Exploring the Matrix

Winter Birding

2011-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

Winter is here. Last time I checked, fall was just beginning, and migration was just getting underway. Somehow I missed the rest of fall. Now as I walk outside, along the Fraser River, we are into winter birding. This is the time of the year when we see large rafts of birds out in Boundary Bay, Snowy Owls begin to appear along the shoreline (4 last weekend), and species like the Western Grebe arrive at the mouth of the Fraser.

On a recent walk along the dyke in Ladner, we had great views of two Red-tailed Hawks as they swooped and chased each other about, low to the ground and right above us. In the water, the Western Grebes were fishing and, while we watched them for a few minutes, several Harriers flew by, intent on scanning the adjacent fields for food. But it was windy and (very) cold, so we didn't last too long out there.

Now the Bald Eagles are congregating upriver, so it's time to head to Kilby Provincial Park to watch them feasting on salmon. But first, a stop at Timmy's...

This Red-tailed Hawk watched us as he swooped low overhead

This Harrier was intent on a patch of grasses.

We hadn't seen Western Grebes for a while, so this was a nice view from the dyke.

Ontario Insect Treats

2011-09-25T16:26:00.001-07:00

The edges of Minesing Swamp, and the same roadside strips that I talked about yesterday, were also full of insects, both rare native species and introduced species. Here are a few from our day out around the margins of the swamp.

Our friend Paul thought this was a rare West Virginia White butterfly (Pieris virginiensis),

Paul identified this one too: American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)ss

This exotic Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) perched on Caroline's hand just so we could photograph it. There were many of them along the roadside among the gentians.

Feeling the Blues

2011-09-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Ontario, we were reminded why we like botanizing there more than in BC. Even in tiny roadside strips and in shallow ditches, plant species seem to jump out at you. On this trip, we did a lot of exploring around Simcoe County, not far from the great Minesing Swamp--a spectacular example of boreal fen bog. We didn't make it into the swamp itself but still managed to have some great finds as we explored the country roads in the area. The gentians below were found in tiny little strips of roadside wet meadows and adjacent ditches, both on the borders of the swamp and south of there. They stood out as we drove by, bright splashes of brilliant blue catching our eye as we drove past. Finding gentians is like finding a treasure chest filled with gemstones. And where you find gentians, the odds are you will find orchids. Sure enough, this particular spot was dotted with ladies tresses orchids (Spiranthes spp.), and other yummy wet meadow species: grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia glauca), slender false foxglove (Agalinus tenuifolia) and several goldenrod species.

Fringed Gentian (Gentiana crinita), Simcoe County, Ontario

Smaller Fringed Gentian (Gentiana procera), Ontario

Closed Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii), Simcoe County, Ontario

Visit the Gentian Research Network

Furry Fishers...

2011-07-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

It was foggy along Howe Sound on the weekend, and foggy around Squamish Estuary. The thickness of the fog would ebb and flow. We spent some time exploring the estuary at high tide, in the fog. We had one great find--River Otters feeding and playing around a little 'island' created by the high tide--a large log, a tippy tree and some shrubbery. There were at least four otters. They would leap into the water from the log and go fishing, and return to the log to eat dinner, then chase each other around a bit. Mostly, it looked like they were catching flounders or flatfish (they looked like sole), and we could see the flashes of white as they juggled the fish in their mouths. In the fog, nothing was distinct, but we could still 'see' the action. Here are a few photos, very enhanced to remove the 'fogginess'.

Curious otter. Mostly they ignored us, but at first they had to swim over to check out that clicking sound.

The moment before a fishing dive.

Feeding on the 'island'.

Now here is what the photo really looked like, before we fixed it up!

Predators and their prey

2011-07-04T16:06:00.001-07:00

The world out there can be awfully dynamic, and some days there is a lot of action. Yesterday was one of those days...

Cedar Waxwing and dragonfly prey

Water strider and dragonfly prey

While we were photographing the action above, my sister was photographing this...

