Weather
Boats/Visitors
Ecological
Weather
Ecological
Boats
Except for the chill early and late, April 9th was almost like a summer day. Solar radiation reached a high of ~825 watts/meter2 today, certainly enough to make bull kelp shoot up and solar panels top up batteries. Light airs from the south barely moved the flag most of the day and the westerlies The barometer was fairly steady today but is falling now and the forecast is for increasing cloudiness overnight and rain tomorrow.
A pod of four Killer Whales (probably Bigg’s or transients) passes close by Race Rocks Ecological Reserve today heading west.
There was active whale watching activity today and six tour boat visits observed inside the Ecological Reserve. A pod of four Killer Whales passing just to the south of the Ecological Reserve drew a crowd. There seemed to be a small one that was breaching, a larger sub-adult, a large adult male and a female. I did not see the whales enter the Ecological Reserve.
There was military blasting today on the surface at Bentick Island, from late morning through into the afternoon.
Harlequin drake feeding in the shallows off Great Race.
Thursday is census day and here are the results.
Killer Whales 4 (just outside of ER)
Northern Elephant Seals 19
Harbour Seals 87
California Sea lions 31
Northern Sea lions 27
Canada Geese 22
Harlequin Ducks 8
Pelagic Cormorants 15
Double Crested Cormorants 12
Brandt’s Cormorants 4 (Flying through, did not stop.)
Bald Eagle 2 adults, 6 sub-adult
Turkey Vulture 1
Killdeer 2 (at least, difficult to count in the dark)
Black Oystercatcher 8
Black Turnstone 7
Surfbird 9
Pigeon Guillemots 344
Glaucous-winged Gull 298
Gull sp. 1 (see photo)
Northwestern Crow 10
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Harlequin drake and hen take off.
Lots of chores were completed today, including extras like fixing the solar panel squeegee, washing outside windows, fixing another bench, beach-combing and tidying. We rearranged the desk/office area to make it more efficient and ergonomic, stood radio watch for a field trip to Swordfish Island, fixed the phone/internet again with subsequent re-boots of weather system and underwater camera, etc. Internet/phone down again just as I go to post this. Now back up after one last tower visit for the night.
Light rain and partially cloudy in the early morning; sunny for the rest of the day
Wind: W 6-27 knots
Air Temperature: Low 8.4°C, High 11.4°C
Ocean Temperature: 8.8°C
The visiting group of students toured the island and helped run the desalinator. In the afternoon they did a leadership initiative of setting up two levels of scaffolding and scrubbing the algae from the west wall of the Marine Science Centre. They did an amazing job of looking out for everyone’s safety and cleaning the walls.
A turkey vulture was seen in the early afternoon hovering by the Eco-Guardian’s house. It flew north towards Bentinck Island. They are rarely seen here at this time of year. Occasionally they pass through in the fall, on their southern migration routes.
There were two eco tour boat seen in the reserve today.
Alex Fletcher took this picture of a turkey vulture and included it in the Race Rocks Log of . We occasionally see Turkey Vultures at Race Rocks, rarely landed but often wheeling in the air. In October when migrating, they gather at this southern end of Vancouver Island, working up on the thermals until they have enough altitude and the conditions are right to cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca
| Carol Slater noted in The Daily Log, Thursday, March 28, 2002 Good Evening TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.1 ºC »» Min. 6.0 ºC »» Reset 7.1 ºC »» Rain 2.6 mm MARINE LIFE: 4 Bald Eagles – 3 mature, only one pair of Geese today. Another wet and windy day but did have some visitors of note-just before noon 4 Turkey Vultures landed on the ridge just west of the Learning Centre. The other birds were somewhat wary but did not try to drive away the big vultures as they do with the eagles.The geese were very curious and waddled over to have a look all the time waving their necks back and forth. |
| Unfortunately by the time the geese made their way from the flagpole to where the vultures were, they had taken off towards Bentinck Island.Turkey Vultures often land here during the fall migration but this is the first time I can remember seeing them in the spring.The small elephant seal is still hauled out on the ramp,it’s nose just 3 metres from the boat house door, quite comfortable and unconcerned with us passing by even just inches away.
Other references to turkey vulture sightings may be found here: |
CLASSIFICATION:
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Cathartiformes
Family:Cathartidae
Genus Cathartes
Species aura
Common Name: Turkey Vulture
 Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomyand Image File |
 The 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. |