ISSN 0228-8842

B.C. NaturalistSPRING, MARCH 1987 48 VOL. 25, NO. 1

Wildlife Centennial1987

A Land Fit For Wildlifeis A Land Fit For People

The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists, 1200 Hornby Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 2E2

B.C. Naturalist is published quarterly bythe Federation of British ColumbiaNaturalist, 1200 Hornby Street, Van-couver, B.C. V6Z 2E2.

Second Class MailRegistration No. 6247

DIRECTORYEDITORJude Grass

ADVERTISINGArno Seidelmann6749 Carncross Cresc., Delta,V4E 1L6; 596-3386

ADVISORY BOARDBert Brink Norman Purssell

HONORARY PRESIDENTDr. Ian McTaggart Cowan

EXECUTIVEPresident: Mrs. Jude Grass1215394th Ave., Surrey,V3V 1L7 (589-0500)

Vice-President: Joe Lotzkar7195 Selkirk St., Vancouver,V6P 6J4 (261-5685)

Treasurer: Paul Calderhead93 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver,V5Y 1T4 (879-7018)

Recording Secretary:Joyce Patterson2162 Dunham Road, Surrey,V4A5L6 (531-5300)

Membership/Office Secretary:Adeline Nicol, Monday & Thursdays,1200 Hornby St., Vancouver,V6Z 2E2 (687-3333 loc. 227)

Past President: Dick Stace-Smith4274 W. 13th Ave., Vancouver,V6R 2B6 (224-7027)

COMMITTEESActing Conservation Chairman:Dick Stace-Smith4274 W. 13th Ave., Vancouver,V6R 2B6 (224-7027)

Education Chairman: Bert Brink4135 West 16th Ave., Vancouver,V6R 3E4 (224-7078)

AFFILIATED CLUBSAND DIRECTORSVANCOUVER ISLANDRegional Coordinator:Acting: Jim Lunam,#1, Fanny Bay (335-2730)

Comox-Strathcona Naturalists:Box 3222, Courtenay V9N 5N4

D: Jim Lunam (335-2730)

Cowichan Valley Naturalists:Box 361, Duncan V9L 3X5

D: Peg Watson (246-3365)

Mitlenatch Field Naturalists:Box 392, Campbell River V9W 5B6

D: Frances MacPherson (287-4142)

Nanaimo Field Naturalists:Box 125 Nanaimo V9R 5K4

D:TBA

Fender Island Field Naturalists:c/o Ron McLardy, R.R. #1Fender Island, VON 2MO

D: Ron McLardy

Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club:Box 998, Ganges VOS 1EO

D: Peggy Jacobs

Victoria Natural History Society:Box 5220, Victoria VSR 6N4

D: Wilf Mead (658-5829)Winston Mair, (592-2849)Michael Shepard, (658-5850)

LOWER MAINLANDRegional Coordinator:

Norm Purssell,2338 Ottawa Ave., West VancouverV7V 2S9 (922-7992)

Alouette Field Naturalists:c/o 12554 Grace St.,Maple Ridge V2X 5N2D: Duanne van den Berg (463-8743)

Chilliwack Field Naturalists:Box 23, Chilliwack V2P 6H7

D: Stan Dickson (792-6366)

Langley Field Naturalists:Box 3243, Langley V3A 4R6

D: W. Knowlson

Royal City Field Naturalists:Box 2281, New Westminster V3L 5A5

D: Doris Lehman (524-3501)

Sechelt Marsh Protective Society:Box 543, Sechelt VON 3AO

D: Vince Bracewell (885-7259)

Vancouver Natural History Society:Box 3021, Vancouver V6B 3X5

D: V. C. Brink, (224-7078)Jude Grass, (589-0500)Syd Cannings (228-0894)Kay Beamish, (224-4209)Norm Purssell, (922-7992)

Arrowsmith Natural History'Society: Box 1542

Parksville VOR 2SOD: Pauline Tranfield (248-6607)

White Rock and Surrey Naturalists:Box 44, White Rock V4B 4Z7

D: Joyce Patterson (531-5300)D: Mary McGowan (536-4152)

Page 2 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

THOMPSON-OKANAGANRegional Coordinator:

Peter Legg,Box 751, VernonV1T 6M7 (542-9031)

Arrow Lakes Naturalist ClubBox 294, Nakusp, VOG 1ROD: Gary Davidson (265-4456)

Central Okanagan Naturalists ClubBox 396, Kelowna V1Y 7N8

D: Eileen Dillabough (763-0470)

Kamloops Naturalists:Box 625, Kamloops V2J 5L7

D: Karen Willies

North Okanagan Naturalists:Box 473, Vernon V1T 6M4

D: Peter Legg, (542-9031)D:TBA

North Shuswap Naturalists:General Delivery, Celista

VOE 1LOD: Helen Akrigg (955-2693)

Oliver-Osoyoos Naturalists:Box 1181, Osoyoos VOH WO

D: Daphne Malins (498-4300)

Shuswap Naturalists:Box 1076, Salmon Arm VOE 2TO

D: Mary McGHivray

South Okanagan Naturalists:Box 375, Penticton V2A 6K6

D: Barry Ryan

KOOTENAYBoundary Naturalists Association:

Box 2194, Grand Forks VOH 1HOD: Penny Gardner

West Kootenay Naturalists Assoc.:Box 3121, Castlegar V1N 3H4

D: Hazel Street (359-7426)

CARIBOOWilliams Lake Field Naturalists:

Box 4575, Williams Lake V2G 2V6D: T.B.A.

NORTH CENTRAL B.C.Prince George Naturalists:

Box 1092, Stn. A, Prince GeorgeV2L 4V2

D: Don Wilson (964-4643)

PEACETimberline Trail and Nature Club:

Box 779, Dawson Creek V1G 4H8D: Don Johnson (782-3400)DIRECTORS REPRESENTINGINDIVIDUAL MEMBERSD: Rosemary Fox, General Delivery,

Smithers, B.C. VOJ 2NO

Over theeditor's desk

To: The Editor

A comment about the recent review ofBritish Columbia \Vi|d: A NaturalHistory by Tim Fitzharris that appearedin the December issue of the B.C.Naturalist. I am pleased that suchearnest individuals as Richard Cannings,the reviewer of the book, are chargedwith the naming, numbering, andc a t a logu ing o f our p r o v i n c e ' sorganisms.

What would we do without suchthorough clerkmanship? We can alsothank creative and inspired individualsfor publications, such as British Colum-bia Wild, that promote, describe, andexplain in an exciting, easily understoodmanner the precious natural diversity ofour province. A landmark publicationof the size and scope of British Colum-bia Wild inevitably contains a few er-rors. We thank Mr. Cannings for poin-ting these out and can assure yourreaders that any inaccuracies will be cor-rected before the next printing. (We arequickly approaching our third printing).However, for the most part, we muststand by our research and scientificreviewers especially in the areas whereMr. Canning's judgement, knowledge,and experience appear ill-conceived.

British Columbia Wild was producedentirely in B.C. without corporate orgovernment aid of any kind. Thishomegrown publication has been receiv-ed with overwhelming enthusiasm bynaturalist, book critics, book sellers,librarians and people in general — rightacross the country. I can assuremembers of the Federation of BritishColumbia Naturalists that the publishersof British Columbia Wild are strong sup-porters of the Federation's work. Wewill continue to promote the ethic ofconservation and to increase, throughour publication, the awareness and im-portance of the natural environmentamong our citizens.

Yours sincerely,Audrey Fraggalosch

Managing Editor,Terrapin Press

Dear Editor:

In response to Ms. Fraggalosch com-ments about my review of her bookBritish Columbia Wild: A NaturalHistory 1 would like to repeat that 1

think British Columbia Wild is abeautiful book and well worth buyinghowever, a book built as a referenceshould be as free from factual errors aspossible, and I stand by my commentson this aspect of the book. In areas thatI am not well informed as others, Isought the advise of local experts inwriting the review, e.g. Dr. Fred Bunnellon Grizzly Bears, Cris Guppy on but-terflies, and the Atmospheric Environ-ment Service for weather data.Sincerely,Richard Cannings

Seiriol Williams 1904-1986

It is with the deepest sympathy weannounce the passing of Mrs. RuthBrink on February 14, 1987; wife ofPast President V. C. (Bert) Brink ofVancouver.

White Rock and Surrey Naturalistsin Crescent Beach

The WRSN have set up a centre inCrescent Beach at the Beecher Com-munity Centre. They are open Friday,Saturday and Sunday — Septemberthrough June (in July & August, site isused by Life Guards!) Walks will be of-fered and information on various natureprograms and places to visit in theLower Mainland is available. ContactMary Louise Macdonald, 536-2229 formore information.

FRONT COVERTop right: Robert Bateman participatedin the "kick-off event" for Wildlife 87Centennial in B.C. - The LadnerChristmas Bird Count, (photo Al Grass)Bottom right: Rocky Mountain Sheep —one of the many viewable species in B.C.(photo Tom Hall)Left: Wildlife 87 Centennial brochure —(Ministry of Environment & Parks andthe Centennial Wildlife Society of B.C.)outlines goals and events for the year inB.C.Centre: National Wildlife Centenniallogo.

Oliver-OsoyoosWeekend

The members of the Oliver OsoyoosNaturalists are inviting naturalists fromall parts of B.C. to a weekend of hikesfrom May 16-19th, 1987 (the longweekend). They are offering thehospitality of their homes and theknowledge of the area. If you are in-terested, please contact Daphne Malins,RR No. 2, S7, C25, Oliver, VOH 1TO orphone: 498-4300, to make ar-rangements.

B

With the sudden passing of SeiriolWilliams in August, the naturalist com-munity of Nanaimo and British Colum-bia lost an enthusiastic and dedicatedmember. Seiriol's interest in the out-of-doors went back to his earliestchildhood. Born in the "Hub City" to acoal miners family he explored the backcoun t ry trails when Nana imo ' shinterland was still pristine.

After graduating from the HarvardMedical School and an internship at theMontreal General Hospital he returnedto his island home to general practice.During the Second World War he joinedthe Royal Canadian Army MedicalCorps. On his return, he settled in Van-couver specialising in general surgeryand his interest in yachting and the BoyScout Movement. In 1955 with his twins,John and Nancy, he sailed to the QueenCharlotte Islands, a trip he retraced in1984. The logs from these trips aredetailed and of considerable interest.

In 1976 he retired back to Nanaimowhere he was active in more than half adozen community organisations, in-cluding the Nanaimo rep to theF.B.C.N. Ever proud of his Welshheritage His telephone greet ing"Williams Here" will ever be etched tothe memory of those who knew him.Always active and bright, Seiriol waskeenly anticipating a trip to Australiaand a long awaited rendezvous with thenavitgator star Canopus.

Seiriol was predeceased by his firstwife Wilma in 1975. He is survived byhis widow Ena, three sons, a daughterand six grand children.

Bill Merilees

C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 3

1987FBCN CAMP

The camp at the Bamfield MarineStation has proved to be extremelypopular, all sixty places have been filledand there is a long list of persons whocannot be placed.

There is no possibility of having alarger camp or having a second week thisyear but every effort will be made tohave a similar camp in 1988 to accom-modate those persons who were disap-pointed this year.

Making an equitable allocation of the60 spaces of members applying from allover the province was made difficult bythe disparity in mail service over so largean area. The method used was to dividethe province into two zones — 1) Van-couver and the Lower Mainland, and 2)the rest of B.C. This produced an almosteven split in the total number of applica-tions received by early January. Spacesin the camp were allocated in the sameproportion.

Two lists representing these areas weredrawn up with names of the successfulapplicants with a further 10 names beingput on a waiting list for that area. Withthis system a good geographical distribu-tion was achieved and the selection pro-cedures seem to have given results thatwere fair to all members.

All persons not accepted for thisyear's camp will be given a priority forthe next Bamfield camp. Persons whodid not register this year but think theymay wish to go next year may establish apriority by writing to the FBCN CampCommittee Chairman, Norman Purssell,2338 Ottawa Avenue, West Vancouver,B.C. V7V 2S9 Tel. 922-7992.