Eastern Kingbird and Polyphemus Moth

Marsh Walking

2011-06-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

We recently visited Tiny Marsh in Ontario, a large wetland in Simcoe County located to the west of Barrie. This is a great birding spot. We walked along a dyke trail just before dusk, when activity was at its peak. One of the highlights was the large number of Yellow Warblers, a species also found in BC and pretty common. But in Tiny Marsh they were everywhere, flitting in and out of bushes, often at eye level. As we walked, we noticed several nests just along the trail, including the one below. It was located in a honeysuckle bush growing immediately adjacent to a little bridge that crossed a deep channel. You could reach out and touch this one. We managed to get a peak inside as the bird flew in and out to feed. What was interesting was just how close some of these nests were to each other, often only twenty feet apart. It would be interesting to know just how many Yellow Warblers this marsh supports.

Bumbling About: Species on the Move

2011-05-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

One day, about five years ago (2006), we noticed a new bumblebee in our backyard--a very dark (black) bee with a yellow face and a single yellow stripe on the abdomen. It was very distinctive and hard to miss, and we hadn't observed it in our area before. It's appearance seemed sudden. We have noticed it in our garden every year since then. Last week we noticed one at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, foraging on the heather plants, and one at Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond, foraging on beach pea. In checking the bumblebee photos on E-Fauna BC, we identified this 'new' bumblebee as the yellow-faced bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii).

The yellow-faced bumblebee is found in western North America. According to a note we received from Robbin Thorp, a bumblebee specialist, it was reported from British Columbia by Stevens in 1957 (in Osoyoos). Thorp also points out, though, that Cameron (2011) in his paper on bumblebee declines in North America, doesn't include this species for BC--at least it is not included in the database he used. So do our sightings mean that this species is expanding its range? Certainly it is occurring in BC outside of Osoyoos now, and a check of the photo records on E-Fauna BC show that it has been found in Surrey (2007), Nanaimo (2010) and Port Alberni (2009). Combined with our records for Vancouver and Richmond for 2011, it would seem to 'have arrived' in southwestern BC and southern Vancouver Island around 2006. If there are any older records of its occurrence in the region, it would be interesting to hear about them so we can compile the information.

The apparent range expansion for this species may be the result of climate change or of some other factor, such as less competition (declining bee populations) or introduction to our area. It's worth watching for it now to see if it is more widespread in BC than existing records would show. Let us know if you see it in your area.

The yellow-faced bumblebee was reported in Australia (Buderim, southeast Queensland) in 1999 as an invasive/alien species.

A Rainbow of Peas

2011-05-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things in flower just now, but our walk today at Iona Beach in Richmond was dominated by peas. Plants in the Pea Family, the Leguminosae or Fabaceae. This is the same family of plants that include garden peas, pole beans, and sweet peas. It was these 'legumes' that coloured the landscape today.

First, there was Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), an introduced and highly invasive European species--and it was everywhere. Large shrubs (up to 3 m tall) packed with brilliant yellow flowers were abundant around the ponds and throughout the sandspit. It really dominated the landscape. It was on broom that we saw our only bumblebee of the day: the yellow-faced bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii).

Then there was the native beach pea (Lathyrus japonicus var. maritimus), a pretty, low growing, purple-flowered pea with grasping tendrils that was fairly abundant. Although there was lots of it, it was much more subdued in the landscape. Small patches dotting the sand in the midst of patches of large-headed sedge (Carex macrocephala).

Finally, there were early-flowering, blue lupines--there were only a few of these and they ranged in size from one foot tall to four feet tall. These looked similar to the native streambank lupine (Lupinus rivularis) which is in flower just now in the Fraser delta, with erect red, hollow stems, but the stems had long shaggy hairs. They were located not far from the ponds, and most likely these are descendants of the lupines that were planted around the ponds a few years ago, and a few have made it into adjacent sandy meadows.

What each of these species shares are typical 'pea' flowers, assymmetrical in morphology, that eventually produce pea pods of seeds.

Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius)

Beach pea (Lathyrus japonicus)

Lupine (Lupinus sp.)

Typical pea flowers.

If you go out in the woods today...

