Animal Census

Posted on Wednesday,August 20, 2014 by Julie Bowser

Low winds today picking up in the afternoon/evening. Clear skies for most of the day. Forecasted winds of 15 knots for tomorrow morning rising to 30 in the afternoon.

Animal Census (by Anne):

Steller Sea Lions 229

California Sea Lions 388

Harbour Seals 81

Glaucous-winged Gulls 301 (including 29 chicks)

Double-crested Cormorant 3

Pelagic Cormorant 1

Canada Goose 11

Black Oyster Catcher 11

Black Turnstone 1

Greater Yellow legs 1

Very large mixed species feeding groups to the west southwest of reserve including 100s of Rhinoceros auklets, Common Murres, Heerman’s Gulls and California Gulls.

37 whale watching boats

5 recreational boats

3-4 trips from Second Nature

Baleen whale this morning spotted feeding in the same place as yesterday evening, to the SW end of the reserve.

Anne continued with training today. James from Hybrid Plumbing came out to fix the water heater this morning. Changed cartridge filters on desalinator. Prepared for shift change.

Animal Census

Posted on Sunday,August 17, 2014 by Julie Bowser

Fog all day. Northwest winds 5-15 knots all day. Barometric pressure from peaking at 1810.0 midday but only dropping to 1610.0 hPa. 15-20 knot winds predicted for tomorrow with fog.

Animal Census:
161 Gulls
47 Guillemots
3 Elephant seals
537 Sea lions (Steller and California)
3 River otters
4 Double-crested cormorants
120 Harbour seals
15 Black oystercatchers

13 whale watching boats

5 recreational boats

Second Nature also came out for two visits today with some alumni that are here for the ten year reunion, although they did not dock. Still having hot water and desalinator issues. Prepped for shift change.

More sea lions

Posted on Tuesday,August 12, 2014 by Julie Bowser

Winds between 5-15 knots for most of the day. Barometric pressure peaking midday. A few showers forecasted for tomorrow and risk of thunderstorms tonight.

18 whale watching boats

3 recreational fishing boats

A float plane did laps around the island this morning around 0900h taking counts on some marine mammals. Another one passed through the reserve this afternoon.

More than two hundred sea lions on the main island now and more on Middle Rock. I noticed today that although the population on the main island is mixed Stellar and California, there is a higher density of Californias on the main island and a higher density of Stellars on Middle Rock. A tagged elephant seal arrived today but I could not get close enough to its tags without frightening it.

The PSYL coordinators arrived around 1900h this evening and will be here two nights.

Branded sea lion 183R shows up at Race Rocks

Posted on Tuesday,August 12, 2014 by Garry Fletcher

Our viewer from England, Pam Birley, sent us this image image of a branded Northern Sea lion (Steller’s) that she had taken with the remote control camera 5 today. She noted that this is the first time this particular one has shown up in her records which she has been keeping for several years now.

For other posts on branded sea-lions, see this link: https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/branded/

For our taxonomy file and gallery of images on this sealion see our archived file: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/nufar.htm

Also for an explanation of why the tagging program goes on see this link also on our website: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/marmam/sealion/tracking/tracking.ht

Branded Northern sealion # 183R

Business as usual

Posted on Friday,June 6, 2014 by Courtney Edwards

Fog in the am. Clear the rest of the day. Moderate Westerlies all day (Force 4), Strong Westerlies this evening (Force 8).
The barometer peaked around 1000 and then dropped. Forecast continues for calm mornings, strong West afternoons.

2 tour boats
3 halibut boats on the edge of the reserve
2 fishing boats passed through

Today was business as usual for the reserve animals. There were 4 California Sea lions and 1 Steller on the South seal rocks. The large male elephant seal wasn’t around. There are lots of eggs in the Gull nests.

-Max came out for some training for his stint next week as station relief while I am away
-We almost got the vhf antenna set up on the Science house, but had some ladder troubles
-Finished Keeper’s house bathroom painting
-Tidied Keeper’s house

Animal Census

Posted on Wednesday,May 28, 2014 by Courtney Edwards

String Westerlies. Clear skies. Force 6-7. The barometer has been fairly steady all day. The forecast is for the strong westerlies to continue. Big tides this week, down to 0.3m and up to 2.3m. The current running around +/- 5 knots each day. 6 tour boats 2 halibut boats Animal Census Elephant seal: 20 Harbour Seal: 152 Steller Sea lion: 14 California Sea lion: 12 Eagle: 3 Canada Goose: 36 + 7 goslings Oyster Catcher: 8 Pigeon Guillemot: 161 Gull: 303 Continue reading →

Sealion death

Posted on Sunday,January 5, 2014 by Alex Fletcher

Clear sky, wind 15 NMPH NE, signs of frost overnight.

This morning the sealion that has been in poor health and isolation during the past weeks was deceased on the rocks in the east bay of the island.

Bertha still near centre of island.

One ecotour vessel was in the reserve today.

-replaced corroded electrical plug on flush pump in diesel building
-cleaned panels
-cut, chopped, wood
-cleared a new storage space in the water tank shed for more fire wood storage

Branded Sea lion with a story

Posted on Thursday,December 12, 2013 by Garry Fletcher

Pam Birley sent this capture of a ” numbered Northern, Steller sealion 75Y. it was on the SW rocks. I have seen this one previously and reported it to Pat Gearin, here is his reply from my previous sightings:”

“Hello Pam, I’m pretty certain this is 75Y, a 7-year old male from St. George Reef, CA.
He has 11 previous re-sights, including 2 from Washington and 9 from BC.
I think you reported him at Race Rocks previously on 22 April 2008. He was also sighted numerous times along the SW coast of Vancouver Island, as recently as Sept. 2008. Thanks for forwarding his observation. Regards, Pat Gearin.

See this page for other branding sightings:

https://www.racerocks.ca/race-rocks-animals-plants/marine-mammal-tracking/

one day of summer

Posted on Thursday,November 28, 2013 by Courtney Edwards

Clear skies. Light wind. Glassy seas. 9’C

DND blast: 1055, 1 medium blast

DFO has decided to extend our contract for the recreation fishing count. It starts again on December 1st, and continues until March.

The Canada Geese returned today, hopefully they don’t stay long, and I would prefer it if they stayed off my paths. I was told that the Sea lions leave this time of year, but there’s no sign of it happening yet, with over 1000 Sea lions still in the reserve. Maybe it’s because we have had such a mild Winter, with very few storms. They are mostly out on the Cobble beach on the South side of Greater Race and South Rocks. There are only a few by the jetty. The male elephant seal is still lounging on Middle Rock in easy view of Camera 5 on the West Bluff.

Animal Census
Stellar Sea lion: 479
California Sea lion: 555
Harbour seal: 47
Elephant seal: 1
Gulls: 159
Cormorants: 99
Oster Catcher: 4
Black Turnstone: 6
Eagle: 1
Raven: 1