Nicola Naturalist Society

Sandhill Cranes migrating through Douglas Lake Plateau grasslands – April 2013

Alan Burger — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:25:54 +0000

On Sunday 21 April members of the Nicola Naturalist Society visited the Douglas Lake area in search of migrating Sandhill Cranes. We were not disappointed and encountered at least 2,300 cranes on the ground, taking off or circling in the air before continuing northward. The sight and sound of several thousand cranes all around was simply magical. We also saw a group of 6 American White Pelicans passing high overhead, heading north in the company of small flocks of cranes. Here is a photo showing just part of Sunday’s crane mass.

Flocks of migrating Sandhill Cranes taking off near English Bridge on the Douglas Lake Ranch, 21 April 2013. Photo: © Julie Van Koll – Merritt Pro Photo

How many cranes are in this photo above? Make an estimate and then keep reading to the bottom of this posting to see the answer.

Part of a flock of 580 Sandhill Cranes foraging at Douglas Lake Ranch, 21 April 2013. Photo: © Alan Burger

Sandhill Cranes (both Lesser and Greater forms of the species) at Douglas Lake Ranch, 21 April 2013. Photo: © Bob Scafe.

Here is the complete list of birds we recorded – 45 species in total. These counts have been added to e-Bird as part of the Nicola Naturalists’ monitoring of the Douglas Lake Plateau Important Bird Area.

Greater White-fronted Goose 22 – flock of 22 on Douglas Lake
Canada Goose 103
Gadwall 1
American Wigeon 28
Mallard 40
Northern Shoveler 44
Northern Pintail 20
Green-winged Teal 12
Redhead 6
Ring-necked Duck 36
Lesser Scaup 260
Bufflehead 110
Barrow’s Goldeneye 2
Ruddy Duck 10
Common Loon 5
American White Pelican 6     Flock of 6 flying high and heading north
Turkey Vulture 6
Osprey 1
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 6
Red-tailed Hawk 7
Rough-legged Hawk 1     4 separate bird seen at different locations
American Coot 50
Sandhill Crane 2300     Seen near Englishman Bridge.
Great Horned Owl 1
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 21
Northern Shrike 3
Black-billed Magpie 15
American Crow 18
Common Raven 3
Tree Swallow 80
Violet-green Swallow 1
Marsh Wren 2
Mountain Bluebird 268     Flock of 200 in one area and many others elsewhere
American Robin 95
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Song Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 26
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Western Meadowlark 18
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1
Brewer’s Blackbird 50

How many Sandhill Cranes were in the photo? To make the counting easier lines were drawn around birds and the photo was enlarged in Photoshop.

How did your estimate compare with the photo count?

Sandhill Crane flocks marked out to make the counting easier – 592 in total. Photo: ©Julie Van Koll – Merritt Pro Photo

We will be having more outings to the Douglas Lake Plateau grasslands as part of our IBA monitoring – watch your e-mails.

“British Columbia’s Majestic Thompson River” by Bernie Fandrich. Thursday 23rd May 2013, 7PM at Merritt Civic Centre

Alan Burger — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:30:08 +0000

Bernie Fandrich is the well-known proprietor of Kumsheen Raft Adventures, based in Lytton, BC. For 40 years Bernie and his family have been leading rafting and nature tours along the Thompson River. Now Bernie has published a book covering the fascinating story of this magnificent river, from Savona to Lytton. Bernie will be sharing with us many of the entertaining anecdotes, excellent photographs and unusual historic tales to be found in his book. He will also have copies of his book for sale and autographing.

This is a joint meeting with the Nicola Valley Explorers. Note that the venue is the Civic Centre and not our usual evening venue. Refreshments will be provided.

Bernie Fandrich and the cover of his new book.

NNS Members’ Photos – April 2013

Alan Burger — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:19:01 +0000

Wildlife photos, mainly from the past winter and early spring from the Merritt area, taken by members of the Nicola Naturalist Society, Merritt, BC.

Spotted Towhee. Photo: © Gerry & Jill Sanford

Coyote in the winter snow. Photo: © Gloria Brenner

Canada Geese on the melting ice of Nicola Lake in early spring. Photo: © Alan Burger

A Canada Goose sits on its eggs in a platform built for Ospreys. Photo: © Alan Burger

A Sharp-shinned Hawk visits an urban feeder in Merritt. Photo: © Tom Edwards

Red Squirrel. Photo: © Carol & Jack Madryga

Two views of the same Common Redpoll. This species was very abundant through the 2012-2013 winter in the Merritt area. Photo: © Murphy Shewchuk.