2011-05-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Chickadees are my favourite birds, they are just so tiny, so vulnerable-looking. There's just something about them. Today we were walking in a woods in Surrey, and realized we were being followed by a flock of chickadees. They leapfrogged us along the trail, landing low and close. It was a mixed flock, Black-capped Chickadees and Chestnut-backed Chickadees. We took a few shots of a Chestnut-backed capturing a spider, then moved on--and still they followed us. This was a popular trail in a popular park, and we finally realized that they were looking for handouts. Luckily we had a bag of trail mix on hand, and quickly took advantage of the moment to get more Chestnut-backed shots. If Black-capped Chickadees are irresistible when they are chick-a-dee-deeing around your head, then Chestnut-backs are completely addictive with their tiny little buzzy calls. Small calls. Teeny calls. You have to love them. Of course, once the chickadees let it be known that there were treats being given out, everyone else in the forest had to join in, and we were soon surrounded by squirrels and crows, song sparrows and towhees. Maybe there is a particular call or alert for 'peanuts available' or 'raisins! raisins!' that is universal?

A spider lunch.

What's that brown thing? Best get a better look.

Birds on a cold spring evening

2011-04-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

We walk along the edge of the ocean. It's 7 pm. Off to the west, dark clouds hide the sunset, and rain is falling. But my hands are cold and there's snow in the air, I can feel it. It's glove weather. We watch a Rufous Hummingbird settle at the top of a shrub. It's going to have a cold night and will need to find a good nectar source in the morning. The Hooded Mergansers, on the other hand, are busy splashing in the pond, bathing--oblivious to the chill in the air.

Weather over Georgia Strait

Rufous Hummingbird

Hooded Mergansers

Hooded Merganser

Chaffing at the bit

2011-04-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

When the weather is gorgeous like this, all I can think about is getting out to see the spring wildflowers. I know there are several species in flower now and spring is actually tumbling along. It could be over before I can make a good escape. In brief moments last week, I saw the blossoms of Indian plum dangling in the wind, and watched rufous hummingbirds foraging among the salmonberry flowers. At Finn Slough recently, we saw the skunk cabbage in bloom when the tide was out. All sorts of weedy things are flowering too, from the first flowers of Scotch broom (although, does this actually ever stop blooming in our area?), to the purple hordes of introduced purple dead-nettle, to masses of shepherd's purse everywhere we go. In Vancouver gardens, flowering dogwoods are in full bloom and it won't be long before our native one brightens up our forests (by the way, take a look at this great photo by Tim de Lange Boom on E-Flora BC). In my garden, the eastern trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is now in flower. I watched the snow geese on the weekend as they took off in large, singing flocks, heading north, then changing their minds and settling back down in the marsh at Sturgeon Banks. They will be gone soon. There are robins singing, eggs hatching, and young in the nests for some species. Out at UBC last week, I watched a raven make its escape with a hatchling crow, followed by the very vocal parents who vainly tried to stop the raven. Today the sun is shining and the sky is an endless blue, perfectly setting off the still-snow-covered mountains on the north shore of Vancouver. Up there, spring will be later, and I might be able to catch it before it rolls on by.

Purple dead-nettle with chickweed.

Raining Feathers

2011-01-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it rains raindrops, and sometimes it rains feathers. We were walking along a trail beneath some Douglas-firs the other day, when a shower of feathers floated down on our heads. We backed up and looked above us to see where these were coming from, and there was a Cooper's Hawk busy de-feathering his latest catch. We brushed off the feathers and stood for a while, watching as he systematically plucked and dropped the feathers. They floated slowly on the light breeze to litter the forest floor below. A mixed flock of small birds were chattering around him: chickadees, juncos, a kinglet. They didn't sound alarmed, the danger was over. This was our second Cooper's Hawk in a short distance of 30 feet. The first one was perched low on a tree branch in a nearby hedgerow, keenly searching the ground below it. Cooper's Hawks will move swiftly through tangles of branches to catch their prey, so the hedgerow was good hunting territory--lots of small birds flitting about. Surprisingly, this bird let us get very close to photograph it--it seemed more focused on food than us. Both of these birds were juveniles, with yellow eyes.

Cooper's Hawk with prey

The other Cooper's Hawk, on the hunt

There is a good, detailed write up on the Cooper's Hawk on E-Fauna BC which shows the distribution of this species in British Columbia.

Here is a good link for tips on separating Cooper's Hawks from Sharp-shinned Hawks, always a challenge!

On the Art of Hiding

2011-01-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

If you were an owl, especially a big, easy to see owl, you would find your life continuously plagued by those annoying crows, who hound you and hound you and generally make your life miserable. And they make such a fuss about it! If you were an owl, you would want to sleep somewhere where you are as invisible as possible. This Great Horned Owl tried his best, but the 'ears' gave him away.

