2016 Bluebird Nesting Results - Marianne Nahm
Nestboxes available - 320 boxes
Nestboxes used -  286 boxes
Used by Western Bluebirds - 153 boxes, 977 eggs, 791 hatched, 711 fledged
Used by Mountain Bluebirds - 55 boxes, 304 eggs , 199 hatched, 184 fledged
Used by Tree Swallows - 104 boxes, 587 eggs, 526 hatched, 425 fledged
Used by House Wrens - 1 box, 6 eggs, 4 hatched, 4 fledged
Used by Mtn. Chickadees - 2 boxes, 13 eggs, 12 hatched, 12 fledged

This year we had 16 active routes with 20 + active volunteer monitors.
 
There are several long routes that I am splitting into smaller sections so that there is less of a time commitment and more people can become involved. Please let me know if you are interested in a route so that we could go out together several times to get you started. It is a very interesting, rewarding activity which involves a box check and clean-out in early April with the first monitoring beginning about the third week in May. It is necessary to go out every one and a half to two weeks until the beginning of August to monitor and record observations.
Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity. Marianne Nahm (via Comments below) 


2016 Membership Report - Susan Ross
At the end of 2015 there were; 37 single 26 family = 63 total memberships.
At the end of 2016 there were; 39 single 45 family = 84 total memberships.
2017 Rocky Mountain Naturalists memberships are now due;
$20.00 Single
$25.00 Family
Of last year’s members we have had 40 pay their 2017 membership dues.
Memberships can be paid at the next Rocky Mountain Naturalists meeting on January 18th. *Along with the signed waiver form.
Or sent to;
​Rocky Mountain Naturalists PO Box 791
Cranbrook, B.C.
V1C 4J5 


Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society Report
January 2017 - Jo Ellen Floer
Two regular meetings and one field day meeting were held in 2017.
One of the main discussion topics at the November 18th meeting were the solar panel applications. The majority of the proposals are on lands already treated for ecosystem restoration through the Society. As the Trench society is made up of member organizations, each organization was encouraged to comment on the proposals rather than just submit input from the Society. Dianne Cooper submitted a report on behalf of the Naturalists.
The Society is pushing the RDEK to start enforcing the Weed Control Act on Private land. The RDEK is going to develop an enforcement policy matrix and provide information on approaches to enforcement. That has not been provided to the Trench Society yet but the RDEK has replied with “Please direct any inquiries or report properties of concern to Jamie Davies, Recreation and Control Services Supervisor. He can be reached at 250-489-2791 or by email at jdavies@rdek.bc.ca “. Consider this approach if you know of lands with weed concerns.
The Society also met with two representatives of the BC Wildfire Service (formerly BC Wildfire Management Branch) to discuss issues around prescribed burning and how to have more burns in the trench. They are aware that a ‘natural’ state is a more resilient state. While there is funding and the ability to carry out the initial treatments, the maintenance is not being done. The society has requested that the maintenance be written into the original prescriptions so treatment areas remain in a ‘natural’ state.


2015 / 2016 - Turtle Monitoring Report - Greg Ross
2015
Nests found during monitoring = 58 Nests found in the Spring = 4
Total nests recorded = 62

Spring of 2016
Total eggs laid in 2015 = 718
Dead Eggs = 137
Dead Turtles – 49
Live Turtles in nest = 111
Turtles that emerged on their own = 421
Total live hatched turtles in 2016 = 532

2016
Nests found during monitoring = 83
Nests on top on previous nest = 2
Fall Emergent Nests found = 4
Total nests recorded = 89

Spring of 2017
Total eggs laid in 2016 = ?
Dead Eggs = ?
Dead Turtles = ?
Live Turtles in nest =
Turtles that emerged on their own = ?
Total live hatched turtles in 2017 = ? 

ELIZABETH LAKE REPORT - Stewart Wilson
1.  The City of Cranbrook upgraded washrooms at Visitor Centre during summer.
2.  300 metres of trails were added during summer. Volunteers prepared posts (360 posts cost $3000), and Bottle Bar Contracting carried out trail work at cost of $9000. 
3.  There is a grant of $2500 to use for signs. Daryl and the Sign Committee are working on having signs ready for spring 2017.
4.  Volunteers did weed pull by the trails in August.
5.  Volunteers tidied up or removed old posts by trails in the fall. 
6.  Katrin devised a trail survey to provide feedback from public and received 10 responses.
7.  Following the November meeting Myra spoke to an interested group about a proposed project to determine how terrestrial area of Elizabeth Lake can be restored and enhanced. Plan is to apply for Eco-Action funding in 2017.
8.  Greg continued to monitor turtles.
9. In April there was a successful Turtle Day. RMN members were in attendance.
10. Elizabeth Lake proved popular with classes from Gordon Terrace,TM Roberts and Parkland.
11.  Birders spent many Wednesday mornings at Elizabeth Lake.


