Canada Goose Nesting Platforms

Canada Goose nesting platforms dot the wetlands along the Columbia River. Photo by Larry Halverson

The local Rod and Gun clubs along with Ducks Unlimited established these platforms many years ago as a way to help nesting geese from having their eggs flooded from rising waters. In fact one of CWSP members The Golden District Rod and Gun Club maintain over 100 of these goose nesting platforms for over 20 years. Now with goose numbers up there is discussion around removing or replacing these structures.

It won't be long now before the Geese are back nesting . Photo by Larry Halverson

Tundra Swans

Spring Migration - Photo by Larry Halverson

The first Tundra Swan this spring (a single bird) was spotted in the Athalmer sloughs on March 7th. By March 18th the swan numbers increased to over 50. 

The Columbia Valley is one of 3 main migration corridors for swans moving through British Columbia from their wintering grounds in the western United States to their breeding grounds in Yukon and Alaska. The valley with it lakes and wetlands is an important staging area for swans to “fuel” up before continuing north. Their peak migration is during the later part of March and the first 2 weeks of April.

Muskrat Lodge

Muskrat Lodge near Wilmer, BC
Photo by Larry Halverson

Muskrats are an important player in wetland ecosystems. Their influence on vegetative structure can affect invertebrate communities as well as bird abundance and diversity. Muskrats are a food source for a number of animals like mink, coyotes and eagles. Muskrats can also serve as indicators of ecosystem health by responding  to various toxins and chemicals that commonly degrade aquatic habitats.

As wetland loss becomes more prevalent, the maintenance of functioning wetlands and aquatic systems like in the Columbia Valley become even more important. So conserving viable Muskrat populations may be critical.  

Parks Canada use Muskrats numbers to measure wetland health - researchers simply calculate Muskrat populations by counting their lodges. See “Visiting the Muskrat Lodge”

Nocturnal Owl Survey

Photo by Larry Halverson

Great Horned is one of the most common owls in the Columbia Wetlands. It also the earliest nesting owl so now is time to hear them calling.

Most species of owls are secretive and nocturnal, making population monitoring a difficult science. Fortunately, volunteer owl surveyors across Canada are listening for owl calls in the night and documenting their numbers over time. The Nocturnal owl survey in British Columbia is now in its 11th year. There are 105 owl routes across BC and the Yukon.  In 2010,  86 owlers stopped 1205 times in the darkness to listen for owls. They detected 248 owls, an average of 2.06 owls per 10 stops, which is the second highest value reported in the history of the survey.  In the southern interior of BC the Northern Saw-whet Owl was the most common owl heard followed by the Great Horned Owl and Barred Owl.

Chickadee Love Song

Black-capped Chickadees in the Columbia Valley 
have already been heard singing their love song

Most everyone can identify the bird that sings a rapid, nasal Chickadee-dee-dee. It is the call the Chickadee uses to challenge intruder or to express alarm and it can be heard anytime during the year. However in April, which is the beginning of the courtship season, the Chickadee adds a less familiar tune to its vocabulary. It sings a sweet two-toned whistle of two or three notes, the first being higher and longer than the last one or two. This "love song" sounds like feee-bee or if you listen closer to lunchtime it sounds more like cheezzee-burger. The song can be heard from now until the early part of the nesting season. It is a delightful ditty, which means spring is here.