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.
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