Tag Archives: seagull chick

Getting Your Feet Wet

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Weather: 

  • Sky partially overcast
  • Visibility 15+ miles in the afternoon, heavy fog in the morning
  • Wind 15 knots W
  • Calm water

Boats/Visitors: 

  • This afternoon I (Kai) dropped Mara off on land, she will be away for a few days – I have the rock to myself!
  • Pearson vessel Second Nature has been doing water tours around Race Rocks

Ecological: 

  • The sea lions double in number every day, and you smell them before you see them… Many can be seen with open wounds, 3-6″ long bloody cuts in their sides and back.
  • Beside the jetty, I spotted a young seagull getting its feet wet in the protected waters. This is the first time we’ve seen them enter the sea.

The Flag is Back

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Weather: 

  • Sky overcast, some clear patches (not much solar power generated today)
  • Visibility 15+ miles, no fog
  • Wind 10-20 knots W
  • Water calm. Some interesting standing wave patterns lately.

Boats/Visitors: 

  • On Thursday Greg came in the afternoon to top up our water supply. Pearson alum Norbert (currently alum in residence) also came along for the ride to check out our solar panels and provide suggestions for future improvements. Pearson maintenance volunteer Jimmy also stopped in for the night to visit race rocks before he goes home to Mexico. Safe travels!
  • We had many hands on deck, so we were able to successfully repair and raise the flagpole.
  • Yesterday Greg visited with a group of college guests who toured the island.

Ecological: 

  • The sea lions have started to haul out on the N + S/SW sides of Great Race Rock.
  • The oyster catcher chicks have grown to be nearly as big as their parents and are flying all over!
  • The seagull chicks are getting bigger and when rival adults attack they now fight back. On Thursday we spotted a chick with one eye pecked out and were concerned that it would not survive. Fortunately, when we checked later it was doing well.
  • There have been large numbers of black turnstones present this past week, 30+ at once