The KestrelQuarterly Newsletter of the

Rocky Mountain Naturalists

inside this issue

club information

executive

committees

field trips

meetings

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Do you have a good kestrel picture[our local species, the AmericanKestrel] for the first page of thenewsletter? If so, please email it to thenewsletter.

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2014 summer solstice

Kestrels on the deck 2

field trips

Anne Redfern Walk 3

The Buttes 4

Columbia/Hoodoos 7

Isadore Canyon 10

Community Forest 10

Impromptu Hike 12

book review 14

Creston Bird Festival 9

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Deck kestrels

A couple of fledgling Kestrels took amorning rest break on our deck lastAugust. While the parents circledoverhead calling, Linda took picturesand moved furniture so

that one fledglinghad enough take-offroom to clear theglass deck railing.The other fledglingshe had to herdtowards the picketrailing at the eastend of our deck. Itfinally climbedthrough a gapbetween two picketsand flew off to joinits family.

Frank Hastings

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Anne Redfern Memorial Walk March 22

When starting our Anne RedfernMemorial Walk, we remembered howAnne enjoyed driving around in thespring "hunting" for all kinds of bird lifereturning to our valley! To start with, wefound that Wasa Lake had no openwater, except around the edges, and nowaterfowl. About a dozen us of headedover to Wasa Slough to enjoy swans andducks in some very unspring-likeweather! With temperatures hoveringaround zero degrees, we walked the roadbehind the sloughs and saw bothTrumpeter and Tundra Swans, around 50in total. We saw an otter playing on theice, several Bald Eagles overhead, and atleast one Rough-legged Hawk. It wasgreat when Greg spotted an EurasianWidgeon in the mix of ducks as youdon't always see them every year. Alsomigrating through were pintails,shovelers, both goldeneye species, Ring-necked Ducks and Green-winged Teals. AtMildred's Meadow, there were no buttercups, but buds were found. Once we get somedecent spring temperatures, there should be lots of blossoms to enjoy!

Ruth Goodwin photos: Ruth

looking at the swans [not icebergs, swans!]

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Usually, a spring wildflowerwalk conjures images offragrant breezes and puffyclouds, with shirt sleevedfolks knee deep in daisies. Ofcourse, a Rocky MountainNaturalist hike tends to be abit more of an adventure.Eleven of us traversed PotatoHill and Lone Pine Hill

overlooking St. Mary Prairieon a fine, cool, grey day.Immediately, with closeinspection, we discoveredthat the bleak, windswept,dry hillside offered awonderful array of delicateflowers, animal signs andbirdlife. Prairie crocus,recently emerged, caught

droplets from melting snowflakes in its down,while western spring beauty, with its edible

corm, provided a strong clue as tothe name given to the First Butte.

The Buttes April 12

prairie crocus Lyle

Joy spring beauty

Daryl

Daryl

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Depending upon variations in aspect,elevation and overstorey, we discoveredlong-flowered mertensia, lomatium,rock cress, cinquefoil and stonecrop

showing early development. Later, a fewyellowbells, budding shooting stars andsagebrush buttercups brightened the scene.In a few weeks, balsamroot will dominatethe slopes in dramatic fashion; sharp eyednaturalists were able to notice a few earlyleaf buds and pale flowers.Part of our group returned to McClure Road,while eight of us enjoyed the protection ofthe forest as we headed north toward theSecond Butte. Evidently, judging by the size,shape and position of cavities, bark flakesand wood chips, several species of

woodpecker were active. A peculiar scat, mid-trail, posed a puzzle. Later, we concluded

mertensia Lyle

Helga yellowbells [yellow fritillary]

sagebrush buttercup Joy

Helga woodpeckers' work

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that a Wild Turkey was nearby. Thesingular hoot of a Dusky Grouse and thetrill of a Varied Thrush indicated otherunseen forest dwellers.The group sought the shelter of a big treebefore heading up to the exposed top ofLone Pine. Nearby, a hand dug shaft withcopper staining provided a clue that hardworking pioneers had attempted to make

a meagre living decades earlier. Very recentexcavations indicated badger activity. Severaltrees had been cut and purposely infectedwith heart rot in order to favour Lewis’Woodpeckers. The Rockies were mostlyhidden by dark snow squalls, but the stormyskies added a unique ‘black and white’dimension to the foreground landscape.Descending the steep trail to the north, wepaused to enjoy the antics of a tiny, stockysongbird. The frenetically active GoldenCrowned Kinglet can survive minus 40degree nights, sometimes huddling together for warmth. Western Meadowlarks sang whilewe poked around old cabins and farm machinery wreckage, while Yellow-Pine Chipmunks,Western Red Squirrels and Columbian Ground Squirrels caught our attention. Thanks to ourflower experts and birders, the group enjoyed a great outing rich in local and naturalhistory.

