Where's the Beep?

 Sounds travel from Race Rocks to Rocky Point, so all RPBO staff and volunteers are familiar with the barking of the sea lions and the incessent beep of the fog signal when visibility is limited. At sunrise today, there was no fog at the island, but off to the west and south, it looked ominous.  The beeps are loud enough to require hearing protection if you are working outside, so I took my binoculars, camera, scope AND hearing protectors with me when I headed to the solar panels.  It looked like there might be some action on the water, but blowing in from the west was dense fog. By the time I was finished cleaning the panels, we were deep in it and the fog signal was going full bore.

Fog bank headed my way

But just before 11 am, it stopped.  I looked outside, and we were right in the thick of a fog bank.  It shouldn't have stopped.  I waited a minute, then started a timer.  I pulled out the Standard Operating Procedures to see what to do if the foghorn stopped.  Nothing there.  I guess this situation isnt' standard.  I called Greg and he said to call the Coast Guard Office and let them know. It's federal property and isn't managed by Pearson College. Of course, the number I found didn't work, so I used the radio and got the message where it needed to go. While I sat here in silence (okay, not total silence--the gulls and sea lions were still at it), I tried to think about who else needed to know.  I made a radio call on the channel monitored by the whale watchers, and phoned Pedder Bay and Cheanuh marinas so that they could advise boaters that the signal was not operating and just hoped for the best.  I suppose it didn't help that I'd recently read about all of the ships that sank around Race Rocks.

The Coast Guard got back to me to let me know that they had put out a Navigation Warning and they were trying to coordinate an electrician and and transport and they'd be back in touch.  And then at 12:55, the signal started again, just as the fog was getting lighter. Then an hour later, when it became thicker, it stopped again. And so it went the rest of the day.  It is probably a case of a low battery that gets just enough charge when the fog lightened to sound, but couldn't get enough when it got too foggy.  The Coast Guard should be here in the morning.  Let's hope for a clear day!

Navigation Warning!

There was definitely no birding to be done today.  I didn't even see a cowbird! However, when I went to do the water sampling, there was a Common Murre perched on the rocks next to the jetty. It didn't even move as I went by it a few times. That usually means that there is something wrong with it. But later in the day, I was talking to Daniel Donnecke and he and the other boaters saw one doing the same thing on the south rocks on Sunday.  It was gone later when I checked.

Common Murre

The fog cleared a little around dinner, so I took a trip up the tower to do an unofficial before census count of sea lions.  I counted 456.  Last week on census there were 244.  No wonder it smells so much worse around here!  Fun fact: California sea lions hold their little tails out of the water when they swim near the surface!

Had to make this fence right before they made their way over it!

They swim with their tails up!

There are so many sea lions here now that the shorebirds have had to move into the hills.  Their normal beach is being overwhelmed.

The baby gulls are mostly flying a little now, so they are showing up on the outlying rocks. Yesterday, I watched one play with seaweed in the wind, dropping it than flying back to where the wind had taken it, then picking it up and starting all over again. Today, this one had a stick it was playing with.

Glaucous-winged (wood-billed) Gull

Tomorrow is census day.  Let's hope that the fog stays away long enough to count everything!

Peace and Quiet? Heck no!

It was another foggy morning--really foggy. For the second time during my stay, I couldn't include sea state in my weather report to Pedder Bay Marina, because I couldn't even see the water. That meant I didn't need to take my binoculars, camera or scope with me for solar panel cleaning, although I knew that there was always a risk in not doing so.  It was already pretty windy as well, and remained so throughout the day, getting stronger in the afternoon and evening.

A very foggy morning

Traded in my binoculars for hearing protection. The foghorn blasts at ear-damaging levels.

Of course, the fog lifted before I finished, so it would have been the perfect time for something unusual to show up.  If it did, I didn't see it. The gap between solar panel/window cleaning and water testing gets longer by about an hour a day, so I took advantage of the time to catch up on a few online tasks I needed to do, and to talk with a friend. In passing, she asked if I was getting to enjoy some peace and quiet. Hah!  Race Rocks in August is akin to the noise level of a busy highway, although the sounds are completely different. Between the squawks of the gulls and the barks and growls of the sea lions, there is rarely a second of silence. And if there is, that is generally filled by wind.  Here are videos of me moving some California sea lions along so that I could do a water sample, and another of the gull's response to my walking through the colony to fix a downed fence post.  Two weeks ago, hard hats would have been advised, but things are much calmer now.  Still, a gull gave me a good thwack on the head when I lowered the flag tonight.

And if you really want to feel the mood, here is a very long (13 minute recording I made at 4:30 am the other morning. I left the parts where I opened and closed the door in, as that action alone irritated my feathered neighbours.

The elephant seals are generally pretty quiet. Bubbles returned to his spot by the Science building today, and his little buddy was still there. 

Is this the look of resignation?