​RMN Christmas Bird Counts report - Dianne Cooper
The 117th annual Christmas Bird Counts were conducted successfully on 28 December for Cranbrook and 4 January for Kimberley.  Dianne assumed organizing and compiling from Greg and Sue Ross.  The Ross’ took over from Anni Coulter and Mildred White in 1991 (I believe), initiating the count as an official Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Thank you for enthusiastically doing such a great job for 25 years, promoting the count, encouraging people to participate, hosting the count up many times, and much more.
Field observers numbered 15 for each count – not the same people – with some coming from Fernie and Wardner.  Cranbrook had 10 feeder counters and Kimberley had 6.
Each count had enough people this year to divide into the usual 4 teams to cover each of the four usual quadrants of the 24 km-in-diameter circle. Cranbrook sectors are Town-New Lake, Mission Wycliffe, Gold Creek, and Lumberton-Moyie.  Kimberley’s sectors are Town, the Northwest-Meadowbrook, Wasa and Wycliffe.
Cranbrook got 42 species on count day which was average; and Kimberley got 43 species which was above average for Kimberley. The highlights for the Cranbrook count include the following: the first record on a CBC for Northern Shoveler – four had been at the sewage lagoon since at least the end of October.  The highest number of Mallards ever were counted – the City ban on feeding them at the Mall seems to have had the opposite effect on their population or at least made them more visible on count day.  This year saw a flip in the ratio of American Crow to Common Raven in Cranbrook – usually there are more Ravens than Crows, but the opposite was recorded this year.  It was disappointing to miss Pine Grosbeak and White-winged Crossbill on the count after last year’s higher numbers for them.
The highlights for the Kimberley count include the following:  everyone survived the -32 C starting temperature.  Eurasian Collared-Dove numbers are increasing slowly since their first appearance in the area around 6 years ago – 18 were recorded.  Bald Eagles, Pileated Woodpecker and House Finches were at an all-time high.  A good number of American Goldfinch were recorded.
Both counts got good numbers of chickadees, except Chestnut-backed, perhaps the lower temperatures make them more evident at feeders.
Count week species – seen three days before, or three days after count day – turned up some very nice species: Varied Thrush, Pygmy Nuthatch, and a Common Redpoll for Cranbrook.  Yes, it was an off-year for most of the “winter finch” species, except for House Finch.

Editor's note: Oopsy, I think we missed posting this last year.  Enjoy! (Dianne C.)

The BCFO held their 25th anniversary AGM here in Cranbrook at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort and those that attending are calling it "top notch" and the Rocky Mountain Naturalists had a hand in helping to make it so. We arranged the birding field trips for the two consecutive mornings, Ruth Goodwin led the Wycliffe Rambler, Daryl Caulder Elizabeth Lake, Alan Barnard Ha Ha Creek Valley, Dean Nicholson the Spray Irrigation, Three Ponds and Dianne Cooper led them to the Skookumchuck  Prairie  IBA.  

Over 80 delegates attended, there was a technical session about the BC Breeding Bird Atlas, the Annual General Meeting, a banquet with keynote speaker, Jared Hobs, who delivered an informative and passionate presentation about the plight of both Western Screech-Owls, and Spotted Owls in BC.

Mike McGrenere has assumed the role of BCFO President. Marian Porter and Monica Nugent are the new additions to the board. Congratulations to all that attended and helped the RMNats make this a special weekend for everyone! 

As southern B.C. labours under an ongoing drought, many kinds of tough, hardy plants are thriving. Fields of invasive weeds are in full bloom in many vacant industrial lots around Cranbrook, and the short window of opportunity for fighting them is just about past.

Frank Hastings, who has been working for a contractor hired by the City of Cranbrook and private businesses to eradicate weeds in targeted areas, recently conducted a tour for the botanically minded, to see land where the weeds have been allowed to thrive and others where they have been cleaned out.

Earlier that day, Hastings and two others spent two hours pulling weeds out along a 100-metre stretch of Mission Road. Eleven giant garbage bags of weeds were the result, which were taken to the dump later. “Eleven garbage bags in two hours by three guys,” Hastings said. “I challenge city crews to beat that!”

Many weed species are in full flower and going to seed: a who’s who of invasive flora, some species which has been growing in the area for decades, some only recently arrived.

And of all these unwelcome aliens, these colonizing visitors, knapweed is the king. 

Hastings explains that knapweed can suck water deep out of the ground with its taproot, so it can prosper in drought conditions. Each knapweed plant can produce 40,000 seeds per plant — “So with that number of seeds, it’s success rate doesn’t have to be very high.”

Knapweed also puts a chemical into the ground — catechin — which inhibits the germination of the seeds of other species. Knapweed is almost a super-species — a super-invasive species.

“Because it’s Eurasian in origin,” Hastings said, “It’s not considered food by wildlife or livestock.” He added that some local ranchers have been training their cattle to eat knapweed, introducing it into their diet so they get a taste for it.”

Right now, the best main window for controlling the invasives is past. By and large all the species are in flower, and whether humans like them or not, the bees love them. So herbicides can no longer be used without causing harm to bee populations.

Hastings says that the best combat is still the most labour intensive — pulling the weeds out by hand.

Mowing is another option, especially early on, which prevents the weeds from flowering and going to seed, and also starves the roots. Judicious application of herbicide during the two-month window of June and July is also effective. But pulling remains the best option.

The vacant property between Elizabeth Lake and the highway, where the water slides used to be, is a vast field of knapweed and other invasives including dalmation toadflax, curled dock, common tansy, burdock and mullein (which weed contractors generally leave alone, as its seeds provide food for birds). There are also tall clusters of sweet clover, which is not considered invasive and is generally left alone.

Hastings said because of the proximity of Elizabeth Lake and Jim Smith Creek, spraying is less of an option — no herbicide can be put down with 15 metres of a body of water. The best recourse, he says, is to have teams of weed pullers hit the field and pull up the weeds by hand. 

In this regard, Hastings said, a recent idea of the City of Cranbrook to train teams of summer students to pull weeds is a good idea. “What I’d start doing is mowing and bagging the flower stalks, then pulling and bagging stems and roots.”

Driving along Cobham Road to the industrial section of Cranbrook, Hastings points out how clean and weed-free the roadsides are. High traffic industrial areas are City priorities for weed eradication, and businesses like Fiorentino Contracting and Tundra Steel make the effort to clean weeds out of their properties.

But out along Industrial Road G on the way out of town is the field where the stock car race track used to be — another expanse of knapweed — both spotted knapweed (purple flowers) and diffuse knapweed (white flowers),  along with species like blueweed, sow thistle and goats beard, proliferate. Hastings shows a plant with short stems and yellow flowers — yellow gum weed. “It’s not listed as invasive yet,” he says, “but it’s been coming in fast.”

The big empty city-owned lot by Save-On Foods is mostly clean, except for the area used to dump snow in winter. A lot of the city’s gravel trucks used for hauling away snow will be carrying weed seeds from the summer, and that area is covered with tall, thick-stemmed weeds, baby’s breath and hedge bind weed. Hastings shows another relative newcomer — yellow tar weed. “It’s native to the Pacific Northwest, but it’s been making its way here.”

The big industrial lots covered with invasive weeds are one thing, but Hastings is interested in more awareness of the issue among residents. “Most people wouldn’t know an invasive weed if it hit them,” he said. 

Property owners could contribute by learing to identify different invasive species and how to eradicate them.

Article first published in the Cranbrook "Townsman", July 30, 2015

Following Lynn's alert last night (Sept. 17) about a strong smell like diesel coming from ditch below the storm drain outflow at the foot of 11th St. S. and corner of Innes Avenue, Cranbrook Fire Department responded quickly to my call and placed a boom at the storm drain outflow and about 200 metres downstream. This prompt action apparently has prevented any of the liquid entering Elizabeth Lake. This morning I understand that Deputy Chief Driver checked out this site again to ensure that the booms were doing their job.

When I visited the site around 10 AM today, Jim Melenka and Darren (?) from Environment Canada were already taking readings by the outflow, as well as the catchment basin at the foot of 11th. They had still to determine the possible source of the spill and were awaiting information from the City about the storm drain system in that area. Dave Humphrey was able to provide the enforcement officers with a sample taken from the ditch last night. Veron Novosad, the local Provincial Emergency Response Officer, was also in attendance, and had been at the site last night.

Stewart

Birding at Elizabeth Lake the other day and was wondering how is Elizabeth Lake going to look when the water does go down and all of the floating islands are left along the north and and in front of the turtle nesting grounds?  This is a picture of the dipping dock.

The water levels have been rising at Elizabeth Lake.  Water from the lake goes through a culvert under Wattsville Road, into a creek which runs past the old waterslide site and the Heritage Motel.  Read the Townsman article in the Water at Elizabeth Lake link below.