Daryl Calder

Helga checking out the fallen tree

badger hole Helga

prairie crocus Helga

observed birds

Bald Eagle

American KestrelSharp-shinned HawkWestern MeadowlarkTownsend’s SolitaireHairy WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerWhite-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted NuthatchMountain Bluebird

Western BluebirdMountain ChickadeeDark-eyed JuncoGolden-crowned KingletTree SwallowRock PigeonAmerican CrowClark’s NutcrackerCanada GooseRed-winged BlackbirdDusky GrouseVaried Thrush

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Dutch Creek Hoodoos/Headwaters ofthe Columbia RiverApril 27

Thirteen eager RM Nats braved a variety of weatherelements on their journey up to the top of the Dutch CreekHoodoos. A bounty of spring crocuses along with amultitude of other plants including pussytoes, balsamroot,prairie sage, pasture sage, wild onion and buffalo berry

(soopolallie) lined our gradualupward journey. Once at the topof the saw-toothed ridges of thehoodoos breathtaking views,even with the billowing clouds,could be seen in every direction.Our very knowledgeable leader

Daryl explained how the hoodooswere formed thousands of yearsago and the composition of them.A narrow, sandy path wound itsway along the rim of the hoodoosproviding spectacular views downthe sheer ravines to Dutch Creekfar below while in the distanceColumbia Lake glistened in theoccasional sunburst. We weredelighted to spot Canada Geese,Turkey Vultures, Osprey, Cooper'sHawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, NorthernFlicker, Clark's Nutcracker,Common Raven, Black-CappedChickadees, Red-breastedNuthatches, Ruby-CrownedKinglets, Townsend's Solitaire, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, Tree Swallows, Brewer's Blackbirds,

prairie crocus Joy

Helga Dutch Creek [lower right], Columbia Lake [background]

looking up Dutch Creek from the hoodoos Joy

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various waterfowl as well as anabundance of kestrels and WesternMeadowlarks.

From the Dutch Creek Hoodoos weproceeded to the source of the mightyColumbia River at Canal Flats. An easystroll along a path lined with poplars,spruce and willows afforded views ofhuge boggy areas covered in grassyhummocks and undergrowth includingbudding birches and red-osierdogwood stems. We contemplated thedifficulties which David Thompsonmust have encountered as his partyportaged south to the Kootenay River

200 years earlier. At the edge of the woods, a series of springs formed little channels whichconverged and flowed to thenorth. Large patches ofcattails, water grasses androses grew in profusionthroughout this area. Thestreams flowing out to thelake were crystal clear and,by the abundance of tracksalong their edges, providedrinking water for the manyanimals that frequent thisarea. At this area we addedRuffed Grouse, Dark-EyedJunco, Killdeer, AmericanRobin and Red-WingedBlackbird to our list of birds.

The perfect ending for our day wasspotting an osprey with a fish held inits talons looking for a place to haveits lunch as well as field after field ofshooting stars in full bloom creating amagenta carpet along the roadside atSkookumchuck Prairie.

Submitted by Paula Rogers

RMNats in the headwaters parking lot Helga

Joy looking at the Rockies from the top of the hoodoos

Purcell Mountains and Columbia Headwaters Helga

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Creston Valley Bird Festival May 9-11

Joy Grassmick took these pictures of a hike led by Daryl

to Balancing Rock during this festival.

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Isadore Canyon Bike Excursion May 31

Weather on Saturday morning, May 31, was perfect for a bike ride in Isadore Canyon. Eleven of usheaded out to enjoy the birds and flowers on the first 11 km of this trail. Marianne also showed ussome historic sites from when the railway bed was built. Three and half hours later when we werereturning to our vehicles, it had warmed up nicely, and the mosquitos were getting to be a nuisance!

Ruth Goodwin

Community Forest Hike June 1Six of us hiked seven km from the college trailhead to the big tree [150 m above our startingpoint] and on to Mayook's lookoff, where westopped for a look over Cranbrook before wecame back. We went at a leisurely pace,pausing to look at nature, learn from eachother and take pictures whenever we felt likeit. We got rained on a little, but not much; itwas nothing more than a cooling shower aswe returned to the trail head.

The birders in our group listed 36 species. Gregsubmitted them to ebird, athttp://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18656958

We compiled the following list of plants:

ponderosa pineDouglas-firsprucelarchjuniper

rocky mountaincommon

aspenbirchOregon-grapekinnikinnickhawthornsaskatoon

five hikers Joy

Joy Mayook's lookoff

Douglas-fir buds Joy Douglas-fir new growth

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choke cherryantelope-brush [bitterbrush]strawberryearly blue violetshooting staralumrootwoodland starpuccoonstickseeddesert-parsley [lomatium]Drummond's rockcresslarkspuranemoneold man's whiskersshrubby penstemonsedum [stonecrop]lupinebalsamrootdandelionpussytoes

fieldrosyracemose

yarrowfleabane [daisy]meadow death-camasstar-flowered false Solomon's-sealcalypso orchid [fairyslipper]arnica

Excepting trees, these were the species in flower. There are lots more up there.Susan Walp

choke cherry Greg

antelope-brush Greg

Joy shrubby penstemon balsamroot Joy

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Impromptu Evening Hike June 5

