to colleagues to further inquire. One of the other Eco Guardians, Derek, helped me to ID it as an “open-end strain insulator” and it supports guy wires/cables by working under compression. Through a page on the Maine Historical Society website I was also able to learn that this porcelain egg like tool was made in 1900. How wild is that! I know this island holds more history than I’ll ever know, but never did I think I’d stumble across a little piece of it among the dirt and the goose poop. I’m going to have a read through some books here tonight and see if there are any photos or mention of it!

: From the website of Collections of Maine Historical Society

Wow, okay I think that is everything for today! Race Rocks will never cease to amaze me.

…I guess I spoke/posted too soon! Shortly after publishing this blog post I spotted a brown pelican circling the reserve and figured it deserved a mention!

Additional info:

Ecotourism vessels: 10+ busiest day I’ve seen so far!

Weather:

Sky: Blue skies and sunny
Wind: High of 8 knots, Low of 2 knots
Sea: Glassy
Temperature: Low 8•C, High 22 •C

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Helicopter Visitors

Posted on Tuesday,May 7, 2024 by Kendra Luckow

It seems as though the strong wind is here to stay! At least for the next few days that is. Thankfully the sky was blue and sunny which made the wind a little less nasty and allowed the batteries to charge fully on solar.

Spot the imposter

4 Ecotourism vessels today, I hope they saw lots – it looked like a very bumpy ride!
2 technicians and a pilot from Coast Guard stopped by via helicopter this afternoon to work on the fog horn. It’s the first time I’ve heard it the fog horn go off and its actually far less alarming than what I made it out to be in my head.
- Coast Guard gave me heads up that they would be coming today to ensure the helipad was clear of any wildlife. Their arrival did spook the sea lions near the jetty as I expected it would even though they didn’t pass directly overtop of them. They did pass over the 3 elephant seals on the grass and being the giant slugs that they are they raised their heads to look up for a couple of seconds and were back asleep before the helicopter even landed. Overall there was far less disturbance than I assumed their be which was great!

Ollie spent the day in the middle of the channel and only left the area when a large Steller swam past flinging around an octopus. Fair enough Ollie, I wouldn’t want octopus guts flying my way either!

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

Another Windy Day

Posted on Monday,May 6, 2024 by Kendra Luckow

Today was another blustery day and the weather couldn’t seem to make up its mind. The wind remained around 30knots throughout the day but the rest was a mix of blue sky and sun to dark clouds and pouring rain, and everything in between.

The sea lions don’t seem to mind the wind and looked as cozy as ever on their rocks. The gulls hunkered down with their heads tucked under their wings, the rest of the birds seemed to continue as normal. That includes the one goose that hangs out near the crane and stalks me whenever I walk in that general vicinity despite not having a visible nest (or mate) nearby. I also watched the same goose chase an elephant seal this morning but she seemed rather unbothered by it. I am still learning about birds and their behaviours but this particular goose seems to be holding a grudge!!

I didn’t expect to see Ollie today. With the wind and current being as strong as it is, I assumed he’d be tucked somewhere sheltered or asleep in a bed of mussels. Nope! I spotted him in the most exposed area possible, snoozing in a kelp bed – dead centre in the middle of the channel. I could barely see him between waves but he was completely unbothered by the weather.

Despite the poor weather I did count 4 ecotourism vessels within the reserve today.

Nothing else to note today!

** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **

August 20 and 21

Posted on Sunday,August 21, 2022 by Ann Nightingale

Compost project was completed on Saturday, with incorporation of a barrel of rain/fog water from the roof as the final touch. The rainwater was heavily contaminated with gull droppings, so not useful for much, but excellent to keep the compost moist and provide nutrients. The number and aroma of sea lions is increasing, but bird diversity remains low.

Ecological Notes:

Only the alpha male and one young female elephant seal were seen present in the last couple of days. The male remained in his spot alongside the science house until mid-day Sunday. One of the young females made her way to that spot Sunday morning, and was still in place at sunset.
Only passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird.
Another branded Steller’s sea lion (431Y) was seen. He was branded at Rogue Reef, Oregon in Jul 2013, and had not been reported since 2014. (Although some data is still pending.
Birders touring the area on Sunday found a single Common Tern, rare for this area.
A Short-billed Dowitcher was on East Beach on Sunday.
The aroma from the California sea lions and resulting flies are increasing. All California sea lions have remained outside the fence–so far.
See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

Yesterday (Saturday, August 20):
- Sky: Overcast in the early morning becoming clear and sunny
- Wind: W/WNW 12-29 kts
- Sea: light chop to 3′ chop
- Temperature Low 13^oC, High 17^oC
Today (Sunday, August 21):
- Sky: Overcast in the early morning becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon
- Wind: W/WSW 9-24 kts
- Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
- Temperature Low 14 ^oC, High 16 ^oC

Facility Work:

Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
Compost renewal project completed
Fences all checked and one west of lighthouse repaired

Vessel Traffic:

Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ships are going through daily.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

Brown Pelicans

Short-billed-Dowitcher

Surfbirds

Short-billed Dowitcher with Black Turnstones

Birders checking out the shorebirds in East Bay

Young Glaucous-winged Gulls and young elephant seal

Young elephant seal beside the Science Building

Harbour seal and pup

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Bonaparte’s Gull

Steller’s sea lions

Branded Steller’s sea lion

Steller’s sea lions

Collected rainwater makes good compost moisture!

