Owls calling

This evening I hiked up the Happy Creek Trail and put up 2 more duck nest boxes on the upper beaver ponds. I'll do the last 2 tomorrow evening. Carrying a box in each hand all the way up there is hard work. It doesn't seem they weigh much but carrying them for a few km on slippery trails definitely got my arms complaining. The highlight was a barred owl that decided to hoot a few times from pretty close range while I was putting up the first box. I absolutely love barred owl calls. It only called twice. I waited awhile and then tried to imitate it but got no response.

After I hung the second box I detoured off the trail to check one of my old pileated woodpecker cavity trees and got rewarded when a boreal owl stuck it's head out of the hole right at dusk. It didn't stay at the entrance for more than 15 seconds and no amount of scratching on the tree could get it to look out again. There were downy feathers stuck to the entrance which could mean this little owl might have been using that woodpecker hole for some time. Two owls in one evening was pretty good fortune in my books. Some of the Whisky-jack club folks went out last Saturday night and got a northern saw-whet owl calling on the downstream boardwalk loop along Happy Creek. This is the time of year when one is most likely to find an owl or two calling from just before dark on into the night.

Waterfowl Platform Raised

Last year I misjudged the high water mark on Maxwell Lake, and the waterfowl platform we put in at the east end of the lake became the submarine platform instead. Recently I added another 2x8 frame and filled it with soil. I also put a smaller box on top with wood chips and sedges in the hope that a Canada goose pair will nest there this spring. And finally I seeded grass and spread fertilizer to get some green going.

It was pretty windy, so the photo looks a little messy from all the windblown dirt. That will fall to the lake bottom when the ice melts and the platform will look even better when the grass sprouts.

While I was there a troupe of chickadees was calling over by the lake tower, and several birds were noisily calling the "fee-bee" song that's always an early sign of spring. Pussywillows are out too at the end of the lake. All we need is an extended period of warm days and winter's grip will be broken.

Waterfowl Nest Boxes

Last Sunday I put up 7 waterfowl nest boxes around Maxwell Lake and the lower Happy Creek beaver ponds. Two boxes are close to the observation towers, in the hope that if a duck uses them her comings and goings will be observable from the towers. The rest of the boxes were put in quieter spots, where a duck hen might feel more comfortable setting up housekeeping without those curious human eyes close at hand.

Which species might use the boxes? The common goldeneye and bufflehead are the 2 most likely to take up residence. Both species always use Maxwell Lake during the spring migration period and might decide to stay and raise a family. If we're fortunate, maybe Barrow's goldeneye or hooded merganser might show up, and at an outside chance (pretty low chance, I admit) maybe a wood duck. That's about it for cavity-nesting ducks, but we can also expect to see other species using the boxes. After all, a hole in a tree is a home to many. Small owls and squirrels will certainly take up at least temporary residence, and other species that like cavities like bats will likely use the boxes at times.

I meant to number the boxes but forgot until after I had the last one up. Next winter when I check them for signs of use and to give them a good cleaning I'll add the numbers. In the meantime, if you see any wildlife using the boxes, please let me know. I'll report here in the blog.

One last thing - it's been reported that some duck hens actually might select their nest site during fall migration the year before. So if we get no takers in 2010, there's always hope for next year!

Signs of Spring

To go with the recent warm weather we have the earliest of spring birds starting their annual cycle. Crows, Canada geese, and bald eagles have all been spotted in the last few days. Two days ago I saw a magpie carrying nest material into a young spruce tree where it was busy making it's nest of sticks.

Every spring I watch for the arrival of the thrush cousins, the American robin and the varied thrush. It seems to be a race between the two - some years the robin arrives first and others it's the thrush. Sometime in the second week of April is about right for Hinton. Who will be first in 2010?

This weekend I'm going to put up some duck nesting boxes around Maxwell Lake in the hope that a few cavity-nesting species such as the common goldeneye and bufflehead will make the area their home this spring. Watch for the boxes mounted on trees and let me know if you see any ducks entering or leaving.

Should we shovel?

An anonymous citizen recently asked the Town to clear the snow from the Boardwalk. That would be a pretty big job. And even a quad with a snowblade would likely damage the wood structure, especially the 2x4 curbing. So I'm not too keen on mechanical equipment being used. I think a snowblower would work pretty well if it was used immediately after a fresh snowfall before the snow got packed by users.

Snow clearing would certainly make it easier to get around in the winter, especially for folks who aren't too steady on their feet and those who need a wheelchair to get around. On the other hand, I personally like tromping through the snow and seeing all the people and critter tracks.

In the end it comes down to a tradeoff between the benefits of clearing and the costs - damage and dollars. I think it's a good idea to shovel the boardwalk when the packed snow turns to ice near the end of winter. That's when it makes sense. The ice is slippery and removing it will speed the drying of the boardwalk for the spring season. Anyone who wants to bring their shovel along at the tail end of winter would be more than welcome. Maybe I'll see you out there!

Trees of the Boardwalk - White spruce 1

White spruce cones are longer than the short, almost round cones of black spruce. The female cones are near the top of the tree and the smaller male cones are lower down. The male pollen is blown by the wind to the female flower structures, and having the males in the lower story helps ensure the pollen goes to other trees, preventing self-fertilization.

White spruce cone crops are somewhat erratic, occuring every 5-7 years or so. When a bumper crop comes along maturing cones cover the upper branches, and they spark a bonanza for wildlife. Red squirrels clip the cones in a constant fall. Then the squirrels race to store the cones before they ripen and start to dry out and open, spilling their seed cargo. Seed-eating birds appear from nowhere to feast on the cones still attached to the trees. Seed specialists often seen at the Boardwalk when spruce seeds are abundant are white-winged crossbill, pine siskin, and pine grosbeak.

Trees of the Boardwalk - black spruce 1

Two of the three local spruce species are found at the Beaver Boardwalk. Unfortunately you can't tell black spruce and white spruce apart by their colour namesakes. The 3rd species, Engelmann spruce, is only located at higher elevations near treeline in our area.  Black spruce is the smallest local species. The biggest local specimens seldom exceed about 40 cm in diameter and 20 m in height. Although black spruce will grow in a wide range of soil conditions, it's most abundant on organic wetland soils. However in eastern Canada black spruce is associated with mineral soils in upland areas.

The best way to tell the difference between black spruce and white spruce is by looking at the cones. Both species have smooth, sometimes pitchy, cones. The longer white spruce cones open as they mature and tiny winged seeds spill from the open cones to be blown where the wind takes them. In contrast, black spruce cones are smaller and rounder. And while they may open while still on the tree like white spruce, they often remain closed for years, waiting for a hot sunny day or a forest fire to open the cones and spill the seeds.

Boardwalk users may have noticed a dark brown stain on the edges of the decking in a few places. The stain came from black spruce cones schucked by red squirrels on the edge of the structure. Rain soaked the discarded cone scales leaked the dark stain. It will be interesting to see how long that stain lasts!