The outskirts of Cranbrook provide manyopportunities for a quick evening walk on anearly June evening. Marianne and Daryl lednaturalists on a mini adventure a short distancefrom the north end of Wilks Road. The first goalwas an unusually dense patch of Calypso bulbosa(fairyslipper, Venus-slipper or calypso orchid).Although smaller than the orchids you see inshops, this is one of our largest native orchids. Itis also the most exquisite as well as the mostelusive. Its favourite habitat is pine woods, whereit grows in the damp litter of the forest floor. Thistrue member of the orchid family grows from acorm, an underground storage organ, actually theswollen base of the stem, which is all thatremains after the plant flowers and seeds in earlysummer. As with all orchids, this flower grows

only in association with a certain type offungus. As a result, it is virtually impossible totransplant. This plant suffers from over-pickingby collectors. Picking this flower will kill theplant, so it is best to leave this, as well as allwild flowers, to mature unimpaired. Earlier,we counted over 100 orchids in an area ofabout one square meter. This patch may besuccessful because of continuous shade,abundant rotting material and its secludedlocation.

Leaving the dense, north facing forest,we walked up a south aspect grassyslope. The yellow arnica and balsamroot were amazing, interspersed withnumerous, fragrant, light yellowbitterbrush flowers. Bitterbrushbelongs to the rose family, and, like

calypso orchid Daryl

Joy balsamroot and hikers

Joy view from up the hill

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native rose species, has five petals on each little flower.

These small flowers attract night flying moths which provide an important food supply for theCommon Poorwill. A small nightjar of the arid West, this poorwill is the smallest member of itsfamily in North America. It is one of the few birds known to hibernate in the winter. It is very wellcamouflaged, coloured in browns, black and grey. This medium-sized bird is large headed with atiny bill and very tiny feet. This bird can slow its metabolic rate and drop its temperature, goinginto a hibernation-like state known as torpor. In periods of cold weather, when insects areinactive, a poorwill may stay in torpor for several weeks. These birds hide during the day,emerging at dark to feed. They are very difficult to see, but several were heard during the week ofthe evening walk, flying past our house on Wilks Road near midnight.

Submitted by Daryl Calder

There were ant lion traps on the hill that evening!Ant lions [neither ants nor lions] are insects. Thelarvae live below the funnel-shaped traps theymake, and they feed on ants which wander in.

shrubby penstemon blossoms poking up throughlow branches of a Douglas-fir [left] Joy

Ponderosa pine trees were blooming, too [below].Pollen from the male cones [catkins] lands on thefemale cones, which mature into pine cones.

info from Susan, photos by Joy

ant lion traps Greg

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‘This thorough guide is a must-have for novice and expert birders alike.’-from the back cover

BIRDFINDING in British Columbiaby Russell Cannings and Richard Cannings, illustrated by Donald Gunn

Veteran naturalist and birdfinder Richard Cannings and his son, Russell, a gifted birderin his own right, use their combined knowledge and expertise to guide readers to thebest birding sites in BC. The authors divide the province into eleven regions, fromVancouver island to the Far North, providing detailed information about how to reachthe best sites to look for birds, when to look for them, and what you might find.BIRDFINDING is packed with descriptions of the natural history, ecosystems, anddiverse landscapes, and accompanied by numerous sketches and maps.

I particularly liked the section, ‘A Quick Natural History of British Columbia’, spanning200 million years!

Published by Greystone BooksISBN 978-1-77100-003-1

Submitted by Daryl Calder

book review

club information

executivepresident Peter Davidsonvice president Tara Szkorupasecretary Marianne Nahmtreasurer Lois GruenigBC nature director Greg Rossfield trips George and Paula Rogerspresentations Marianne Nahm

other committee and club representativesLittle Big Day Greg RossChristmas bird counts Greg RossElizabeth Lake Tara Szkorupanewsletter Susan Walp

field tripsleader responsibilities:

Find a replacement leader if necessary.Keep the group together.Make sure everybody leaves the parking area safely.Get someone to write an account of the field trip.

carpoolers: Please offer to chip in for gas.no dogs on field trips, please, unless otherwise specifiedupcoming events

meetings

held every two months, in odd-numbered months

upcoming meetings

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If you'd like to see your dog here, pleasesend a picture of your dog to the newsletter.

ongoing - Tuesdays @ 7AM - Elizabeth Lake - Early Morning Birding - meet: atTourist Info Centre

Saturday 28 June - warbler hike - Peter is leading a hike out Lumberton way insearch of warblers and other song birds. Meet at the Elizabeth Lake info centre at8:30 am. Bring a lunch and we will stop and swap stories about what we have seen.Should be done shortly after lunch. Let trips director know if you plan to come.

Saturday 9 August from 2PM till 9PM - Summer BBQ - Greg and Sues

Wednesday 16 July @ 7PM - Rocky Mountain Naturalists outdoor business meetingat Reade Lake, Wycliffe, BC

Wednesday 17 September @ 7PM