DOUGLAS H. PIMLOTTCONSERVATION AWARD

Nominations are now being acceptedfor the 1987 Douglas H. Pimlott Conser-vation Award. The Canadian NatureFederation annually honours an in-dividual who has made an outstandingcontribution to Canadian conservation,characterized by the completion of dif-ficult tasks of national significance.

Please include detailed informationdescribing the candidate's backgroundand achievements; applications are con-fidential. Send nominations to DouglasH. Pimlott Conservation Awards Com-mittee, Canadian nature Federation,Suite 203, 75 Albert St., Ottawa, On-tario KIP 6G1.

The winner of the 1987 PimlottAward will be announced at the Cana-dian Nature Federation's 16th AnnualConference in Saskatoon, June 5 to the8th.

Nature AlertNovember 1986

Page 4 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

FBCN AWARDSIt is not too late to send in nomina-

tions for 1987 FBCN Awards — youhave until April 1st. Full details were inthe last B.C. Naturalist — but the maincategories are: 1) The Elton AndersonAward — for service to the Federation;2) Club Service Award — recognition ofservice by a member of a Federationclub to the local club; 3) RecognitionAward — for an outstanding contribu-tion to natural history in B.C. (does nothave to be a FBCN member); 4) and theBarbara Chapman Award - - for ayoung naturalist who has shown an in-terest in any field of natural history.

Please send nominations to: Federa-tion of B.C. Naturalists -- AwardsCommittee, 1200 Hornby St., Van-couver, B.C. V6Z 2E2.

The 1987 Awards will be presented atthe Annual General Meeting inCourtenay, April 25.

Last year's Chapman Award winnerwas Julian Sturhahn of the CowichanValley.

Pitch-In

JOIN US!NATURALISTS/

BIRDERSvisiting Lower Mainland?

Alma Bed & Breakfast(Kitsilano area) offersreasonable rates, local

information, maps, etc.Local field trips by

arrangement. Write to:3672 West First Avenue,

Vancouver, B.C. V6R 1H2or phone:

(604) 736-9471 (evenings)

Big Game RanchingBig game ranching can conjure up im-

ages of pristine landscapes with thrivingnative wildlife supplying harvestable,sustainable food for local and foreignconsumption. It can also mean chaosand economic disaster, creating an openmarket on all animals that live in thewild. The market and industry ofwildlife meats and by-products is a con-troversial issue.

To make an informed judgement onthe acceptability of big game ranching inCanada, it is important for naturalists tohave a clear understanding of big gameranching and its implications on the con-servation of Canada's wildlife.

The Canadian Nature Federation'sBoard of Directors has carefully examin-ed all aspects of intensive game ranchingand adopted a policy opposing this in-dustry. That policy, and background in-formation explaining the issue, are in-cluded in a position paper available fromthe Canadian Nature Federation, Suite203, 75 Albert St., Ottawa, Ontario,K1P6G1.

(Big Game Ranching is also examinedin the Spring 1987 issue of NatureCanada magazine)

Nature AlertNovember 1986

Deadline and distribution dates forthe B.C. Naturalist.

Edition Deadline DistributionSpring Jan. 1 March 1Summer April 1 June 1Fall July 1 Sept. 1Winter Oct. 1 November 1

THINKING OFADVERTISING?

The publication of the B.C.Naturalist is supported throughadvertising. It has a circulation of5000 copies and reaches members ofthe Federation throughout the Pro-vince. All of them are consumers:they would like to know what goodsor services you may have to offer. Isit food or dr ink? Travel ar-rangements or outdoor equipment?Books or lectures? Anything at all ofinterest to nature lovers? If so, con-sider advert is ing in the B.C.Naturalist . The rates are veryreasonable.

For deta i ls , con tac t : ArnoSeidelmann at 596-3386 or write to6749 Carncross Cresc., Delta, B.C.,V4E 1L6.

HELP SUPPORT THE B.C.NATURALIST THROUGH

YOUR ADVERTISING

ptarmigan ptracks DAVIDwith STIRLING

If you have ever flown between Van-couver and Penticton, only a tiny por-tion of this province, you must havebeen impressed with the amount of ver-tical terrain below. Under the silverwings passes a whole world of scenery,wildlife, and possibilities for adventureand exercise, especially for cityboundnaturalists.

In recent years, access to this highcountry has become much easier.Tongues of logging roads reach up to theedges of alpine meadows, and ski resortsprovide popular winter access to back-country areas once the exclusive preserveof snowshoers and backpackingwilderness skiers. Elsewhere, summerhiking trails (especially in the parks)enable energetic naturalists to wind theirway up into the mountains. ManningProvincial Park provides an excellentopportunity to sample summer's arrivalin the Cascades.

Manning in early May . . . the firstdandelion leaves appear along the ever-widening highway, but drifts of sodden,dirty snow still lurk under the trees. Theskiers have gone, and the summer vaca-tioners have not arrived. When the sunshines it is warm and exhilarating, butwhen the clouds move in, it's cold anddepressing. The streams are rolling bankfull with meltwater, heading for the Col-umbia by way of the Similkameen andOkanagan Rivers.

In the early evening I drive up the Gib-son Pass Road to Strawberry Flats, atthe bottom of the ski slopes. This is anarea of open glades, framed by forests ofEnglemann spruce and lodgepole pine,just emerging from the wintersnowpack. There is plenty of soundfrom the few early birds, as they set upterritories before the late spring rush.

The air seems to vibrate with thehooting of Blue Grouse, and the low-high organ notes of the Varied Thrush.During short breaks in the grouse-thrushmusic, I catch the distinctive "rap-tap-

SPRING IN THECASCADES

// is spring again and a naturalist'sfancy may turn to thoughts of summer'sreturn to the high country of theCascade Range.

tap-tap" of the Red-naped Sapsucker,and the sharp clapping of the SpruceGrouse as it leaps into the air and slapsits wings. It seems to be applauding theevening chorus.

Then the booming hoot of a femaleGreat Horned Owl rolls in from higherup the mountain, and is answered soonby the staccato call of one male down inthe valley.

Next morning I notice there has beenan overnight fall of small birds . . .Yellow-rumped Warblers, Townsend'sWarblers, Orange-crowned Warblers,Wilson's Warblers, Hammond's Flycat-chers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chippingand White-crowned Sparrows — all inclumps in the low cottonwoods besidethe river. The rich colours of the Yellow-rumped, Wilson's and Townsend'sstand out in the sparse, bare branches.

Up at Strawberry Flats the sun is try-ing to break through. Now the VariedThrushes are silent and the Blue Grouseare scarcely giving a hoot. Litter leftbehind by untidy skiers appears on thebare earth, no longer hidden by snow. Ifind two quarters and a dime. The birdsthat had relied on handouts all winterapproach, but I have nothing for them— a half dozen Whiskey Jacks lookinghungry and sad, a noisy Steller's Jay,and a party of Mountain Chickadees.

Interesting as these lower, forestedslopes may be, even more mountain life

awaits spring above treeline, in thesubalpine meadows. In early July, retur-ning to Manning, I drive up to 'TheLookout', a parking area at 1500 metreselevation on the Blackwall Peak road.This provides a splendid panoramic viewof the northern Cascades, with MountFrosty at 2400 metres dominating thesouthern skyline.

While I admire the rock plants andcontemplate the mountain world, I amgreeted by the high-pitched "eek" of thepika, which lives in the man-made talusslope below. Several mantled groundsquirrels (the big 'chipmunks') havebeen under my feet since I arrived, hop-ing, no doubt, that this is the beginningof the fast food season. A raucousscream and a flash of gray and black an-nounces the arrival of a handsomeClark's Nutcracker. He inspects the sur-roundings for a moment before flyingoff.

Expanses of snow still linger whereverthey are protected by shade, the whitepatches framed in masses of avalanchelilies and western anemones. The secondbloom wave of lupine, Indian paintbrush, arnica and mountain daisy isbeginning. A dazzling but ephemeralmantle of floral colour will soon spreadover Manning's high country.

I have just given a hint of the wondersof spring that await your discovery in thenorth Cascades. Be sure to stop in at thenew Visitor Centre in Manning Park,just east of the Lodge, on the north sideof the highway. Interpretive staff havethe latest information on the arrival ofsummer species and the retreat of snowfrom the many trails, and of course offersuperb insights into the park throughtheir summer programs. Take a look at acopy of Wildflowers of Manning Park,by J. E. (Ted) Underbill, Exploring theOutdoors of Southwestern B.C., byTony Eberts and Al Grass, or ExploringManning Park, by Cyca & Harcombe, tolearn more about this dynamic region.

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 5

WINTER REPORT1986-87

We made it! Draft accounts for 266non-passerine species have been writtenand reviewed. In total nearly 3,600birders contributed to the book andanother 110 professional ornithologistscritically reviewed species in their fieldof expertize. Comments were generallyfavourable and constructive, some wereeven humorous. One American reviewercommented "Don't Canadiantypewriters have commas!" The peoplewhe were really busy, however, were the11 provincial reviewers who gave uphours of birding time to wade throughall accounts. We are very grateful tothese birders who included DICK CAN-NINGS, GARY DAVIDSON, ADRIANDORST, EARL GODFREY, VICGOODWILL, RICK HOWIE, ANNAROBERTS, MIKE SHEPARD, CHRISSIDDLE, DAVID STIRLING andWAYNE WEBER.

During the next three months we mustincorporate reviewer's comments intothe final draft of each species account,review all other sections of the book,produce camera-ready maps, produce anindex, check the acknowledgements, andhave everything retyped...and then re-read again. For the six authors burstingbuds, wanning days, and singing birdswill have to wait until spring 1988!

This will be the last formal "ProgressReport". I have been asked to continueseasonal summaries of noteworthyrecords of birds, mammals, reptiles, andamphibians, as well as brief summary ofcurrent publications. Each report willhighlight bird observations, and happen-ings, and only when information isavailable for the other animal groupswill they be included. So please send meany noteworthy, anecdotal, orhumerous sightings that you would likeme to share with other naturalists in theprovince.

NOTEWORTHY RECORDSAll records are from late autumn to

early winter, 1986, unless stated other-wise.

BIRDS

A PACIFIC LOON, rare anywhere inthe southern interior, was found on thebank of the Fraser River at PrinceGeorge by Dave King on 14 October. Itwas dead the following day and given tothe Provincial Museum for the scientificcollections. A SNOWY EGRET wasseen by many observers at CowichanBay on 18 and 19 November. The firstbig surprise of the season was an IBISspotted by verteran birder Allan "Tex"Lyon at Port Hardy on 10 November.Many local birders rushed to the nor-thern island community to see the bird.Unfortunately it was in winter plumageand difficult to identify. The bird is pro-bably a WHITE-FACED IBIS.Hopefully photographs will confirm theidentification. The IBIS is quite tameand feeds on worms and insects amonggrass at a trailer park. Curious cats areregularly chases away by the "puffedup" and territorial exotic visitor.

An adult BARNACLE GOOSE waslocated by Stephen Bazett at SomenosFlats (Duncan) on 21 November. It waswith wild Canada Geese but rumourssuggest it may have been an escapee!Dick Cannings found three male EURA-SIAN WIGEON at Port Hardy on 15November and another male at VaseuxLake on 29 December. A flock ofAMERICAN BLACK DUCKS was seenin flooded field with MALLARDS andNORTHERN PINTAILS near MichaelLake (Yellow Point) on 11 January 1987by Rick Ikona and Steve Baillie. A verylate female HARLEQUIN DUCK wasspotted on Charlie Lake (Peace River)by Chris Siddle on 7 November.

West Kootenay Naturalists were ex-cited to find two WILD TURKEYS nearNelson on 27 December. A DUNLIN,extremely rare in the Peace River, waspresent at Fort St. John from 8-16 Oc-tober. The second big suprise, aSLATY-BACKED GULL, wasdiscovered by Mike Force and WayneWeber on 11 November while on the trip

^to Port Hardy to see the IBIS! Mike ob-

tained superb photographs of the dark-mantled gull.

