February 20, 2010

Report Details

NORTH COVE: Evidence of new erosion in the form of small slides with mud and stones covering some of the driftwood logs on the beach. Minimal driftline with almost no seaweed. More sand over the beach rocks than usual. A few Gulls, a single Heron out fishing on the rocks as usual, and several Cormorants. Fewer Sea Lions than usual on Simpson's Reef. Didn't see any Seals. There was a large Sea Lion in the shallows off the beach towards the north end, sitting with only its head and neck out of the water, almost unmoving for the duration of our visit of over an hour.Two Beagles on leashes. Two small yappy dogs (Chihuahuas?) belonging to two separate groups of people off leash on the beach, one in the vicinity of a juvenile Sea Lion out of the water at the north end of the cove. As far as we could see, neither dog went near enough to disturb the Sea Lion. At the end of January there were still Harlequin Ducks in the cove. One group was noisily defending limited space on a rocky ledge from other Harlequin Ducks. By our February visit the Harlequins had clearly left for their inland waterways. PARKING AREA, CENTER COVE, AND VICINITY:Two fishing boats off the north end of Simpson’s Reef. Twelve cars in the parking area. Quite a few adults and children walked down to the North Cove even though the last section of the path was very muddy and slippery. There was the usual driftwood but no people in the Center Cove.