The gulls are definitely noisy, poopy, and sometimes scary, but you start to know individuals quickly here.  I was saddened today when this one didn't come after me for the first time since I arrived. Not all young gulls make it, and this bird and its mate had just one sickly young right on and beside the main path. Every time I went to the jetty or the tank building, they would desperately defend their youngster even though I was very careful not to disturb it.  The baby died on August 11, but they continued to protect and defend it--until today. That's a 10+ day grieving period for a chick.

I connected with the team over at Rocky Point this morning. They are so close, but so far away. Passerines definitely still exist, they assure me. There is a little pass in Bentinck Island between Race Rocks and Rocky Point. Hundreds of pictures of Race Rocks have been taken from the vantage point near RPBO's portapotty.  I suggested we do the reverse today, so as they were en route to their cars at the end of the day, I took some pictures of the crew from this perspective.  If you squint, you can see that there are people waving!

There they are!

Rick's hair is impeccable!

When the fog returned a bit later, I went up into the tower to see what that looked like. I was hoping for something beautiful, like seeing the city over the fog, but no, it was just foggy. Through the fog, I could still see sparring on the ground below.  These two neighbours were going at it for several minutes until I think one of them may have caught the eye of the other.  The fight ended quickly after that, and with its head bowed, it scurried back to its mate who interacted with some bonding behaviour.

Other chores for the day included topping up the batteries, checking the water supply (still lots) and some general cleaning.  I also tried out the water testing procedure the traditional way, with a thermometer and hydrometer.  I hope to do it for real when I take the digital readings tomorrow.

The East Bay beach is getting crowded.  The Black Turnstones, Surfbirds, and occasional drop in guests have to make room for a growing number of California sea lions.

Everyone knows about this beach now!

Short-billed Dowitcher still present

While checking out the beach, I noticed a white float in the distance that wasn't there before.  Zooming in, I could see a blue band around it, and some writing on the top of it, although it wasn't clear.  Magnifying it later on my computer, I think it may say Pearson College.ca.  There are some students coming later this week to do a kelp study.  I suspect these two things may be connected.

What is that??

Mushu update: 

Look who I found under the covers!

And a few bonus shots:

Why we can't wear shoes in the house

Of course the bucket I need is on the top shelf!

Baby gulls ejoying their new compost mattress

Where are the Birds??

While just a couple of kilometres away, things are changing almost daily on the birding front, there hasn't been much change here on Race Rocks, although birders in a boat found a Common Tern between here and Pedder Bay today.  The Brown Pelicans and occasional shorebird drop-in (such as the third Short-billed Dowitcher since I arrived) spice things up a bit, but for the most part, the birding picture is pretty consistent here during August. 

A boat of birders was a welcome distraction to the day.

Brown Pelicans

Short-billed Dowitcher

Short-billed Dowitcher with Black Turnstones

All that's needed for the positive identification of the dowitcher. The pattern on the tertials is diagnostic.

Short-billed Dowitcher with Black Turnstones

But there is still a lot unknown about the rest of the year.  Have a look at the eBird bar chart for Race Rocks.  You can certainly detect the boat-friendly time of year!  There are many gaps, especially through the late fall to the summer during which there is no eBird data at all (grayed out columns).  I may have to try to find a way to get out here more often during those gaps to check things out!

A lot of missing weeks of data for this hotspot!

Note that a lot of the passerines showing on this eBird bar chart are likely from Pedder Bay as birders make their way out towards Race Rocks.

Besides the boating birders, the most interesting story of the day was finding the young elephant seal on the move on her own first thing this morning. She knows Bubbles's hiding spot now, and how to get there!  And get there, she did. She was there all day, even though after two full days on the island, Bubbles returned to the water this afternoon.

Elephant seal in stealth mode

Found him!

Maybe not so impressed

My place now!

The California sea lion numbers and aroma are definitely increasing, and along with that, the number of flies getting into the houses. There's also been an explosion of fruit flies in the generator room, generated by the rolling compost bin being temporarily housed there. The sea lions are getting closer and closer to the fence by the lighthouse, but so far there haven't been any intruders.

Sea lions getting closer and closer to the fence

As my stay here winds down, I'm trying to think of small jobs I can do before I go.  In the Standard Operating Procedures, the instructions for relief ecoguardians for any quiet times is "fix or clean something".  I'd rather fix than clean, so I've made some adjustments to cupboard doors, made a temporary fix on the flag pulley line until Greg brings a new one, and fixed a screen door hinge.  Okay, I've cleaned some, too.  The gull poop is endless, and until the desalinator is fixed, the water definitely isn't. I've been using the remaining solar panel cleaning water (which is very dirty by the time that's done) to try to keep the main path to the house a little cleaner. The gulls don't appreciate the effort and immediately proceed to undo my work!  Same goes for the decks and stairs on the house.  I also want to maximize my time outdoors to enjoy the days I have left.  Secretly hoping for a weather change, but there's none in the forecast.

Mushu is fully adapated to living here now, and can even look outside without panicking. It will be interesting to see his reaction to returning to his home of 17 years next week.  Mine, too, although I've been there 23.  This will be one of my longest trips away from home, even though it's not that far away.  It's very cool to have the opportunity to be here on Race Rocks, but I admit that I'm a little bit homesick and looking forward to returning to my abnormal normal life. And a cup of Tim Horton's tea!