A Little Winter Cheer and a Taste of Spring

2011-01-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes even the ordinary can be lovely. This House Finch was in particularly fine colour today in Vancouver--maybe it was the cold crisp weather warmed by bright sunshine, the strong sense of spring sitting just around the corner. The catkins on the red alders are already expanding, there are new grass shoots adding a splash of green to the browns of winter, even our clematis is showing tufts of new growth. You can taste spring even while the wind is chill, and frost lies heavy in the shade. I think this finch could taste spring. It's an introduced species, but one that we can like. It almost makes the Himalayan blackberry stem it is sitting on look good. Almost.

Biological Diversity:

2011-01-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Biological diversity always amazes me. From the sheer numbers of species we find around us, to just how incredibly complex these can be--from a life history perspective and from a morphological perspective. I have learned a lot this year about marine creatures and their life histories, from whale barnacles (e.g. gray whale barnacle, a species of barnacle that lives only on gray whales) to Pacific Giant Octopus (which can sometimes be found tucked under boulders during low tide). Then there is the lion's mane jellyfish, which can die off in the thousands in the fall and cover our beaches. One that I recently learned about is the great morphological variation present in juvenile red crabs (Cancer productus). During a recent trip to the Vancouver Aquarium, I noticed this poster illustration of the array of colour types present in juveniles. Adults are usually brick red in colour, but look at just how variable the juveniles are.

Researchers think colour variation in these juveniles is a way to escape detection by predators, thus increasing survival rates. Researchers Nehring et al. (2010) say: "Most probably, the large variety of different juvenile morphs is a result of frequency-dependent selection in which abundant variants are attacked disproportionately often and rarer forms are favoured. Juvenile colour polymorphism in C. productus may reduce the vulnerability to visual predators, impede the formation of a search image, and consequently decrease the risk of predation during the juvenile stages." Search image is something predators use to find their prey, and it's not a lot different than the search image photographers use to spot species in a tidal pool or botanists use to find one tiny plant species in the midst of a big green(ish) tangle or visually diverse landscape. It's all about pattern recognition. That is much more of a challenge if the object of your search varies dramatically from one individual to the next.

Reference:

Krause-Nehring J., Matthias Starck J, Palmer A.R. 2010. Juvenile colour polymorphism in the red rock crab, Cancer productus: patterns, causes, and possible adaptive significance. Zoology (Jena). 2010 May;113(3):131-9.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

It seems appropriate to end this year with a photo of the Black-crowned Night Heron, a species we usually see obscured behind branches and twigs. Yesterday, this one was actually sitting in the open! Perhaps this bodes well for a new year of birding.

Then we checked our favourite holly tree, pushed back the prickly leaves, and found this little Saw-whet Owl tucked inside, like a little Christmas present. Can it get any better?

On the Trail of the Hawk Owl

2010-12-06T18:00:00.001-08:00

This is a photo of a recent rare bird in our neck of the woods, the Northern Hawk Owl. It's been hanging about on Westham Island in Delta for much of the last week. Isn't it beautiful? This is a (usually) non-migratory species of the boreal forest that sometimes appears further south when food supplies (vole populations) are low. It is a mostly diurnal species, and is awfully tame. It doesn't easily take flight, even when surrounded by hordes of birders! In spite of a pile up of traffic and cars coming and going, and many birders with big lenses, it just sat there, swiveling its head, watching the fun.

The owl is sitting at the top of the left-hand telephone pole in this shot, with many birders and their vehicles gathered below.

The owl wasn't the only bird about on this sunny afternoon. There were flocks of swans and snow geese flying by overhead, bugling and trumpeting as they went. On days like this, you can only wonder what this place was like before it was dyked and drained and the marshlands were much more extensive.

Read about the Northern Hawk Owl in an excellent write up by Jamie Fenneman on E-Fauna BC.