There were three noteworthy owlrecords. A WESTERN SCREECH-OWL was observed by Roland Perrinand Jim Hilton at the base of TimothyMountain (Cariboo) on 2 January 1987.Doug Jury spotted an unbanded BUR-ROWING OWL at Knutsford, south ofKamloops, on 7 November. The last bigsurprise was a SPOTTED OWL founddead along the train tracks about fivemiles east of Yale in the Fraser Canyonon 25 November. The bird was given tothe museum and will be part of a travell-ing exhibit on "Birds of Prey" whichstarts a five year cross country tour ofCanada in May 1987.

Single BLUE JAYS were seen sixmiles east of Goodlow on 8 October byAndy Stewart and at Okanagan Centreon 20 October by Dan Bruce. Up to twoWHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHESwere seen at feeders in Williams Lakefrom 25-31 October by Linda Durrelland Jean Waite. Four WESTERNBLUEBIRDS were at Summerland on22 December. Laurie Rockwell ways un-ti he moved to the Okanagan from 100Mile House he never knew what interiorbirding was! He even reported (withDick Cannings) two CANYON WRENSand one CEDAR WAXWING at VaseuxLake on 29 December.

Rick Howie and Wayne Weber watch-ed a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDfeeding on ornamental crabapples atQuilchena on 29 and 30 December. Weoften neglect to report EUROPEANSTARLINGS. Not Jack Bowling. Hereported that in Fort Nelson the town'stotal population (7 birds) were last seenhuddled together in ornametal trees on29 October. In 1985 they lasted until 22November. Rick Howie confirmed thata bird killed by a cat in Kamloops on 28December was a female WESTERNTANAGER. An immature HARRIS'SPARROW was at two different feedersin Williams Lake on 14 and 25November. And Tony Greenfieldreported a late occurrence on 2November for five AMERICANGOLDFINCHES on the SunshineCoast.MAMMALS

The STRIPED SKUNK is slowlyspreading throughout Vancouver Island.Sylvia Dean saw one in the mill parkinglot at Youbou in late April. Ian Barnettfound a BADGER walking through a

Page 6 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

lodgepole-aspen woodland, at 3,000foot elevation, on 13 August. A LYNXwas a "lifer" for Rick Hurney who wat-ched it walking along a dyke along theCheakamus River on 29 March.CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS have invad-ed the southern coastal areas and arenow penetrating rivers, Doug Wilsonreported an adult male in the EraserRiver between the Port Mann and Pat-tullo bridges on 30 April. On 17 Augustthe writer spotted a male NORTHERNELEPHANT SEAL, from the ferry inActive pass.

REPTILES

The only significant records involvedan influx of LEATHERBACKS(TURTLES). I received seven reports.On 21 August one was spotted inQualicum Bay by a visiting naturalistRay Salmons. Another was reported byfisherman Larry Johnstone off BallenasIsland on 12 October. The remainingfive records were reported by Bob Hayoff the west coast of Vancouver Island.On 11 September he saw this huge turtleabout 55 miles s.w. of Pachena Pointand about 58 miles s.w. of Cape Beale.On 18 September LEATHERBACKSwere seen 50 miles s.w. of Ucluelet, 28miles s.w. of the entrance to PachenaBay and 35 miles s.w. of Broken Groupin Barkley Sound.

PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST

Articles with an asterick (*) are theresult, in part, of naturalist records andinformation deposited in the ProvincialMuseum.

* Carter, H.R. and S.G. Sealy. 1986.YEAR-ROUND USE OF COASTALLAKES BY MARBLED MUR-RELETS. Condor 88(4):473-477*Far r , A.C.M. 1986.CHARACTERISTICS OF WINTERHABITAT OF BALD EAGLES INSOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COL-UMBIA. British Columbia Ministry ofEnvironment Branch UnpublishedReport, Surrey. 86pp.

* Hancock, Lyn. 1986. LOOKING FORTHE WIND. Doubleday Canada,Toronto, Ontario. 221 pages.

* Hooper, Tracey D. and M. Nyhof.1986. FOOD HABITS OF THE LONG-EARED OWL IN SOUTH-CENTRALBRITISH COLUMBIA. Murrelet,67:28-30.

Licht, Lawrence E. 1986. FOODAND FEEDING BEHAVIOUR OFSYMPATRIC RED-LEGGED FROGS,RAN A AUMORA, and SPOTTEDFROGS, RANA PRETIOSA, INSOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COL-UMBIA. Canadian-Field Naturalist100(1) :22-31

Meriless, Bill. 1985. HUMPBACKSIN OUR STRAIT. Waters 8:7-24.

Munro, W.T., D.W. Janz, V. Hein-salu and G.W. Smith. 1985. THE VAN-COUVER ISLAND MARMOT:STATUS AND MANAGEMENTPLAN. British Columbia Ministry ofEnvironment Wildlife Bulletin No.B-39, Victoria, 23 pages.

R. Wayne CampbellB.C. Provincial Museum

Victoria, V8V 1X4

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION:HOW NATURALISTS CAN HELP

The Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia is only one of several wildliferehabilitation centres in British Columbia. Of the some 2000 birds and mammals theW.R.A. admits each year, 1,700 are the victims of human ignorance or negligence.Naturalists can help alleviate this situation by incorporating some preventive wildliferehabilitation into their programs.

1.) Don' Tough That Bird! Every spring and summer the W.R.A. is brought hun-dreds of healthy fledgling birds by good Samaritans. We try to encourage these peopleto put the young birds back where they found them in hopes of reuniting them withtheir parents. Usually this venture is successful. However, there are occassions whenthe parents dessert their offspring, and other occassions when the fledgling findersimply will not believe that this flightless young bird will survive in the wild even underthe watchful eyes of its parents. Similarly, people find you mammals that have beenhidden by their mother while she is away foraging, and assume that these babies havebeen orphaned. The only time young animals should be touched is when the parentsare definately dead or when the young are in immediate danger from an unnaturalsource.

2.) Plastic 6-Pack Holders can be deadly. Gulls, ducks, and other waterbirds arethe most common victims. The bird gets its head stuck in the holder, which makes itimpossible for it to swallow solid food and the bird slowly starves to death. Six-packholders should be cut into pieces before disposal.

3.) Hawk Silhouettes are an easy way to prevent birds from flying into windows.This is particuarly important during spring and fall migrations when there are largeconcentrations of birds passing through populated areas. Also effective is waxpapertaped to the window or a string of tine foil pie plates hung outside of the window.

4.) The Importance of Belling Cats is often underestimated. However, in GreaterVancouver alone the cat population is over 150,000. The WRA sees the result of thiscat over-population in that up to 80 percent of the songbirds brought to us have beenattacked by cats. The most effective way to bell a cat is to use two cow-bell style bellson the same collar. This way the bells clang together as well as jingling separately.

5.) When an Accident Does Happen the injured animal has the best chance of sur-vival if a wildlife rehabilitation center or veterinarian is contacted as soon as possible.They can suggest appropriate care you can give the animal until you are able to take itto them. Many people are reluctant to bring the injured bird or mammal to us becausethey have visions of keeping it as a wild pet. It cannot be stressed enough that keepingwild animals as pets is cruel to the animal and often dangerous to the pet keeper. Themisguided animal lover should also be informed that a permit is required to keep anywild animal in captivity.

If you have any questions about specific wildlife problems or are interested inbecoming a member of the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C., please contact:

Dorrothy Hill, Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C.4519 Piper Avenue, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 3B5 (604) 420-1320

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 7

Up and coiningMARCH

6-714

24-28

APRILI6

24-26

MAY2-5

16-192329-3130-31

31-June 6

FBCN Director's Meeting, 6:15 p.m., 1200 HornbySt., Vancouver.Second Fraser River Conference, Richmond.FBCN Vancouver Island Regional Meeting —Nanaimo. (NOTE CHANGE OF DATE.) ContactJim Lunam, 335-2730 for details.B.C. Wildlife Federation Annual Meeting — Pentic-ton.

Deadline for copy for Summer — B.C. Naturalist.FBCN Director's Meeting, 6:15 p.m., 1200 HornbySt., Vancouver.FBCN Annual General Meeting — Courtenay (seepage 23).

Ducks Unlimited North American Annual Meeting— Vancouver.Oliver-Osoyoos Nature Weekend — see page 3.Outdoor Recreation Annual Meeting — Vancouver.Ecological Reserves Wardens Meeting. Details TEA.Wilderness in Western Canada: A Forum. ContactFederation of Mountain Clubs of B.C., 1200 HornbySt., Vancouver, V6Z 2E2.

National Environment Week

JUNE2-8 Canadian Nature Federation Annual Meeting —

Saskatoon, Sask.20 Manning Park Bird Blitz — (see below)

JULY12-13 Western Red Cedar — Does It Have A Future?

Details: Western Red Cedar Secretariate, U.B.C.Conference Centre, 5959 Student Union Mall, Van-couver, B.C. V6T 1K2.

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Results of the Fourth AnnualManning Park Bird Blitz

In 1986, the fourth annual bird blitzsurpassed the 100 species target by one— 101 species in total were seen on theweekend on June 21st and 22nd.

Although we missed out on some ofthe alpine species last year, we ended upwith a good cross section of Manning'savifauna.

Some of the highlights of the weekendwere the spectacular Barred Owl displayat Strawberry Flats (Thank you SydCannings), and several blitz "firsts".These included Osprey (D. & E.Dickson); Golden Eagle (D. Jensen);Williamson's Sapsucker (R. & L.Wakelam); Least Flycatcher (D, Kragh,D. & E. Jensen); Bank Swallows (S.Cannings, B. Macdonald and D.Kragh); Bewick's Wren (D. Kragh); andNashville Warbler (S. Cannings & B.Macdonald). Thanks go to all par-ticipants — you did a super job!

Please mark your calendars now, theFifth Manning Park Bird Blitz will beheld on the weekend of June 20-21st,with camping at Lone Duck Lake. I lookforward to seeing new and old blitzersfor another sunny (hopefully) weekendat Manning Park.

Gail RossVisitor Services Co-ordinator

con't from page 19enough to distinguish from one another,at least when growing side by side. Col-our is the main dist inguishingcharacter is t ic . This, species ofChrysthrix, which I call the "golddusts", tend to be of a yellowish hue,whereas the Lepraria (the "housedusts") are usually a muted grey orgreen. Fastidious types, beware: onceyour eye becomes trained to seeing dustlichens, you will see them everywhere.Your broom closet will never be thesame.

Ask About the Forest. . .WHAT IS THE STATUS OF "SUPERTREE" DEVELOPMENT IN B.C.?

While genetic breeding programs inagriculture and horticulture have been inexistence for many decades, forestgenetic programs are relatively new inthe world.

In B.C. pioneering the genetics andbreeding of coastal Douglas fir began inthe mid 1950s. Since that time, thiswork has been extended to other speciesincluding western hemlock, whitespruce, lodgepole pine and westernwhite pine.

Parent trees are carefully selected fortheir superior traits — height, diameter,straightness, branching habits and wooddensity.

Work on coastal Douglas fir is themost advanced in B.C. today — almostall the Douglas fir now planted in ourcoastal forests comes from developedDouglas fir seed orchards.

Page 8 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

Geotalk Some geology for B.C. naturalistsJIM

with WESTON

Many of us, sooner or later, findourselves booking a flight on anythingfrom a Cessna 185 to 'a Boeing 747.Whether a half-hour intercity hop or atranscontinental ride, within minutes ofleaving the runway this will be one of thebest opportunities you'll have to ap-preciate the geological character of ourprovince.

Glittering, jewel-like alpine lakes oralkali ponds, the trace of ancient faultsacross the land, shimmering rivers, hid-den icefields, stark mountain ridges andthe colours of myriad habitats are allrevealed to you in swift succession. Yourtransit across the skies of B.C. gives youan omniscient impression of the land asa surface of change and vitality. Themore you have studied and travelled theterrain below your flight path, the morefun you'll have in recognizing its distinc-tive regions from on high.