Steller’s Jay. Photo: © Anne Pang

Wood Duck (male). Photo: © Gerry & Jill Sanford

Snow Bunting – a regular winter visitor to the Douglas Lake Plateau. Photo: © Carol & Jack Madryga

Mourning Dove. Photo: © Bob Scafe

Mule Deer in the winter sun. Photo: © Carol & Jack Madryga

A Song Sparrow sings an early spring song. Photo: © David Pitt

Great Blue Heron. Photo: © Gerry & Jill Sanford

A fleeing White-tailed Deer signals with its feathery tail. Photo: © Alan Burger

Clark’s Nutcracker. Photo: © Bob Scafe

California Bighorn Sheep. Photo: © Bob Scafe

Mule Deer at night. Photo: © Bob Scafe

Northern Pygmy Owl. Photo: © Alan Burger

An American Dipper sings amid the rushing water of a stream. Photo: © Murphy Shewchuk

“Ecology of the Great Basin Spadefoot at its Northern Limit” by Jocelyn Garner. Thursday 18th April 2013, 7PM at NVIT Theatre

Alan Burger — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 03:34:22 +0000

The Great Basin Spadefoot is a charismatic toad-like frog that is highly specialized for living in the dry grasslands of the western interior. They spend much of the year buried deep under the sandy soil (and have specialized little “spades” on their feet to help them dig). Jocelyn Garner recently completed her Masters degree at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops studying the movements and ecology of this enigmatic little critter. Using unique methods to attach tiny radio-tags, Jocelyn was able to track these little amphibians throughout their breeding and hibernation cycles, revealing for the first time many of the secrets of their lives.

A Great Basin Spadefoot Spea intermontana . Photo © Jocelyn Garner

Southern British Columbia is the northern edge of the Spadefoot’s range and it is found in a narrow band of grasslands as far north as 70-Mile House. The grasslands around Merritt are one of the hotspots for this species. It is a Threatened species in Canada and Jocelyn’s work is important in developing management plans that can protect the spadefoots while taking into account the needs of grassland ranchers. This will be a fascinating presentation about a little-known species and the exciting research that was done to unveil its ecology at the northern edge of its range.

A Great Basin Spadefoot carrying one of the specialized radio tags used to track its movements and behaviour. Photo: © Jocelyn Garner.

“Williamson’s Sapsuckers: the Weird, the Wily and the Wonderful” – with Les Gyug. Thursday 21st March 2013, 7PM at NVIT Theatre

Alan Burger — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 01:20:41 +0000

Williamson’s Sapsucker has always been considered one of those rather rare and enigmatic birds. With differences in the male and female plumage that are unique among all woodpeckers, it is nowhere truly abundant, and is Endangered in Canada. The Merritt area is one of the strongholds of this species, but this local population was virtually unknown just 10 years ago, with many aspects of its biology only recently discovered. Biologist Les Gyug of Okanagan Wildlife Consulting has been studying Williamson’s Sapsucker since 1996. He is an engaging speaker and excellent photographer. Join Les for an informative and entertaining account of this little known species.

Williamson’s Sapsucker pair – male on the left, female on the right. These birds are delivering food (ants and other insects) to nestlings. Photo © Les Gyug

Nicola Naturalists contribute to Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park toadlet study – Report now available

Alan Burger — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 04:39:40 +0000

Volunteers from the Nicola Naturalist Society contributed to a study last summer (2012) of the migration of newly-emerged toadlets at Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park near Merritt. Hundreds of Western Toads lay their eggs in West Pond in the park and by mid-summer the shallow edges of this pond are swarming with thousands of tadpoles and newly metamorphosed tiny toadlets. In late July and early August these toadlets begin a slow migration into the forests where they will spend most of the rest of their lives, living on insects and worms. Unfortunately their migration route takes them across a road in the park during the peak of the camping and visitor season and many toadlets are killed. In 2012 BC Parks staff asked the Nicola Naturalist Society to help run a study to see what could be done to reduce these toadlet road-kills.

A tiny Western Toad toadlet, about 2 cm long, heads for the forest after spending its tadpole phase in the shallows of West Pond in Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park. Photo © Alan Burger

Funded by BC Parks and under the supervision of professional biologists with Biolinx Environmental Research of Victoria, BC, the Nicola Naturalist volunteers visited the park numerous times. They set up automated monitoring cameras, counted toadlets along the shoreline and on paths and roads, kept notes on weather and helped with other tasks. For more information and photos of this project go to one of our earlier posts – click here.

The results of the 2012 study have now been released in a report authored by the Biolinx Environmental Research team. The report shows the timing of the peak movements and also maps out where the toadlets crossed the road (see the map below). Based on the results of the study and the mitigation recommendations made in the report by the Biolinx biologists, BC Parks is now using this information to find a way to reduce the toadlet road-kill in future years. For a pdf copy of the full report (about 4 MB) click here: Kentucky-Alleyne Toad Report, FINAL Dec 2012.

Map of the ponds and lakes in Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park showing the concentrations of Western Toad toadlets along the shores of Western Pond (red bars), where they crossed the hiking trail (blue bars) and where they crossed the road (purple bars). The thickness of the bars indicates the number of toadlets in each count sector.

Merritt Christmas Bird Count Results – 16 December 2012

Alan Burger — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:49:09 +0000

The 14^th annual Merritt Christmas Bird Count was held on 16 December 2012 in excellent weather. We set a new record of participants with 26 people in the field and three feeder watchers. Thanks everyone! And special thanks to Katharine and Murphy Shewchuk who hosted our post-count pot-luck supper.

Christmas Bird Count participants – December 2012. Photo: Corey Burger

Overall we recorded 64 species and 3475 birds, both slightly higher than average. We added three new species to the Merritt CBC list. Most exciting was the presence of the male Anna’s Hummingbird that had been faithfully visiting a heated feeder on Spanish Creek Place for some weeks. [Sadly this little hummer disappeared at the end of the year and was last seen on 31 December just before some very cold nights.] More information on this rare visitor to Merritt is on another posting – click here.

Other species new for our Christmas count were 3 Tundra Swans on Nicola Lake, seen among the more common Trumpeter Swans, and a single Double-crested Cormorant, also on Nicola Lake. Having the Christmas count earlier than normal this year and the mild weather preceding the count day meant that Nicola Lake was still mostly unfrozen and had many waterbirds present. A river otter was an exciting mammal sighting on Nicola Lake on the count day.

Unusual species on the Merritt Christmas count were 9 American Tree Sparrows (near Quilchena Hotel), 3 White-crowned Sparrows (at feeders in Merritt), 3 Killdeer (on the shores of Nicola Lake) and 1 Ruddy Duck (on Nicola Lake).

American Tree Sparrow in the Merritt Christmas Bird Count, Dec 2012. Photo: © Corey Burger.

Adult White-crowned Sparrow at a Merritt feeder, Dec 2012. Photo: © Aline Lachapelle.

New high counts were recorded for 14 species

Great Blue Heron (13 birds – previous high 9)
Trumpeter Swan (50 – previous high 41)
Barrow’s Goldeneye (43 – previous high 41)
Ruffed Grouse (4 – previous high 3)
Belted Kingfisher (6 – previous high 5)
Northern Flicker (36 – previous high 34)
Pileated Woodpecker (5 – previous high 2)
Eurasian Collared Dove (115 – previous high 112)
Common Raven (139 – previous high 131)
Steller’s Jay (23 – previous high 19)
Dark-eyed Junco (135 – previous high 73)
Pine Siskin (153 – previous high 90)
American Goldfinch (152 – previous high 60)
House Sparrow (192 – previous high 186)

There were no sightings of American Coot and Northern Shrike, two species we usually get on the count day.

For a full table of Merritt CBC results click here: Merritt Xmas Count data to Dec 2012

One of the five Pileated Woodpeckers reported on the Merritt Christmas Bird Count, Dec 2012. Photo: © Bob Scafe

Birding at Douglas Lake, Dec 2012. Photo: © Corey Burger

“Eradication of High Risk Invasives in the Thompson Drainage” by Steve Maricle. Thursday 21st February 2013, 7 PM – NVIT lecture theatre

Alan Burger — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 04:51:34 +0000

“A lake a day for as long as you stay” – that’s the commonly-used description of the area around Merritt. Lakes and other wetlands are essential features of local ecosystems, cherished recreational areas and important to our tourist industry. But most of us know very little about life in these lakes. Invasive species are a growing problem in these lakes, affecting native species and sport fishing.

Steve Maricle is a Senior Fisheries Biologist for the Ministry of Environment. He has worked for the Fish & Wildlife Branch in Kamloops since 1985, and is presently in charge of Small Lake Management within the Thompson drainage.

Steve will explain the treatment of 9 lakes within the Thompson drainage to eradicate 4 species of invasive “spiny ray” fish (yellow perch, large & smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed sunfish). This 7 year project was one of the largest ever in our region. Primarily funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the project’s goal was to ensure that these species do not become established in Shuswap Lake and the major drainages of the Thompson.

His presentation will appeal to naturalists and fisher-folk, and all others who have an interest in the life and well-being of our local lakes.

Yellow Perch – one of the invasive species threatening lakes in the Thompson drainage. Photo courtesy Steve Maricle

Lake treatment to eradicate invasive alien species. Photo courtesy Steve Maricle≈

“Bats – Creatures of the Night” – with Dr. David Kerridge. Thursday 17 January 2013, 7 PM at NVIT

Alan Burger — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:00:52 +0000

Dr. David Kerridge is a retired college professor living in Merritt. David was the founding professor of the Biology Department at Malaspina College in Nanaimo (now Vancouver Island University). He taught and did research there for many years. With a BSc from University of Victoria, an MSc from Carleton University, Ottawa, and a PhD from Texas Tech University, David has extensive research experience, especially with small mammals. His fascination with bats was triggered as student and continues to the present. During his tenure at Malaspina College he undertook diverse research on bats including genetics, colony location and banding.

An outgoing and entertaining speaker, David will guide us into the often mysterious nocturnal world of bats.

Western Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis) – a fairly common bat in the Nicola Valley area. Like this one, they are sometimes found roosting on buildings. Photo: © Alan Burger

Rare and unusual birds in Merritt area – December 2012 (with Feb 2013 update)

Alan Burger — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 05:58:24 +0000

Some unusual birds showed up in the Nicola Valley area in late November and December 2012.

2013 Update – our rare hummer has disappeared The Anna’s Hummingbird described below survived for many weeks at a heated feeder in Merritt and was even included in the Merritt Christmas Bird Count on 16 December 2012. Alas, the very cold weather at the end of December seems to have been too much for this little guy despite the care taken to keep it alive. It was last seen on 31 December 2012. That night the temperature dipped to -20 C which appears to have been too much for this bird to tolerate.

Double-crested Cormorant on Nicola Lake

Although occasionally seen in lakes in the Okanagan and Kamloops area, the Double-crested Cormorant is not often found on Nicola Lake. One was seen there several times in late November and Liis Jeffries managed to get this fleeting photo near the west end of Nicola Lake.

An immature Double-crested Cormorant, almost certainly the same bird, was also seen at the western end of Nicola Lake on 14 and 16 December 2012 (the latter date was the Merritt Christmas Bird Count).

Double-crested Cormorant takes flight from shore on Nicola Lake. Photo: Liis Jeffries

Common Grackle in Merritt

A male Common Grackle has been frequenting feeders in the northern Bench area of Merritt. It is usually seen in with the flock of Eurasian Collared Doves which hangs around the Bench Park, Parker Ave., Gillis Rd area. Eurasian Collared Doves were themselves a rarity five years ago but are now very common in Merritt, as they are in many other towns in southern BC. The grackle seems quite shy and has not often been seen.

Anna’s Hummingbird in Merritt

This species was once a very rare sighting in British Columbia but over the past 30 years has become increasingly common year-round in the milder coastal areas of BC. Over 1000 birds now overwinter in Victoria and increasing numbers in the Lower Mainland. But to find this species at the onset of winter in Merritt is a big surprise. This male originally turned up at feeders in Spanish Creek Place and nearby Coldwater Road in October and is still going strong in early December.

These were some of the first photos taken of this bird and the purplish tinge to the forehead and wide dark throat gorget let some to think this might be an even rarer Costa’s Hummingbird (usually found in Arizona, Mexico and such areas but known as a vagrant in BC).

But through the BC Interior Bird List group the identification was confirmed as Anna’s and not Costa’s. Sheri Williamson, of Arizona, who wrote the book on Hummingbirds of North America (Petersons) concluded: “Definitely not a Costa’s – the tail is much too long, the bill is too straight and robust, the upper breast is dingy and mottled rather than white, the belly lacks a pale midline, etc.” Some of these features can be seen in these more recent telephoto pics.

Can this tiny bird survive the Merritt winter? The keepers of the feeder where it is feeding on Spanish Creek Place have set up a sheltered feeder, kept warm with Christmas lights. They are aware of the need to provide some protein source in addition to sugar water and are getting information from various web sources on what to provide. Lets hope the little guy makes it through the winter.

Two of these unusual birds (the cormorant and the hummingbird) were found during the Christmas Bird Count in Merritt on Sunday 16 December 2012. If you have information on sightings of these or other rare birds contact the Nicola Naturalist Society- nicolanaturalists@gmail.com