A few pictures from today:

They didn't even let me finish before they started all over again.

Guess who?  Brown-headed Cowbirds again.

Harbour seal mom and pup

Surfbirds

Gull Poop Soup

Today was the day I was going to try something a little tricky to finish off the compost project. It would have to wait until the normal chores (solar panel and window cleaning) were done, though. Water testing had also fallen into the same time frame, so I needed to choreograph everything. 

Water testing has become a little more challenging with the increasing number of sea lions around.  They love to sit on the end of the jetty so have to be moved before I can take the test.  Let's just say that they aren't easy to wake up, and when I do get their attention, they aren't exactly happy about my presence. I'm not sure the "they're just as scared of you as you are of them" adage holds true!  Anyway, I got to do that twice today, as although I'd set my reminder on my phone to the correct time, the reminder in my brain had me do it an hour earlier than needed.  The second time around, though, I had an audience.

My friend, Mark Byrne, has been sidelined with a bit of body work, and has discovered the "Ann Cam" is a good source of entertainment. There are two cameras on the island which can be controlled by the public at racerocks.ca, and he has gotten quite good at it. He sent me a few snapshots today. Here I am at the jetty just after having done the water test.

Me at the jetty (photo by Mark Byrne)

And here I am demonstrating how to clean windows with a giant elephant seal just a few feet away.  This shot really shows how big he is!

Bubbles is that big blob on the right side of the building. (Photo by Mark Byrne)

The real fun was set to occur after breakfast. Some time ago, someone thought it would be a good idea to collect rainwater from the metal roof of the ecoguardian residence. In a place where water is a scarce commodity, collecting it seems like the right thing to do. However, I don't think they fully appreciated just how much gull poop would be collected along with it. I was shown this barrel of foul-smelling gull poop soup last year when I was here, and there was still a barrel-full this time around. I asked Greg about it when he was here on Thursday, and he said they usually dumped it just before a rain.  Pull it over with a rope and scramble out of the way. 

Well, I had a different idea.  When Brady Hughes was here, I asked for some composting advice, and she said that the main thing was to keep the compost wet.  That's not easy/likely to happen when you have limited water.This bio-nutritious gull poop soup seemed just right (and ripe) for the compost.  One way of moving it to the compost would have been by bucket, but that would have been very smelly and a lot of work taking it down the set of rough stairs. And here's where years of cleaning out dirty aquariums came in handy--I knew how to set up a siphon without having to suck on the pipe. I half-filled a bucket with water, then put the end of the hose into the gull poop soup barrel and turned the water on.  Once the air bubble stopped, I crimped the hose, quickly unscrewed it from the faucet and put that end into the bucket. I then walked the bucket and hose down to the compost, stopping several times to detach the hose from every possible obstacle it could get caught on as I made my way. I could see that my bucket was filling up, meaning the siphon was working!

Gull poop soup pouring into the compost!

I had to restart it once when the end in the soup hit the surface, but otherwise it was smooth sailing. Once the barrel was drained, there was still sludge in the bottom, some of which also spewed from the end of the hose when it was removed.  It reminded me of the "black oil" virus from the X-files. I hooked the hose back up to the water supply and ran it until it was clear, and carried the bucket of sludge and emptied it into the compost. Mission accomplished, and I didn't get any of it on me! I reattached the boards to the compost bin, pulled the gull guards over the top, and the project was officially done.

Gull poop soup sludge

No gulls were harmed in the making of gull poop soup.  This youngster was hiding behind the barrel.

Fire damage from too hot ashes being added to the compost at some point.

Fire travelled along the board to the next post and thankfully went out.

Boards back in place

Done!

I was thinking of the things I miss the most while here on Race Rocks, and it may be surprising to some that birds are near the top of the list.  I'm surrounded by gulls and guillemots, but species diversity is incredibly low here this time of year. The folks at Rocky Point Bird Observatory just about 2 km away are seeing dozens of kinds of songbirds, waterbirds, and raptors. (Check out their blog at https://rpboblog.blogspot.com) I might be missing them a little less if something unusual turned up here, but so far that hasn't been the case.  Even Carl Hughes's night flight call device failed to turn up a single songbird flying over.  (They are, but probably too high to be detected.) I'm here for another week, with my fingers crossed that something unusual will drop in to say hello. 

My last official duty of the day was to take the flag down and wrap it around the pole to keep it from being battered by the wind. As if to remind me that gulls are birds, too, one took the opportunity to make sure I knew they were there. Off to the shower tonight, and definitely doing laundry tomorrow!

Ugh!

Flag wrapped and tied around pole to prevent shredding.

I'll leave you with some sea lion photos I took today.  With the numbers climbing, there is constant barking, chasing, bickering, and snuggling going on. The more I watch them, the more they remind me of dogs, with most of their fighting being more play than aggression.   I also found another branded Steller's sea lion. Details to follow!

They even have little doggy tails!

Kisses, or...

Bites?