Stuart Holland's Landforms ofBritish Columbia: A PhysiographicOutline ($5.00 from Queen's PrinterBookstore, 506 Government Street, Vic-toria, B.C. V8X 1X4) provides an ex-cellent orientation to the aerial ap-pearance of various landscapesthroughout -the province, in a specialphoto section keyed to a direction ofview map. A large fold-out map showsthe physical divisions of B.C. and thetext, although strictly descriptive (notexplanatory), indicates the main featuresof each unit.

To make the most of this uniqueperspective, some pre-flight planning is agood idea. Obviously, if you have achoice, you'll want to select a departurethat will offer the best daylight over theterrain you'd like to see. Weather condi-tions are hard to predict, but in generalyou're likely to get clearer views early inthe day, wherever you go, before hazeand clouds develop in response to theday's wind and solar radiation.

Don't assume a cloudy departure willmean poor visibility once your plane hasclimbed away from the airport. You maytop out over a thin cloud layer into afantasy world of mountaintop islandsrising from a wooly white sea. Heavycloud on the west slope of the CoastMountains and Cascade Range oftengives way, suddenly, to the rainshadowsunshine of the eastern slopes.

Find out if your flight will touch downalong the way at other points, then witha ruler draw pencil lines between theseon a B.C. road map or, for short flights,something more regional in scale

LOOKINGDOWN ON B.C.

(1:200,000 topographies, for example).Aircraft drift off route but generallytake the straightest line between stops,apart from getting lined up for landingapproaches. Having this map on yourlap will be of value in identifying whatpasses below. Note the take-off time andplace a time note along the lineanywhere you're sure of the name of afeature you see. Mark the 'time-outs' forany landings, and your final approachtime. This will help you determinewhether you were in the right positionalong the route to see what you thoughtyou did.

Different altitudes affect the detailsyou'll see along the way. On boardingthe plane, ask the flight attendant whatyour cruising altitude will be and theairspeed. Boeing 737s, perhaps the mostcommonly used jet on provincial routes,typically cruise between 4500 and 9000metres (15,000 to 30,000 feet) at about550 knots.

When making your reservation, findout whether you can book a windowseat. If you can't reserve one (on 'firstcome, first sit' flights), make sure you'reone of the first to board. You want aseat ahead of the wings, so you don'thave to peer through engine exhaust tur-bulence. Dangle a camera prominentlyfrom your neck and don't hesitate to ask,seated passengers if you might tradeseats for the sake of some pictures.Create the impression it's your firstflight, even if you really have 2000 hoursin.

For photography, use a UV filter toreduce blueness, but DON'T use apolarizer. Jet windows are alreadypolarized and you'll end up with weirdcolours and incorrect exposures. A widelends between 28mm and 40mm is thebest choice, to get some foregrounddetail in your views. Telephotos neverdo well when used from aircraft. Use thehighest shutter speed you can. A powerwinder or motor drive is very useful dur-ing takeoff and landing, when lowaltitudes reveal the most detail and in-tensity of colour. Some security gatesnow insist on opening camera backs tolook for bombs and other nasty things,so load your film on the plane. Avoidtaking 400 ASA films (or faster) throughX-ray inspection; remove cassettes fromtheir cans and put them in Ziplock bagsto facilitate hand inspection.

If you can choose your seat, decide inadvance, considering the direction oftravel and the likely sun position,whether you want to be on the sunny orshaded side of the plane. Landforms willshow better shadow definition if youlook toward the sun, but colours are bet-ter if you're looking away from it. Forphotography, there will be less flare andunwanted window haze if you shootfrom the shaded side.

If you're familiar with looking ataerial photos with a pocket stereoscope,shoot some stereo pairs of your own.Just take two shots in immediate succes-sion ('left eye/right eye') of the samescene. Later you can overlap pairs of3x5" or 4x6" prints to see incrediblestereo effects, especially in mountainshots. In a future 'Geotalk' we'll discussthe value of aerial photos in geology.

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 9

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Page 10 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This year marks theCentennial of the Canadian WildlifeService. To mark one hundred years ofwildlife research and sanctuaries, — theB.C. Naturalist approached the Cana-dian Wildlife Service — Western Regionto provide articles that would show thescope of wildlife and habitat research inthe west. Included in this edition are ar-

ticles dealing with — estuarinerehabilitation on Vancouver Island;Porcupine Caribou in the Yukon; SnowGeese banding in the Fraser Delta;Seabirds in B.C.; and a conservationsuccess story — the Creston Valley.In the Summer edition of B.C.Naturalist we will look at the B.C.Ministry of Environment and Parks andtheir work with wildlife.

The Porcupine Caribou Herd,1976-1986:

A Decade Of Research, Cooperation and Protection

The Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH)is the large migratory herd that annuallyoccupies portions of Alaska, Yukon andNorthwest Territories and remains thestaple food supply for seven native com-munities. Current estimates indicate apopulation size of around 180,000 andlikely increasing. No North Americancaribou herd has received as much na-tional and international attention as hasthe PCH in the last decade. This herdand its range have been the focus ofnumerous studies by federal, territorialand state wildlife agencies.

As with many wildlife populations im-petus for PCH studies evolved fromperceived threats to the well-being ofthis population. The same is true of thePCH. Two large development issuescontributed to focus international atten-tion on this herd in the early 1970's — aproposed pipeline from proven oilreserves at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to theMackenzie Delta, NWT. An intitial en-vironmental impact statement on theDempster Highway, published in 1972,stated that two large caribou herds ex-isted in the Dempster Highway corridor— one in the southern part and one inthe northern part. That these two largeherds were in fact the same herd utilizingtwo migration routes, emphasized thelack of knowledge of this valuableresource at the time. In fact, the PCHwas the last major caribou herd toundergo any detailed scientific scrutiny.

From 1971-1974 intensive surveys ofthe herd, conducted largely by oil in-dustry consultants, provided an initialassessment of movement routes andpopulation status. The process was aclassic case of too much too fast.Reports from these surveys revealledtremendous overlap, little or no coor-dination between companies and fin-

dings, and in may cases, findings ofquestionable scientific value. What didemerge however was a knowledge of theextent or range use of the herd, an ap-preciation by governments for the valueof the herd to native users and anawareness by managers in all jurisdic-tions that cooperation between agenciesis the key to the efficient management ofthe herd.

The offshoot of this latter point wasthe formation of the international adhoc Porcupine Caribou Technical Com-mittee in 1976. This committee includedresearchers and managers from theUniversity of Alaska, the State ofAlaska, the two territorial and twofederal governments. The objective, ac-cording to the adopted terms ofreference, was to concentrate on coor-dination of research effort of the variousagencies or individuals by establishingresearch goals and objectives, by pro-viding formal exchange of informationand by standardizing methods of datacollection. The committee was con-sciously kept at an informal level,meeting annually or biannually as theneed arose. Although studies had beensporatically cooperative previously, theformation of this group marked thebeginnings of truly cooperative studies,and provided a valuable interchange ofideas and information among resear-chers.

With the impetus of the committeeroutine monitoring of the herd, in-cluding movements, census and com-position, became fully coordinated, withsurveys occurring concurrently on bothsides of the international boundary.Specific studies conducted by a par-ticular agency, such as calving mortalityproceeded with little or no regard forborders, location being dictated by the

distribution of the herd. Other thanroutine monitoring detailed studies haveaddressed;

— winter activity in relation to theDempster Highway, 1970-80 to 1981-82

— characteristics of the calvinggrounds, 1979 to 1981

— spring range use by the male com-ponent, 1983— activity and energetics of springmigration, 1981 & 1982

— effects of insect harassment on ac-tivity and range use, 1984 to 1986

— juvenile and calf mortality, in-itiated 1979, ongoing

— monitoring of condition usingmuscle and bone indicies, initiated 1986

An international agreement to protectand manage the PCH was a topic ofdiscussions as early as the 1950's. In1978, the Government of Canada an-nounced that it would open discussionswith the United States on an agreementto protect the PCH coincident with awithdrawal of the Northern Yukon forconservation purposes. The most ob-vious barriers to an international agree-ment was that fact that Canada wasunable to impose harvest quotas onstatus native hunters according to Sec-tion 17.3 of the Indian Act. The State ofAlaska indicated it's unwillingness tofurther negotiate a treaty that did notallow for the capability of harvest con-trols. At the same time in Canada, threeseparate land claims processes wereunderway involving the Committee forOriginal Peoples Entitlement (COPE) innorthern Yukon and northwesternNWT, the Council for Yukon Indians(CYI) involving most of the Yukon, andthe Metis/Dene claims for the MacKen-zie Delta region. All three native groupsrepresented communities dependent

con'! on page i2

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 11

upon the PCH. Harvesting rights forstatus and non-status natives were a ma-jor point on the negotiation agenda.Given these outstanding claims, it wasfelt to be difficult task to reach an agree-ment on harvesting restrictions by Cana-dian native groups.

However, to the credit of nativegroups, on both sides of the interna-tional border, to -see that the PCH wasafforded maximum protection, nativerepresentatives met by themselvesand/or with government officials from1980 to 1985. In June 1985 all partieswithin Canada signed an agreement thatstressed protection for the herd and itsenvironment and contained provisionsfor quota establishment. The agreementalso established the Porcupine CaribouManagement Board with representativesfrom both territorial and the federalgovernment, CYI, COPE, and theMetis/Dene. The Board became amanagement body, thus providing par-ticipation of native users in the manage-ment of the herd. The PorcupineCaribou Management Agreementremoved some of the roadblocks that ex-isted for an international agreement. In-

ternational negotiations, although nevertotally suspended, proceeded in earnestculminating in November, 1986 whenthe U.S. and Canada initialled a draftagreement providing for the protectionof the herd and its habitat over thewhole range.

One of the most difficult aspects ofboth agreements with which to reach aconcensus was habitat protection. Onthe U.S. side, the Arctic Wildlife Rangewas established in 1960 to protect thefragile and unique environment as wellas the important calving grounds andsummer range of the herd. The originalrefuge, 8.9 million acres, was expandedin 1980 under the Alaska National In-terest Lands Conservation Act to 19million acres, encompassing much of theAlaskan winter range of the herd. Withthe settlement of the COPE agreementin 1984 Canada was obligated to protectland in the Northern Yukon for conser-vation purposes. To this end, the Nor-thern Yukon National Park wasestablished in 1985 encompassing almostall of the Yukon portion of the calvinggrounds for the herd. Further habitatprotection appeared to be ensured with

the signing initialling of the above men-tioned agreements. However, im-mediately on the heels of initialling theinternational agreement, threats to theherd's critical habitat materialized whenthe U.S. Dept. of the Interior recom-mended opening the Arctic Refuge to oiland gas exploration and development.Even though their own studies revealedthat threats to the herd were substantial,the Dept. of Interior recommended fullleasing on the refuge. These recommen-dations now fall on the United StatesCongress to either accept or reject.

In the last decade, much progress hasbeen made toward managing and protec-ting the herd and its habitat, with the in-ternational agreement as the final goal.Existing knowledge of the herd will pro-vide a good basis for evaluating futurepopulation trends and changes indistribution while the inclusion of nativerepresentatives on the managementboard will ensure their concerns are ad-dressed. The challenge ahead is largely amatter of the political will of all govern-ments to ensure the long term survival ofthis valuable northern resource.

Don Russell

ESTUARINE REHABILITATIONIN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Of British Columbia's 27,200 kmcoastline, an estimated 2 percent is riverdelta and attendant estuarine habitat.The value of that habitat to both manand wildlife is obvious to anyone whohas walked the Richmond dykes, fishedthe Cowichan, or birdwatched the LittleQualicum. And there's the problem.Wildlife is constantly competing withman for estuarine habitat and, untilrecently, has been coming up the loser.For example, over 70 percent of theFraser and over 45 percent of theCowichan estuarine marshes have beenlost to residential, agricultural or in-dustrial development. Now, you don'thave to be a wildli fe biologist ornaturalist to realize that there's nothingyou can do for sedges or snow geese ifyou can't give them a place to live. And,when it comes to estuaries, they're notbeing made any more. So if part of anintertidal marsh is dyked or filled, thathabitat is lost. At least until recently.

There are some positive things beingdone today to help rehabilitate degradedestuaries or to mitigate the impacts ofnew developments on estuaries. TheCanadian Wildlife Service of Environ-ment Canada, in cooperation with otherfederal and provincial resource agenciesand non-goverment organizations, isworking to prevent any further loss ofestuarine habitat along the coast and insome cases to increase the area! extent of

that important habitat. Here are two ex-amples:

1) Campbell River Estuary: Tomitigate the impacts of building adryland sort on the estuary, British Col-umbia Forest Products constructed fourintertidal islands within the estuary andtransplanted vegetation to them: vegeta-tion that was to be lost in dredging abooming pocket for the dryland sort. Atotal of .42 hectares of marsh was slatedfor destruction. Of that, .07 ha waspreserved as donor stock for destruc-tion. Of that, .07 ha was preserved asdonor stock for the transplant effort.Today over 1.5 ha of marsh habitat isgrowing on the islands, nearly a fourfoldincrease, with a potential area for growthof 2.4 ha. The islands and transplantscheme were designed by biologists fromFisheries and Oceans Canada and theCanadian Wildlife Service. Other par-ticipants included the provincial Fishand Wildlife Branch and the Ministry ofLands, Parks and Housing. To date, theproject appears to be one of the mostsuccessful of its kind in North America.That success was due to many factors,not the least of which was the tremen-dous cooperation the resource agenciesreceived from British Columbia ForestProducts.

2) Cowichan River estuary —Koksilah Marsh: About 17 ha of formerestuarine marsh had been dyked and us-

ed for agricultural purpose for manyyears. Recently the Nature Trust ac-quired the property. A restoration con-cepts plan has been designed by a com-mittee headed by the Wildlife Branch ofthe Ministry of Environment. Othermembers are Fisheries and OceansCanada, Nature Trust, Ducks Unlimited(Canada), Cowichan Estuary Preserva-tion Society, and the Canadian WildlifeService. The restoration design includesbreaching the dyke, which will return in-tertidal circulation to the area andrestore the estuarine marsh habitat. Theproject will be completed in the summerof 1987.

Similar projects have been completedon, or are being planned for the Fraser,Squamish, Chemainaus, Englishman,Little Qualicum, and Kokish estuaries.

It would be naive to assume that manwill place no further demands on the re-maining estuarine habitat in British Col-umbia. However, the effects of thosedemands can be minimized through wisemanagement which includes the abilityto undo past impacts and to mitigatethose in the future. Through thatmanagement, the millions of migratorybirds and other wildlife dependent onthose scarce habitats should continue tobe common sights along the British Col-umbia coast. Neil K. Dawe

Canadian Wildlife ServiceQualicum Beach, B.C.

Page 12 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

COOPERATIVE SNOW GOOSE BANDINGon the Fraser River Delta

In June of 1986 Canada and theUnited States signed a document calledthe Nor th American WaterfowlManagement Plan. That plan identifiedgoals and objectives for continentalwaterfowl management, described themajor problems facing waterfowlmanagers today, and set out manage-ment guidelines for the next 5 to 15years.

By its very nature the plan calls forcooperative management of the water-fowl resource by all the jurisdictions inthe two countries: state, provincial andfederal governments and special interestgroups. One of the vehicles that will beused for cooperative management is anagreement amongst jurisdictions, calleda "joint venture". In essence those jointventures are formalizing working rela-tionships that have existed betweenwaterfowl managers in both countriesfor some time. Now when a joint ven-ture is entered into, a commitment ismade to a specific course of action for atime interval deemed necessary to com-plete the task. In other words, joint ven-tures, by recognizing the internationalnature of waterfowl management pro-blems, become high priority in the pro-grams of each jurisdiction.

A joint venture has been entered intoin the Pacific Flyway (which includesYukon, British Columbia, Abertawestern Northwest Territories and thewestern United States) for managementof western arctic snow geese. Although

none of those populations normallyspend any time in British Columbia wehave been able to use the joint venturesas a catalyst for a local and internationalresearch program on the WrangelIsland, Siberia snow geese that winter onthe Fraser delta. In November 1986 abanding program was initiated on theAlaskan National Wildlife Area, west ofLadner. The major cooperators were theWashington State Department of Gameand the Canadian Wildlife Service.Other cooperating agencies included theBritish Columbia Wildlife Branch,Ducks Unlimited Canada, AgricultureCanada and the British Columbia In-stitute of Technology.

The objectives of that program werefour-fold. The snow geese that winter onthe Fraser River delta spend part of thewinter on the Skagit River delta inWashington. Our first objective was todetermine how much interchange occursbetween those two areas throughout thewinter. A second objective was to deter-mine within each area (Fraser or Skagit)if there are recognizeable patterns ofdistribution. More specifically we wishto know whether birds use specific partsof the foreshore and specific uplandfields consistently.

A third objective has to do with thearctic goose joint venture itself .In 1987 alarge snow goose banding effort will bemade throughout the western Canadianarctic, Alaska and Wrangel Island. Thepresence of banders on Wrangel Island

will provide an opportunity for sightingcollars placed on geese at Alasken NWAlast fall. We do not know if theFraser/Skagit flock is a discrete sub-population of the Wrangel Island geeseor if they mix more or less at randomthroughout the colony. If our snowgeese or if they mix more or less at ran-dom throughout the colony. If our snowgeese are not a separate small group,management practices elsewhere on thewinter range, primarily California,could have a significant impact onFraser/Skagit geese.

The final objective of our banding ef-fort was to provide a means of measur-ing survival and production of in-dividual birds over several years,without having to rely only on hunterreturned bands. Collar-banded birds areideally suited to such long term studies.Collar sightings over a number of yearsprovides more information at less totalcost than does leg banding alone.

Our banding operation provided uswith a sample of approximately 400geese. So far over 300 of those birdshave been resighted at least once. Manyhave been seen on the Skagit River deltaand some have been reported from SovieIsland National Wildlife Refuge in themouth of the Columbia River. We lookforward to many more sightings this spr-ing and hopefully some next summerfrom Wrangel Island in Russia.

Rick McKelvey

SEABIRDS IN BRITISH COLUMBIASeabirds are practically a secret

resource in British Columbia. There areprobably 1.4 million pairs among 15species but nearly all of them are noctur-nal and nest on isolated islands along theouter edge of the province. Most speciesspend the winter at sea and stay in B.C.only long enough to breed but the excep-tions — the Marbled Murrelet, PigeonGuillemot, the three cormorants, andthe Glaucous-winged Gull — are amongthe most familiar marine birds.

Their isolation and secrecy does notmean that they are unimportant. Weprovide breeding sites for 70 percent ofNorth America's Cassin's Auklets, 77percent of the Ancient Murrelets, and 69percent of the Rhinoceros Aucklets.That's 70 percent of the world's AncientMurrelets and 35 percent of the world'sRhinoceros Auklets because there arepopulations of those in Asia, butCassin's Auklets are found only on thewest coast of North America. We may

also have 6 percent of the Fork-tailedStorm-Petrels and 5 percent of theworld's Leach's Storm-Petrels. OurTufted Puffin population is probably 30thousand pairs and that is less than 5percent of the world population but it isthe only population in Canada and thecolony on Triangle Island is the last largecolony south of Alaska.

Although the seabirds occupy themost remote sections of the B.C. coast,they are suffering increased pressurefrom man. Fortunately nearly 50 percentof the breeding pairs nest on EcologicalReserves but other sites are subject tologging, invassion by rats and raccoons,and invasion by tourists as more peopletake up ocean kayaking and naturalhistory excursions. Puffins, murres, andMarbled Murrelets seem particularlyvulnerable to gill nets and the annualloss of puffins in the Gulf of Alaska isequivalent to the entire B.C. population.Marbled Murrelets are affected by both

logging and gill nets and are noticeablymore numerous off areas of uncuttimber.

In 1985, there were public hearings onthe question of offshore petroleum ex-ploration. When it became obvious thatvery little was known about the abun-dance and distribution of seabirds andthat all but four of the major colonieswere within or adjacent to the propsedexploration area, the panel recommend-ed a 20 km exclusion zone around allshorelines and the completion ofbaseline bird inventories along the coast.

The Canadian Wildlife Service, incooperation with its colleagues in theB.C. Ministry of Environment, is under-taking the completion of a comprehen-sive survey of the mainland coast ofBritish Columbia to complement itsearlier surveys of Vancouver Island andthe Queen ^naiivUvi. Since 1980,population estimates for Rhinoceros

con't on page 14

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 13

Auklets and Cassin's Auklets havedoubled and those for Ancient Murreletshave increased by a third. The popula-tions have not grown by that much buteach field season has brought new col-onies to light and the detailed mappingand transects--have provided more ac-curate and reliable estimates of colonyuse. It took five field seasons to surveythe Queen Charlottes and VancouverIsland but now we have detailed habitataccounts for all of the colonies. It willtake two more years to survey themainland coast but when it is finishedwe will have the most valuable tool for

preparing conservation plans.Counting is not an end in itself. We do

not know if the population of seabirds isincreasing or declining because earliercalculations contained no estimate of ac-curacy. We cannot afford to resurveythe whole coast to detect populationchanges so we are attempting to design areliable monitoring system that will warnus of any problems.

There are two approaches to take:monitoring burrows and monitoring an-nual productivity. The first alerts you tochanges in colony density and changes in

the number of adults but you may beobserving the effect of events severalyears in the past. The second shouldalert you to events as they are occurringbecause the nestlings fail to develop pro-perly or are abandonned by theirparents. Unfortunately appparentcatastrophes may not be detectable inthe long run because there is a large buf-fer population of subadult birds. Bothapproaches to monitoring have an arrayof special technical problems whosesolution will be a priority in the next fewyears.

Gary Kaiser

Creston—A ConservationSuccess Story

Many years ago BBC radio broadcasta programme in which well known per-sonalities were asked which musicalrecordings they would take with them ifthey were marooned on a desert island.To the visiting naturalist with limitedtime and money, British Columbia of-fers a similar dilemna.

Tiny islands of rich wildlife habitatswim in an expansive evergreen sea offorest throughout the province. Butwhere does one begin? High on my listwould be the Creston Valley tucked bet-ween the Selkirk and Purcell Mountainsin southeastern British Columbia.

The Creston Valley is one of few wildfertile valley bottoms in British Colum-bia; its alluvial floodplain reaches nearly10 kilometers in width and is reported tobe over 100 m deep! Early settlers quick-ly discovered the agricultural potentialof the valley and attempted to stem thesurge of spring floodwaters from theKootenay River with dykes and drainageditches. By the 1940s over half the valleyhad become farmland leaving only aregion west of the Kootenay River asmarshland. J.A. Munro, one of the firstCanadian government ornithologistsand pioneer natrualists in B.C., recom-mended that the Creston Valley bepreserved for wildlife populations in thelate 1940s:

"It is my considered opinion thatthe unreclaimed portions of theKootenay Flats constitute thelargest and most important restingground for waterfowl in the in-terior of British Columbia".

J.A. Munro 1947In 1968, nearly two decades after J.A.

Munro first voiced his concerns, thegovernments of Canada and British Col-umbia formally agreed to manage 7000ha of marsh and upland in the CrestonValley for wildlife. Under the directionof the Canadian Wildlife Service andB.C. Wildlife Branch the newly formed

Creston Valley Wildlife ManagementAuthority, with assistance from DucksUnlimited and other private sources, in-stalled dykes and pumps to controlwater levels, and built an office, camp-site and Interpretation Center. Withwater under control emergent plans andaquatic insects flurished. Soon newspecies of birds began to arrive, until to-day the Creston Valley boasts nearly 300species of birds including one of thedensest populations of Osprey, thelargest populations of Western Grebeand Black Tern, and the only nesting sitefor Forster's Tern, in British Columbia.

The marshes hum with activity fromJune to August. Soras are com-monplace, so are White-tailed Deer. Elkgraze near the campsite, Catbirds mimicbirdsongs in the shrubbery. And all ofthat is against a backdrop of magentaand emerald mountain peaks. The magicof Creston is the result of three ingre-dients: slow-moving water, rich soil, andwarm summer days. Those mix to createa cornucopia of lush growth, abundantinsects and warm-water fishes whichprovide a smorgasbord for many birds.The Wildlife Management Area is agreat success story.

In a recent report by CWS and theCreston Valley Wildlife ManagementAuthority (Butler el al. 1986. The birdsof the Creston Valley and southeasternBritish Columbia. CWS Occas. PaperNo. 58, Ottawa), our research showedthat at last 31 species of waterbirds haveincreased sinee 1950 when J.A. Munroreported on the Birds of the Crestonregion (BCPM Occas. Paper No. 8, Vic-toria).

One more thing. Why else is Crestonhigh on my list of must-be-seen places?In 1984 a Black-throated Blue Warblerwas seen there. In 1986 it was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. What will show upnext year?

Rob Butler

INPUT WANTED

PARKS CANADA

In response to this intent, Parks(Western Region) will respond to invita-tions to attend meetings sponsored,organized and arranged by individualsand groups. Meeting topics and agendaswill be identified and agreed upon byboth parties prior to holding sessions.Format for al sessions will be determinedto ensure adequate preparation and ap-propriateness of the roles to be taken(i.e. question — answer, panel memberparticipation, major presentations, opendiscussion, etc.). Multi-group sponsor-ships are encouraged to reduce duplica-tion of travel and subsistence costs.

Environment Canada — Parks willfrom time to time wish to solicite publicresponse to a specific topic, issue, con-cern or proposal from selected segmentsof the public. In these cases, Environ-ment Canada — Parks will be the spon-sor. Invitations will be forwarded andmeetings conducted.

Records of all meetings will be kept bythe meeting sponsors. Meetings will beincluded in public response charts or inthe PARTICIPATION newsletter.

The Public Driven Program asdescribed here is applicable only to En-vironment Canada — Parks, WesternRegion. The regional office is located at520 - 220 - 4th Avenue S.E., Calgary,Alberta, T2P 3H8. Proposed meetingarrangements will be initiated throughthe Public Consultation Coordinator byletter, in person or by telephone ([403]292-4418).

The Public Driven Program is not in-tended to replace the existing programs,but rather to enhance the opportunityfor public involvement in the decisionmaking process. We are looking forwardto initiating the program and inevaluating its effect from a publicperspective as well as its effect in pro-viding public input to the decisions thatare made.

S. MoorePublic Consultation Coordinator

Western Region

Page 14 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Sprinj

LOGGING ON LYELLISLAND

Logging will not occur in the WindyBay watershed on Lyell Island withoutCabinet approval, the Ministry ofForests and Lands announced onDecember, 1986.

The five year Lyell Island plan recom-mended for approval by the DistrictForest office in the Queen CharlotteIslands must now be submitted to Vic-toria and where it involves Windy Bay,ultimately will be considered by Cabinet.

The Wilderness Advisory Committeerecommended sufficient protection ofthe Windy Bay area of Lyell Island toallow for the nesting areas of AncientMurrelet birds, lands which have tradi-tional and cultural values to native In-dians, fisheries and growth of unusualand extraordinary large old growthtrees. The Haida Indians and en-vironmental interests, however, have re-quested the protection of a larger areaincluding the entire Windy Bay watersh-ed.

The Provincial Government hasdeclared the Windy Bay watershed a"Special Study Area" and will considera decision on land use in 1987.

Western Forest Products is currentlylogging Lyell Island and has sought newapprovals to keep employees working.Logging on Lyell Island has been ongo-

ing for more than 50 years with the ma-jority of the island now logged. It hasprovided more than 50 permanent jobsannually. Assistant Deputy Minister

Ministry of Forest and Lands

RECREATION AREASANNOUNCED

Three areas reviewed by theWilderness Advisory Committee havebeen designated as Recreation Areas.The three areas are 1) the GitnadoixRiver (located 80 km east of PrinceRupert); 2) the Wokkpash Valley addi-tion to Stone Mountain Provincial Park(located on the Alaska Highway west ofFort Nelson); and 3) the Brooks Penin-sula (on the west coast of VancouverIsland).

The total area involved is 124,000 hec-tares. The WAC originally will bedesignated as Class A Park sites. TheRecreation Area status announced pro-vides a priority for recreation use, butdoes not exclude mining or logging.

Earlier in 1986 the Akamina-Kishinena area (also proposed for ClassA status by the WAC) was designated aRecreation Area.

On December l l th, 1986 MinisterStephen Rogers announced that negotia-tions were underway with the federalgovernment concerning the SouthMoresby area.

ENVIRONMENTALLEGISLATIONDISCUSSION

The federal government will havebroad new powers to protect the en-vironment, will impose tough penaltieson polluters and introduce life-cyclemanagement of toxic chemicals, accor-ding to a draft Environmental Protec-tion Act, released for public discussionon December 18th, 1986.

The draft legislation will be reviewedby the provinces, as well as by industry,labour and environment groups, beforebeing presented to Parliament later thissession, probably in the spring.

The new legislation would require in-dustry to test and evaluate all newchemicals for environmental or humanhealth hazards before they are introduc-ed into the Canadian marketplace; itwould give the government the power toregulate toxic substances throughouttheir entire life cycle or to ban themaltogether.

Environment Minister Tom McMillansaid that a series of public informationand consultation meetings will be heldacross Canada between January andMarch. After public comments havebeen analysed, the government will pre-sent the Environmental Protection Actto Parliament for the First Reading.

MNCCCOMMCOLLB

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xplore a spectacular natural paradise close to home! Ecological studies are planned of In-tan River estuary, rainforested islands, and the seashore. Divers and biologists accom-any cruise,rientation Tuesday. April 28, 7:30 p.m.; K.E.C.rip: Sunday, May 3

For information and booking: CALL 875-8200 OKANAGANNATURALHISTORYWEEKEND-SCGW? MO.OOBAMF1ELD MARINE STATION— 50281 $250.00 Explore the pine forests, sagebrush valleys, and unique northern desert of the soughStudy our unique life via seashore walks, close-up observations in station's labs and on a Okanagan. See mountain goats, owls, big horn sheep and blooming wildflowers. (Sydshort boat cruise and bottom dredge. Cannings, David Shackleton, Al Peart)Orientation: Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.: K-E.C. Orientation: Wednesday, May 6. 7:30 p.m.: K.E.C.Trip: March 20, 21. 22 Trip: May 16, 17. 18

SKAGIT DELTA KAYAKING TRIP-502811 $70.00 MANDARTE ISLAND NATURAL HISTORY -502816 «5.00Observe the thousands of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl during easy kayaking on the Mandane Island supports one of the largest colonies of breeding seabirds in the inlandsloughs and channels of this great river delta. No previous kayaking experience necessary. waters. Observe the breeding activities of many aspects including guillemots, gulls, cor-(Peter Arcese) morants, and the island's special pair of puffins. (Peter Arcese)Orientation: Tuesday, April 7, 7 30 p.m.: K.E.C. Orientation: Thursday, May 28, 7:30 p.m.; K.E.C.Trip: Saturday, April 18; with kayak guides Trip: Saturday. June 6

UCLUELET NATURAL HISTORY WEEKEND-502810 4100.00 \r the west coast's seashore, coastal forest and sand dune ecology. (Peter Sallin.

Jim Funk! 1Orientation: Thursday. April 9, 8:00 p.m., Rm. 3244; K.E.C.Trip: April 16. 17 18 \F ISLANDS NATURAL HISTORY SAILING TRIP -502803 $320 00

Aboard the luxurious M.V. Island Roamer, cruise the ecological reserves, marine parks and

Orientation: Thursday, March 26, 7:30 p.m.; K.e.C.Trip: April 10, 11, 12

QUEEN CHARLOTTE

Seeing the islands is an500.000 pairs of breedinhistory establishes themOrientation: Tuesday,

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unparalled experience. Many of the plants, land mammals andg seabirds make them biologically unique and the Haida nativeas world treasures. M.V. Island Roamer. (Dick Cannings!

VHALE5. EAGLES & TOTEMS-502809 $350.00 (includestuition of $120)

his tour of the waters and lands of Johnstons Strait provides a stimulating introduction toi.C.'s rich and diverse marine life and the unique Kwaguitl Indian culture. See killervhales. virgin rainforests, seashore life and native villages. (Marja de Jong Westman,Margaret Holm)Orientation: Tuesday, August 11, 7:30 p.m.; K.E.C."rip. September 3. 4. S. 6

CONTINUING EDUCATIONKING EDWARD CAMPUSPHONE: 875-8200

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 15

SAIL THE CHARLOTTESON THE DARWIN SOUND II

— see the naturalhistory of SouthMoresby withexperts

— expeditions fromApril throughOctober.

— we have guidedmore than 80specialized tours inthe Charlottes since1980

For our 1987 itineraries, write to:PACIFIC SYNERGIES LTD.

Nature, Art and Anthropology Expeditions Under SailP.O. Box 86773, North Vancouver, B.C.

V7L 4L3 — PHONE: (604) 929-5373

American AvoeetJericho Park, VancouverSept. 12, 1986

photo:Gabor Halasz

Page 16 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

CLOSE UP ON NATURE ALwith GRASS

Boschniakia or Ground Cone as it ismore commonly known, belongs to afamily of root parasites, the Oroban-chaceae who lack chlorophyll-bearingfoliage. The broomrapes (Orobache),sometimes also known as "cancerroots" are perhaps the better knownmembers of this family.

A c c o r d i n g to Lewis Clark(Wildflowers of British Columbia, P.468) Boschniakia hookeri, "bears thename of a family of celebrated botanists,Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865)— and his son Sir Joseph Hooker(1817-1911)—".The genus name honorsa Russian botanist Boschniaki.

Ground Cone is a root parasitefeeding upon a number of HeatherFamily (Ericaceae) plants. On a dryridge above Horseshoe Bay, West Van-couver, where the specimen wasphotographed, it was growing on Salal(Gaultheria shallon).

The plant pictures here was 10 cm tall,although it can grow to 15 cm with muchof this length is below the surface.

Thick and fleshy, it carries a numberof scale-like leaves "that may beyellowish, brownish, or purplish". Thespecimen pictured here was a rich ambercolour. Tiny whitish flowers protrudebetween the scales on the upper portionof the "cone", originating at the axils.

Apparently native people usedGround Cone, or Poque as they calledit, as food. Turner (1975) says, "TheKwakiutl name of this plant "p'ukw'es,

BOSCHNIAKIA apparently gave rise to the alternativeEnglish common name, Poque". Exact-ly how the Indian people used Poque forfood is not known, but the Kwakiutl, aresaid to have gathered it at the "fleshystage".

Ground Cone is a plant of CoastalBritish Columbia, including VancouverIsland.

When rambling through "salal coun-try" especially in drier sites, keep asharp eye open for this most curious ofplants. It really does look like a cone(some say like an overgrown SitkaSpruce cone) growing from out of theground.

The photograph was taken with a 50mm macro lens and Ektachrome film. Abit of "gardening" had to be done toel iminate some of the "busy"background and a small mirror was usedfor light fill.

The world of nature is full of"mimics". Whether "true" mimics, ormerely coincidental, they all challengeour powers of observation and add somuch to our sense of wonder that isnature. Oh, and don't forget to practicepronouncing that name Boschniakia.References:Clark, L. 1973. Wildflowers of BritishColumbia. Grays Publishing. Sidney.591 pp.Turner, N.J. 1975. Food Plants ofBritish Columbia Indians, Part 1,Coastal People. B.C. P.M. Victoria. 264PP-

ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT NATURE?

Would you like to read more aboutBritish Columbia natural history?

The Vancouver Natural History Society publishesDiscovery, a quarterly journal of local natural history,with recent articles on topics such as Spotted Owls,wolverines, hawthorns, shore crabs, yellowjacket wasps,waterfowl in Nanaimo and birding in Mexico.

You can receive Discovery by becoming a member of theVNHS for only $15/year! Out-of-town members can alsoattend our annual wilderness camps and take part in ourmany field trips when visitin the Lower Mainland. Send acheque to Daphne Solecki, Membership Secretary, VNHS,3672 West 1st Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V6r 1H2.

DISCOVERY

B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 17

1986 FLOWERINGPHENOLOGY REPORT

1986 might well be remembered as theyear of distractions! With so many ex-citing events taking place and so manypeople actively involved in making themhappen, something had to suffer. Evenyours truly had his poorest flowerphenology recording year. Nonethelesswe achieved some good results. Manythanks to the following for theirdedicated effort:

Karen McLaren, Kamloops; KatieBell, Garibaldi Provincial Park; WilliamReeve, Port Hardy; Pat Hiebert, PortHardy; Malcolm Martin, Vernon; lastand almost least, Larry Halverson,Kootenay National Park.

For the interest of F.B.C.N.members, here is the annual phenology

of the Fairyslipper Calypso bublosa, asrecorded at Nanaimo, B.C. This speciesbegan its appearance in September 1985and completed setting its seed in earlyAugust 1986.

The annual cycle or phenology of anyspecies can be easily recorded through aseries of observations without the needto collect even one specimen. The ac-companying series of sketches weremade by Kathleen Van der Sande from aseries of photographs.

Would you believe it — our Fairyslip-per begins its annual parade of ap-pearance at Nanaimo in September -even before the first rains of Autumn?

Bill Merilees

BINOCULARSSPOTTINGSCOPES

forBIRDING ANDNATURE STUDY

byBUSHNELL

BAUSCH & LOMECELESTRONSTEINER

SWAROVSKITASCO/SAFARI

CARL ZEISS,JENA

Amex,Visa,M/Card

VANCOUVER TELESCOPE CENTRE102-2220 WEST BROADWAY,VANCOUVERCORNER OF YEW 738-5777

New Plant SocietyInterest in the natural history of B.C.

plants has grown by leaps and bounds inthe past few years. It is time to en-courage people with this interest to sharetheir knowledge, enthusiasm and con-cerns. We propose the establishment ofan organization including both amateurand professional botanists to promoteinterest and share information aboutB.C. plants. If you want to get the firstnotice and make suggestions in advance,please send your name, address andcomments to:

Richard HebdaBotanyBritish Columbia Provincial

MuseumVictoria, B.C. V8V 1X4

We expect to have an initial proposal formailing to you by the fall of 1987.

THE HARRISSPARROW

An immature Harris Sparrow came toour back garden on November l l th,1985. It came first to the window facingthe feeder and walked the length of thesill. How could one help but notice? Itwas seen every day until the end ofDecember. We continued to see itregularly through January, February,March and April. It came only twice inMay, on the 1st, and then after anabsence of 10 days, on Mother's Day,May llth, 1986. We missed our littlefriend.

It was a delight to have it coming toour feeder all those months. As the dayslengthened the plumage of the HarrisSparrow changed, with black featherseventually going up the throat and overthe head, making the white of the breasta sharp contrast.

All winter long it sang, often when Iwent outside its plaintive quaveringwhistle could be heard, a new bird songfor me.

At night it roosted under the porchwith a Song Sparrow.

It was interesting to note its habitsaround the feeder, kicking and scrat-ching with both feet, making the seedsfly! Its behaviour towards the otherbirds was bold and aggressive, evenchasing off Evening Grosbeaks.

The past two years have been difficultfor this birdwatcher due to loss ofmobility, so to be able to observe ourfeathered visitors intimately has been ahealing in itself, with the Harris Sparrowan added blessing.

On November 24th, 1986, a newlylearned song was heard again! We are in-deed fortunate to have another im-mature Harris Sparrow as a regularvisitor. Winifred Bennie

Page 18 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

The Enlichenment Jwith Trevor Coward

Biting the DustIt is well known that most thinking

naturalists, if they live long enough, anddrink to much, will finally get around tothinking about lichens. In particularthey will want to know how these ban-ners of the fungal world, clinging dailyto existence on bony tree trunks andbald rock faces, make out against theadded strain of a cold winter's night.

The answer is that the lichens makeout just fine, thank you. Winter isnothing to them. Absolutely nothing.Let the temperature fall as low as it isable, let it plummet like a hailstone—-30°, -70°, -150° —until all the littlewaxwings are as stiff as taxidermy, andthe trees of the forest are frozen beyondthawing. When finally the warmth ofspring returns again, and with the firstpassing shower, the lichens will proceedto unpack their suticases as though theythemselves have just returned — fromTahiti. Such are the advantages ofsuspended animation.

Actually suspended animation, orsomething approaching it, plays a domi-nant role in the lichen life style, in sum-mer as much as in winter. Dry weather atwhatever season is siesta time: an effec-tive way to conserve old energy whileconditions preclude the storing of new.

To be a lichen, however, means to goeasy on the expenditure of energy evenduring the "waking" hours. The entirelichen life cycle is in fact based on thesimplest of possible economies, the basicinputs to which are sunshine, water, theair itself, a little atmospheric dust — andthere you have it.

But let me not give the impression thatall lichens live on the same shoestring.Actually there is one group of lichenswhich out lichen all the others in what itsmember species can do without. These,the "dust lichens", drink without water,grow without sunshine, and reproducewithout sex. Their existence is based ona regimen that would give even thesanitized mind of a Rinsai Buddhistcause to pause.

To visualize a dust lichen is simple.Suffice it to say that if you canremember that Lepraria, that hallmarkgenus of the group, is named for thestriking resemblance of its species to ascurf of leprosy, you should have no

trouble identifying a dust lichen whenyou see one. Just look for baby powdersprinkled out in odd locations.

Now to the gritty details.To begin with, the dusts tend to lodge

only in the most monastic of situations:the undersurfaces of overhanging cliffs,the entrance walls of grottos, the lowerboles of leaning trees. Here they live, asit were, out of the weather — so much sothat their sole source of water is thevapour in the air itself. After a longavoidance of liquid water, the dusts havein fact become so averse to it that theywill shed it like the proverbial duck'sback. They are, in short, unsinkable.

*** ********************

ANOTHER GOLDEN MOULDIEQ. What do you say to a man who hasjust climbed down off a vertical cliffface, where he had been gathering dustlichen?A. Nothing. He's clearly off the wall.***********************************

As to growing without sunlight, thisis, of course a slight exaggeration. Thefact is all lichens, even dust lichens, needsunlight. However, dust lichens can dowith remarkably less sun than most, andin some cases thrive entirely on reflectedlight. As a group, therefore, they arecreatures of the shade — more likemosses than lichens. In this connection itis interesting that some of themsometimes overgrow mosses, therebykilling them.

This brings us to the really startlingthing about dust lichens: their absolutecommitment to reproduction withoutsex. The word "absoluted" is used ad-visedly. For no fruiting bodies have everbeen found on Lepraria. On the otherhand, in the vegetative powder whichcovers their surface, and which, in fact,is their surface, dwells the spawn ofgenerations without number.

All that need happen for a new dustcolony to develop is that a single"flake" of powder, technically a"soredium", should become detached(enter one vagrant spider mite) and car-

B.C

ried to some available nook or cranny.And viola: a new generation geneticallyidentical with the generation previous.In this sense the dusts remind one of cer-tain biblical barley loaves which justkept dividing and redividing until theyfed some five thousand men. The onlydifference is that while barley loaves to-day are just barley loaves, dust lichensare still miraculously dividing withoutdiminishment.

Unlike other organisms, them, whichusually nearly divide into the reproduc-tive parts and the nonreproductive parts,the dust lichens, where no sexualreproduction at all occurs, have succeed-ed in perfectly superimposing the twofunctions. It is as though MarshalMcLuhan had been thinking Laprariathe day he gramed his famous dictum:"The medium is the message".

That soredia may be carried con-siderable distances by the wind has beenclearly documented in the story of Surt-sey, a volcanic island which in 1963arose out of the Atlantic off thesouthwest coast of Iceland. At first, ofcourse, Surtsey was a lifeless jumble ofsteaming rock. Yet within a decadenumerous plants and a few animals werealready beginning to colonize this newfound land. One of the earliest, andmost widespread, it turns out, was thedust lichen, Lepraria icana — a speciesalso common throughout British Col-umbia. Presumably outflow winds frommainland Iceland were responsible forintroducing it here. The distance, about30km.

Just how far soredia may travel on thewind is anybody's guess. What is certainis that, like other asexual propagules,soredia are far more successful as col-onists that spores are. Perhaps this iswhy the dust lichens of one country arethe dust lichens, more or less, of its an-tipodes. Few groups are morewidespread throughout the world.

The dust lichens also appear to berelatively oblivious to air pollution.Perhaps for this reason we shouldn't gettoo worked up by the fact theChrysothrix chlorina, the most pollutionsensitive of the lot, occurs only minutesfrom downtown Vancouver, above theStanley Park sea wall. Did I say"occurs"? I should have said "takesover", for here, just west of Lion's GateBridge, an entire cliff face is splashedyellow-green in what, to my way of see-ing, is a most breathtaking mural. Atany rate, I can think of several contem-pory pieces at the Vancouver Gallerywhich I find less appealing.

About 20 different species of Leprariaand Chrysothrix have been described sofar, of which some half dozen are athome in our fair province. Most are easy

con'l on page 8Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 19

EXPANSION OF PARKLANDIN BRITISH COLUMBIA

That British Columbia is very richlyendowed with scenic and biotic diversi-ty, and that tourism based on this legacywill be of profound importance in thisprovince's future, are points that willnot have escaped the readers of thispublication. On view of this I am com-pelled to ask, why do all the NationalParks and Wildlife Areas, ProvincialParks and Recreation Areas, NatureTrust Lands, etc., add up to a mere 7%of provincial land area? Why not 20, 25,or 30%. While recent designations aris-ing from recommendations of theWilderness Advisory Committee(Williams et. al. 1986) are encouraging,they will not change the provincial pic-ture very much.

In my opinion, successive provincialgovernments have laced the will to setaside sufficient lands for conservationand recreation purposes largely becausethe public, including advocates such asthe FBCN, have not articulated theirwants strongly enough, and becauseresource exploitation lobbyists havereceived undue attention (see also Ed-wards 1982). Certainly, a shortage ofsuitable land is not the problem. Over90% of the province is in Crown owner-ship, and huge areas in northern B.C.and in mountain chains extending southto the U.S. border have lands on whichconservation and outdoor recreationvalues exceed the value of all otherpotential uses. Despite protestations tothe contrary (Ahrens 1985) much of thisland area is not heavily committed toother uses. It is interesting that theWilderness Advisory Committee hear-ings and attendant publicity served tohighlight conflicts between forestharvesting and wildland preservation inB.C., yet over 50% of the land area ofthe province is non-forested or notsuitable for commercial forestry(Ministry of Forests 1984). Conflictswith the mineral industry are more likelyto de-rail any proposal to substantiallyincrease parkland acreage, but can beresolved if park supporters are flexibleenough to embrace the concept ofRecreation Areas having limited, str-ingently controlled resource develop-ment, occasional boundary changes toexclude mineralized areas, and the like.

The time is ripe for bold new in-itiatives with respect to designation ofB.C. wildlands as provincial parks,recreation areas, or equivalent reserves.A far larger area needs to be designated,including at least a few very largereserves capable of permanently suppor-ting populations of wide ranging specieslike caribou and grizzly bears. None ofPage 2U — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

the present parks are large enough to en-sure long-term survival of those species.

How can this aim be achieved? Ob-viously, with the bulk of B.C. land inprovincial ownership, provincial agen-cies have to take the lead. Whether thisis the Parks and Outdoor RecreationDivision (presently in the Ministry ofEnvironment and Parks), traditionallyresponsible for parkland designation, orthe Ministry of Forests and Lands whichappears to be taking a belated interest innatural areas and wildland recreation(Ministry of Forests 1986), is not ofgreat importance. The apparent reluc-tance of the Parks and Outdoor Recrea-tion Division to materially expand itssystem suggests that the best way to pro-ceed may be to establish a network ofnatural or wilderness areas administereddirectly by the Ministry of Forests andLands. This would be in keeping withthe Wilderness Advisory Committeerecommendation that the concept ofwilderness as a zone within ProvincialForests be adopted by amendment of theForest Act.