Boards all in place and ready for compost action

Compost project – Done!

August 18 and 19

Posted on Friday,August 19, 2022 by Ann Nightingale

The compost rejuvenation project is almost complete! The first chamber was completely emptied with the compost spread to various locations, but mainly in the hollow along the main path to the Ecoguardian’s residence. The compost still in process from the second chamber was put into the first chamber, then topped with some completed compost which can be used to cover any new materials added. Compost from the second chamber was used to fill some voids around both residences, although it was not all used up. There remains about 1/3 of the mature compost, piled up for future removal or to cover new compostable materials. The final steps are to reattach the boards and maybe one more little thing…

Ecological Notes:

All three elephant seals were seen on August 18. One of the young females followed the alpha male all the way to his usual place alongside the researcher residence. She stayed with him for about 5 hours before returning on her own to the ramp.
Only passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird.
The branded California sea lion (X759) seen Wednesday originates from Astoria, Oregon. He was branded in Feb 2017 and had not been reported away from that site after March 2017.
A Sooty Shearwater was seen south of Race Rocks on Friday.
At least one Ruddy Turnstone remains.
Very quiet on the water over the last two days.
See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

Yesterday (Thursday, August 18):
- Sky: Overcast in the early morning becoming clear and sunny
- Wind: Variable 1-21 kts
- Sea: calm to rippled
- Temperature Low 15^oC, High 27^oC
Today (Friday, August 19):
- Sky: Overcast with distant morning thunderstorms. Fog in the late morning, but mostly clear in the afternoon.
- Wind: mostly W 3-34 kts
- Sea: calm to 3′ chop.
- Temperature Low 13^oC, High 21^oC

Facility Work:

Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed.
Chimney at the ecoguardian house cleaned on Thursday
Fence east of lighthouse repaired
Compost renewal project continues and is near the end.

Vessel Traffic:

Many Canadian ecotour boats have been nearby and heading through the waters of the ecological reserve. Cruise ships are going through daily.

Here are photo highlights from the past two days. Click on the photos for larger views and captions.

Young elephant seal following adult male

Adult elephant seal and young female next to the researcher residence

Pigeon Guillemot

Brandt’s Cormorant

California Gull

Sunset from the researcher residence, with gull embellishment on the windows.

Compost being used to fill previous hoes and trenches.

Compost bin 1 ready for action

Compost bin 2 mostly emptied and remaining compost turned

Looking as good as new

Gulls are coming in with lots of bait fish for their young.

August 12 and 13

Posted on Saturday,August 13, 2022 by Ann Nightingale

Two new visitors, Carl and Brady Hughes came to Race Rocks on Friday. They will be put into service helping clean solar panels, windows and decks. Carl will also assist with bird reports and attempt to record night-flying migrants passing over the island.

Ecological Notes:

Increasing numbers of California Gulls around the island. This smaller gull doesn’t tend to intermingle with the nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls very much.
Passerines seen in the last two days were Brown-headed Cowbird and Barn Swallow. Readers are reminded that Race Rocks is an eBird hotspot and more detailed updates on bird sightings can be found at Race Rocks, Capital District, BC, CA – eBird Hotspot
Two Ruddy Turnstones continue to be seen.
Sea lion numbers continue to climb. A branded Steller’s sea lion (183R) was seen on the north rocks near the jetty. Information is being sought and updates will be provided.
Whale action picked up on Saturday, Aug 13 with multiple sightings of humpbacks and Orca.
Low tides continue to expose the intertidal areas in the early morning.
Only one young elephant seal was seen on Aug 12 and none on Aug 13. The alpha male continues on the island, often resting near the researcher residence.
See photos below for more ecological sightings.

Weather:

Yesterday (Friday, August 12):
- Sky: Overcast, with a few sunny periods
- Wind: W 13-33 kts
- Sea: up to 3′ chop
- Temperature Low 11 ^oC, High 19 ^oC
Today (Saturday, August 13):
- Sky: Cloudy most of the day
- Wind: Variable calm-24 kts
- Sea: calm to light chop
- Temperature Low 13 ^oC, High 17 ^oC

Facility Work:

Solar panels cleaned daily. Windows washed. Two loads of water pumped from the Second Nature to the holding tank. Desalinator pump expected in the next week. Deck at the ecoguardian house partially scrubbed.
Compost renewal project continues.

Vessel Traffic: