Category: Wildlife

BIG BART

Bears, Tofino Bears

I found two bears tonight. I recognized this bear as one I’ve called “Big Bart”. He’s been around for a few years. He’s shy but tolerates me.

Because of there being no Bear Watching boats zipping around, the bears appear to be more skittish.

I think they get accustomed to boats being around when the bear watching boats are out. Because of this virus the boats haven’t been out this year,so the bears have gotten use to silence making it more difficult for me to get close. Fortunately many of them already know me!

LIFES A BEACH!

Birds, Eagles, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles, Trail Camera

In this video you’ll see “Fran” standing on top of a Sea Lion carcass. Fran is a teenager about to become an adult. Eagles get their adult colours at 5 years of age. You can still see some streaking in her head feathers.Dead give away she’s around four and a half years old? She’s also the offspring of Frank and Frieda. So she is tolerated. If she was a stranger she would most likely be chased away. If she kept coming back,she probably would be attacked! But because she’s part of the family she has a life long membership to come back any time! Fran see’s her father coming over and backs off. Frank is telling her to EAT and go.

Turn the sound up and listen to the sounds Fran makes.

In this video it shows a immature eagle eating. Its early, (5:38am) so I guess its breakfast. This male eagle looks around 3 to 4 years. Another Immature comes in to attack! I recognize this eagle. Its one I’ve called “Ruffles”. I call him that because of the ruffled feathers on his back. He’s a bully. I’ve seen him do false charges at the Ravens.

In this video it shows Ruffles just a few minutes after attacking the other Immature eagle. I think the other eagle is one I’ve called “Rusty” but am not sure? There are half a dozen Immatures feasting on the carcass. Ruffles takes exception to Rusty(?) hanging around waiting for a bite…..so he chases him off!

I’m not that familiar with Frank and Frieda to be honest. What I do know is If it was Frank or Frieda they wouldn’t walk slowly up to the carcass. This male eagle is taking his time,so that tells me he’s not Frank. I suspect this male is poaching,so he’s very alert!

There is one thing I found odd with this video? This eagle did not trip the cameras motion sensor. The camera began shooting way before this eagle arrived. So what tripped the sensor?

I like the light in this video.

MY TURN!!

Birds, Chesterman's Beach, Eagles, Frank Island, Tofino Beaches, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles, Trail Camera

As some of you already know, I have been documenting the feeding behaviour of eagles on a dead Sea Lion out on Chestermans beach (Frank island). The Sea Lion is a young female Stellar Sea Lion and she was pregnant.

To help them to get at the meat I cut the carcass open. Later when I swapped the card I saw the remains of a unborn pup inside her. I could see whiskers and wondered what it was? I looked closer and realized it was the nose of the pup. Poor thing never had a chance.  I still do not know why this Lion died? I just hope it was from natural causes.

I set up a trail camera station. It took me a lot of work and about three days of figuring it out,but I think I have it now.

In this video an adult eagle has been feeding too long…..according to another eagle and It was persuaded to MOVE!

After the attack you can hear the attacker scolding the other eagle and than hop over for a bite.

BEARLY POSING

Bears, Tofino Bears

I haven’t been able to get close enough to tell if this bear is a boy or girl? I suspect a female as the fur around the head is large and rounded. She was suspicious of me as I had to beach the boat and walk on land to get closer. Whenever she bent down to get a mouthful of grass,I’d move silently towards her. When she looked up I froze.  Bears get nervous If they see movement. She’ll get use to me after a few months.

ROMEO AND JULIETTE’S FLOWER MOON

Birds, Eagles, Moon, Moon Eagle, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles

This months moon is called a “Flower” moon. You can see what happens when the clouds snuff the light. The birds are silhouettes but If it was in golden light this shot would be excellent.

Juliette was coming over to say hello! I was glad to see her up and about!

A CLOUDY ROMEO

Birds, Clouds, Eagles, Tofino Birds

It was sunny all day,so I thought I’d go out for a evening shoot. The almost full moon was coming up and it was low tide so I knew the bears would be out and about too!

So I headed out into the sunshine! It took me 45 minutes to get up into Fortune Channel where the bears are. I found a bear almost immediately! I got two shots off and the light went bye bye! I looked to the west and saw a huge cloud bank moving in and knew my gorgeous light was history!

If I do not have the light,I do not have the shot. Its as simple as that! So I basically made lemonade.

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE “HEADLESS LION”

California Sea Lion

I went for a ride/walk out on Chestermans beach. It was overcast so I didn’t take my camera. As usual, when I don’t bring my camera Mother Nature says something like “what can I do to make Wayne shake his head cursing that he didn’t bring his camera”?

So what do I come across out on Frank island…..a dead adult female Stellar Sea Lion……….with no head! Now I’m not a expert but I think those things usually come with heads. Someone mentioned that they had seen a mother Orca and calf in the area a couple of days ago. Suggesting that the Orca may of bitten the head off. As soon as I heard that I knew that wasn’t true. Any animal whether out in the bush or water would never turn done a gourmet meal! That would be like somebody finding a wallet full of money, throwing the money away but keeping the wallet.

Coincidentally some friends came across the carcass as well. He’s a retired surgeon and his wife is a retired GP. They both examined the wounds and thought that a sharp metal instrument had been used to cut the flesh.

So this Lion must of died and simply floated ashore.Than somebody came along and took the head off for a souvenir? Now this animal looked perfectly fine to me. It wasn’t starving and my Surgeon friend said that he thought it might be pregnant? Well If anyone is going to know that kind of stuff it would be him.

So my revised theory is that it was shot. You must remember that when Harbour Seals and  Sea Lions are shot 98% of the time they are shot in the head. Thats because the only thing poking up above the water is their head! A friend suggested It most likely was shot by a commercial fisherman? They are the only ones out there that carry firearms and they also have a hatred for Lions.

When they net Herring and have their nets pursed by the boat the Lions attack on force by the dozens! They leap into the nets to gorge themselves! This pisses off the fisherman. They have “Seal Bombs” they use to frighten them away and do also shoot them. There has been vocal support to cull the Lions on the west coast.

The basic problem here is that we as a species have collectively raped the oceans for hundreds of years! When we weren’t here (that means ALL humans) there was plenty of fish to go around but now many stocks have become depleted! Take the Northern Cod on the East coast. That stock still hasn’t come back after 30 years of moratorium!  Here in Tofino the Herring fishery was stopped decades ago! All fished out.

So these poor creatures are being forced to jump into the nets for something to eat. If you could ask one of them they would say something like “We don’t want to go near those animals but they have all the fish”!

We’re like King Midas,except instead of everything turning to gold, everything we touch, dies.

ROMEO’S SUPER PINK MOON

Birds, Eagles, Moon, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles

20200406-IMG_0325-2

This months moon is called a “Pink” moon. The name comes from flowers that bloom early. Its a Super Moon because the orbit brings it closer than normal to Earth. The Moon is the most “Super” (closer) moon of the year. There are three Super moons in 2020 and they are consecutive.

 

SUPER WORM MOON

Birds, Eagles, Moon, Moon Eagle, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles

Each full moon has a name. The March full moon is called a “Worm” moon. This is what I found out about the Worm moon………Native Americans called this last full moon of winter the worm moon after the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground. Other names include chaste moon, death moon, crust moon and sap moon, after the tapping of the maple trees.

Because the orbit is closer this month Its also a Super Worm moon!

  1. Wolf Moon – January
  2. Snow Moon – February
  3. Worm Moon – March
  4. Pink Moon – April
  5. Flower Moon – May
  6. Strawberry Moon – June
  7. Buck Moon – July
  8. Sturgeon Moon – August
  9. Harvest Moon – September or October
  10. Full Corn Moon (Harvest) – September
  11. Hunter’s Moon (Harvest) – October
  12. Beaver Moon – November
  13. Cold Moon – December

“DELILAH” MAKES A RARE APPEARANCE!

Birds, Eagles, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles

Delilah was perched close to me and I didn’t even see her! By the time I was able to shoot she was already beginning to high tail it out of there.  She’s not a fan I guess.

I remind you that this is Delilah #2. The original Delilah liked me much more. It was still nice to see her close up at any rate, It seems I never see her!

ROMEO AND JULIETTE

Birds, Eagles, Tofino Birds, Tofino Eagles

Many people have asked me over time, “how do you tell the difference between the females and males”?

The above two shots show the best comparison. A female eagle is about a 1/3 larger than the male. Romeo is on the left with Juliette in behind on the right. You can see how the females beak is much larger. A males head/beak contour is more streamlined.

It’s hard to tell in the beginning but If you pay attention to the beak head ratio,you’ll be able to tell If Its a female or a male zipping past at mach one!

Note: Juliette is further away than Romeo but appears larger. I’m guessing that she’s about 4 feet behind Romeo. If she was right beside Romeo she would appear even larger.