It is quite unfortunate that park ad-ministrators and advocates have signall-ed that the provincial park system isnearly complete. Speaking on behalf of

the government, Trachuk (1985) statedthat " . . . we have concluded that thesystem is a p p r o x i m a t e l y 80%complete." At the same conference ad-dressed by Trachuk, delegates presenteda resolution that the area of provincialparkland be increased from the present(1985) 4.8% to 5.8% of the land area ofthe province. Whether intended or not,this leaves the impression that a widerange of park users and advocates wouldbe satisfied with that rather limited area.The challenge ahead is to overcome suchnarrow thinking. Not only do we deservemuch better, but we need it if the pro-vince is to reach its full potential.ReferencesAhrens, R.H. 1985. Park systems and

park completions: Provincial Parksin British Columbia, pp 82-88 in P.J.Dooling (Editor) "Parks in BritishColumbia, Emerging Realities".Faculty of Forestry, Univ. of B.C.

Edwards, R.Y. 1982. Land for What?Are You Kidding? pp 6-19 in J.C.Day and R. Stace-Smith (Editors)"British Columbia Land forWildlife, Past, Present, and Future".B.C. Ministry of Environment, Vic-toria.

can't on page 21

DISCOVERYFROM THE STUNNING fjords of Green-

land with their large bergs and resident seal and walrus, lush valleys withhare, wolf and muskox. and early Eskimo. Viking and European sites to theremote wilderness and profusion of flaura and fauna along the mightyZambesi River deep in the heart of Africa, Ecosummer Expeditions will lakeyou there,

• SEA KAYAKING EXPEDITIONS, visit the Baja, Tonga, Chile, Ani-arctica, Belize in the Caribbean, the Maldive Islands, Greenland, the QueenCharlotte Islands and more.

• CANOEING EXPEDITIONS. The Great Zambesi in the heart ofAfrica: The Big Salmon and Wind Rivers. Yukon; The Nahanni River. NorthWest Territories.

• ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS. Hike Ellesmere Island in Canada's northor the Namih desert in Africa; climb Kilimanjaro or Mount Logan; raft theFirth River. Yukon; hike Kluane Park and more.

F OR MORE INFORMATION on our comp-lete selection of guided explorations (over 42 to choose from) contact:

Ecosummer Canada Expeditions Ltd.1516-C Duranleau Street,

Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6H 3S4or call (604) 669-7741

PARKSPark Changes Announced

Further implementation of the reportand recommendations of the WildernessAdvisory Committee was announcedJanuary 29th, 1987 by Environment andParks Minister Stephen Rogers.

"This initiative will result in a resolu-tion to park boundary and resourcecommittment issues for six provincialparks dealt with by the Committee,"Rogers said.

The changes are as follows:A total of 1,100,000 hectares of land

in Tweedsmuir and Strathcona Park willbe upgraded from Class B to Class A.This will mean that those lands areremoved from any future mineral orforest development.

Another 24,000 hectares in KokaneeGlacier Park are intended for Class Astatus by the Ministry of Energy, Minesand Petroleum Resources before a finaldecision is made by government.

Existing mineral claims in Strathcona,Tweedsmuir and Kokanee Glacier willbecome Recreation Areas and the freezeon exploration — within those lands on-ly — will be lifted. In addition, atKwadacha and Tweedsmuir, areas ofknown high mineral potential will bedesignated as Recreation Areas to per-mit exploration.

111,300 hectares of land will be addedto Strathcona, Tweedsmuir, KokaneeGlacier, Manning and Wells Gray asRecreation Areas, and 50,200 hectaresof land of low park values will be deletedfrom the park system.

The new additions include theCascade Wilderness addition to Mann-ing Park, the Trophy Mountain andFlourmills volcanoes in Wells Gray andthe Rainbow Range in Tweedsmuir. InStrathcona, essential lands around theaccess to the park and on Buttle Lake,will be added.

615 hectares of land adjacent toWhistler Mountain will be transferredfrom Garibaldi Provincial Park to theMinistry of Forests and Lands. This landwill then be made available toBlackcombe (165 hectares) and WhistlerMountain Ski Corporation for liftdevelopment.

Rogers pointed out that the boun-daries and tenure management resultingfrom the announced changes will besimilar to those advocated by theWilderness Advisory Committee.

"Based on the submissions made tothe Committee, the government ap-preciates that there will continue to bepublic concern over the issue of mineraltenure in parks," the Minister said.

"It is with great reluctance that thegovernment is making some of thetenure management changes. However,

in some cases, the only alternative topermitting controlled exploration wouldbe to pay unacceptably high compensa-tion fees to the owners of existingtenures whose rights have been clearlyestablished by rulings of the SupremeCourt of Canada.

"I invite all concerned members of thepublic to participate in a public processto prepare master plans for Strathcona,Kokanee and Tweedsmuir Parks. Thatwill identify the role, zoning andmanagement objectives of the newlydefined parks," the Minister said.

A master plan for Wells Gray wascompleted in 1986, following publicreview. Master plans for Manning andKwadacha Parks will commence in thefuture.

In exchange for lands removed fromStrathcona Park, negotiations withprivate forest companies will begin im-mediately to arrange the addition of newpark opportunities in Strathcona,Desolation Sound, Princes Louisa andMcMillan Parks, as well as for newparks in the Gulf Islands.

For further information, please con-tact Vince Collins, Assistant DeputyMinister, Parks and Outdoor Recrea-tion, Ministry of Environment andParks, Victoria, phone: 387-9997.

con't from page 20Ministry of Forests. 1986. Discussion

paper "Na tu ra l Areas andWilderness-Type Recreation Policy".12pp.

1984. Forest and range resourceanalysis, 1984. Summary report.Queen's Printer, Victoria. 49 pp.

Trachuk, G. 1985. Provincial Parks inBritish Columbia, pp. 17-23 in P.J.Dooling (Editor) "Parks in BritishColumbia, Emerging Realities".Faculty of Forestry, Univ. of B.C.

Williams, B., K. Farquharson, L. Reed,R. Stanyer, D. Sewell, V. Kodyban,P. Larkin, and S. Rothman. 1986."The Wilderness Mosaic". Thereport of the Wilderness AdvisoryCommittee. Vancouver, B.C.

Donald Blood,Site 60, Box 8,

R.R. 1, Lantzville, B.C.VOR 2HO

DEADLINE:B.C. NATURALIST

APRIL 1, 1987

A WORLD OF NATURE TO DISCOVER!"Our tours are educational, adventuresome, and

sensitively led. Please join us in 1987."HIKING

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B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 21

4SK ABOUT HIE FORESTDO DEER AND OTHER LARGEWILD ANIMALS CAUSE DAMAGETO YOUNG TREE SEEDLINGS?

Over most of the province, browsingdamage to seedlings by deer and otherlarge wild animals is.not considered amatter of major concern. It is, however,a serious problem in some regions, par-ticularly in our coastal forests, and ismost critical on the Queen CharlotteIslands.

Deer are not native to the QueenCharlottes, but were introduced by man

many decades ago. In the absence ofnatural enemies, such as wolves andcougars, the deer population increase onthe islands has been nothing short of ex-plosive. As a result, their browsing innew tree plantations is very serious, withcedar the preferred victim. It is nowalmost impossible for a planted cedartree to survive without protection — andthis involves the very costly practise of

placing a type of netting around eachtree.

Browsing can also be a problem inlower coastal plantations. As thepopulations of deer and naturalpredators peak and subside in theseareas, the browsing damage to seedlingswill vary accordingly.

Research programs are investigatingthe potential of "repellams" that will re-main effective until the tips of the treeshave grown beyond reach of theanimals.

the field-naturalistSpecial order book service for naturalists

• Birds, butterflies, mammals, wildflowers and more• For beginning and advanced naturalists.• Local. North American and foreign field guides.• VISA orders welcome

Send S 1.00 for our annotated catalogueP.O. Box 161. Brentwood Bay. British Columbia VOS 1 AO - Telephone (604) 652-3525

NATURECRUISES

Cruise aboard the M. V. Bastion City andexperience the spectacular B.C. coast froma unique perspective! Abandoned Haidavillages, seabirds, whales and pristine

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Page 22 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)

AGM MEETINGComox-Strathcona Natural History

Society members look forward to seeingyou at the Washington Inn for the an-nual meeting, April 24, 25 and 26. Toreach the Inn, turn right off the IslandHighway at 17th Street. It's a major in-tersection and the first set of lights asyou come in to Courtenay. Cross thebridge and turn left. At the next set oflights turn right — that's Ryan Roadand the Washington Inn is a few hun-dred yards up the road.

If you are heading for Maple Poolcamp site, cross over Ryan Road andkeep straight on through the next set oflights. You are then on HeadquartersRoad and the campsite is about half amile long on your left.

FIELD TRIPS: On Friday there willbe two half day trips: 1) to Seal BayNature Park and 2) to Mack Laing Parkand Filberg Park. There will also be afull day trip to Hornby Island. For thoseheading south on Sunday, there will be awalk along Rosewall Creek. Of course,if you're not heading south, you'll stillbe welcome!!!!

Edited, with contributions, byJIM WESTON & DAVID STIRLING200 pp., 6X9" with colour soft cover, 29 colourand over 160 B & W photos; ful ly indexed.Geology - Intertidal Life - Botany - Butterflies& Moths - Mammals - Birds. Best field stops.At selected outlets or send $11.95 plus $1.25shipping to:

VICTORIA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETYBox 5220, Stn. B

Victoria, B.C. VSR 6N4

ISBN 0-9692533-0-3

FEDERATION OF B.C. NATURALISTS1987 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

COURTENAY — APRIL 24, 25, 26Hosted by the Comox-Strathcona

Natural History Societyat The Washington Inn

EVENTS:Thursday, April 23Friday, April 24

Saturday, April 25

7:00 p.m. REGISTRATION (Lobby)6:30 a.m. Early morning Birding9:00 a.m. Field Trips1:30 p.m. Field Trips6:30 p.m. Director's Meeting-Board Room

(or Committee Meetings)7:30 p.m. Wine and Cheese - Lounge6:30 a.m. Early morning hireling9:00 a.m. Annual General Meeting - Garden Room

Director's Meeting - Board RoomHappy Hour

5:00 p.m6:30 p.m7:30 p.m. Banquet and Awards

Guest Speaker: Dr. John Tayless

Sunday, April 26 Field Trips (box lunches available)

ACCOMMODATION:Make your own arrangements before April 1 please.

The Washington Inn single: $29.95double: $34.951001 Ryan Road,

Courtenay, B.C. V5N 3R6Phone: (604) 338-5441

CAMPING;Courtenay Maple Pool Campsite3543 Headquarters Road,Courtenay, B.C. V9N 6Z8phone: (604) 338-9386

For others in area please check in B.C. Accommodation Directory

twin: $34.95(does not include 7% tax)

R.V.'s-$11.00 per niteelectricity, water, washrooms,

hot showers, firewood1 U1I-S13.00 septic hook-up

Tent-$9.00

REGISTRATION:Annual General Meeting $20.00Banquet $14.95Wine and Cheese - no chargeMake cheque payable to:

Comox-Strathcona Natural History Societyand send to:

J.R. Beaulieu744 Stuart Street,Courtenay, B.C. V9N 3H2phone: 334-4217

DEADLINEAPRIL 10,1987

REGISTRATION FORMNAME

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B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring) Page 23

SoutheasternArizona

April 25

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Gray Whale Rendez-vousApril 2-5

West Coast EthnobotanyApril 24-26

Birds of the Open OceanApril 21-26

Southeastern ArizonaApril 25-May 3

Point PeleeMay 9-18

Owls of British ColumbiaMay 27-31

Canadian Rockies & PrairiesJune 13-23

Yukon-Haines TriangleJune 13-20

Dempster Highway WildlifeJune20-July2

South Okanagan EcologyJuly 4-9

Life at the TopJuly9-12

AlaskaJuly 11-26

Queen Charlotte IslandsSept 5-13

Hawaii & MexicoNov. '87

119 - 645 Fort Street,Victoria, B.C. V8W 1G2

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MEMBERSHIPSend to:

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Page 24 — B.C. Naturalist March 1987 (Spring)