Snow Buntings and Asparagus: Winter Offerings at Blackie Spit

2010-11-22T12:43:00.001-08:00

I find that birding in the winter in the Vancouver area is always interesting. The species cohort that we can find here changes, and many sea-going species appear along the coast. Western Grebes, which breed in BC's interior, are sometimes seen along the Fraser River mouth in winter, for example, and other species move from northern BC south for the winter. Here is a very blurry photo, but at least you can tell what this bird is--a Snow Bunting. The photo was taken on November 12th, at Blackie Spit near White Rock, BC. It was a windy day, and the bird never stopped moving, running ahead of us and darting into the low beach vegetation. There were at least two, but it was difficult to see them to be sure how many there actually were. Snow buntings are seen in southern BC in the winter, in places such as along the jetty at Iona Beach, or along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty, or in the Okanagan. This is a species that is reported in the local rare bird alert, and was recently reported (November 11th) from the ferry jetty. It breeds further north, but spends winters in southern Canada, and the northern US. Blackie Spit always seems to have interesting bird species around.


Winter is also a good time to do some plant spotting. As we walked
around the area, we could easily spot the  invasion of asparagus
plants in the open sandy areas.  In the fall and early winter,
asparagus turns a bright yellow, and stands out amidst the winter
vegetation.  Very easy to do a plant count and see just how invasive
this species is.

Bright yellow asparagus plants (Asparagus officinalis) stand out at this time of year at Blackie Spit. This is a common escape, but how invasive is it?

Invader of a different form

2010-11-11T16:54:00.000-08:00

We recently came across this interesting lichen invader while walking at Garry Point park in Steveston. It was identified by a friend, who knows his lichens well, as the introduced and invasive orange wall lichen (Xanthoria parietina), also known as the golden shield lichen or the maritime sunburst lichen. This is a species that is becoming more common in southwestern BC, and grows only on sites with high nitrogen levels -- such as we get from automobile pollution -- and is known to be pollution tolerant. At Garry Point there is a population growing on the planted deciduous ornamental trees growing around the fish and chip shop. Bright orange-yellow, it's hard to miss them. These ones were growing within the reach of salt spray from the nearby ocean waters, so are tolerant of somewhat harsher conditions than many species of plants. Looking up the distribution in BC, the sunburst lichen is reported from Vancouver, Richmond, West Vancouver, Galiano Island, Agassiz and the Chilliwack area, and is probably present in other areas too. Given that most of us don't know the lichens, and that identification often requires use of a microscope and familiarity with the overall lichen flora, I have to wonder just how widespread it might be--and what other invading lichens might be around.

Tucked away in those dry hills....autumn colours in the Similkameen Valley

2010-09-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

In British Columbia, there are a few places that stand out as destinations to view 'biodiversity, that is places that harbour many species of plants and animals--many different species than you would find in other parts of BC. These include the Queen Charlotte Islands and the Garry oak savannas of southern Vancouver Island. The Okanagan-Similkameen is one of these. From Western Rattlesnakes to prickly-pear cacti to Pygmy Short-horned Lizards and Great Basin Spadefoot Toads--the names alone are enough to draw you like a magnet. One of our favourite areas to spend time in is the Similkameen Valley, where we can photograph black-widow spiders or Big-horn Sheep or Lewis's Woodpeckers--and inevitably spend time brushing cacti from our shoes and pant legs. These plants know how to disperse! This photo of the Similkameen Valley was taken from Nickel Plate Road last weekend, and shows the winding road that follows the Similkameen River all the way through the valley. During the spring and summer, roadsides in this valley are filled with a huge array of wildflowers. So, for us, a drive along here can take all day. Funny how some people expect you to drive through an area like this in an hour or two.

Does it look a little drab to you in this photo, lots of beige and dark green? Well, here's a taste of what September in the valley really looks like, close up. These photos were taken on that little knoll on the right hand side of the photo. Not the blazing colours of the sugar maples in eastern Canada, but certainly rich and colourful!

Slopes are dotted with the yellowing leaves of western pasqueflower (Anemone occidentalis).

On this trip, Dusky Grouse were literally everywhere, in every tree, running across every slope.

Common rabbit-brush (Ericamera nauseousa) is ablaze right now, colouring the landscape a cheerful yellow.

Yellow-striped salamanders and cold mountain streams

2010-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

We were driving a forestry road on Vedder Mountain yesterday that ran along what looked like a natural bench on the mountainside. We stopped at a small, ponded area of a cold, fast running creek that paralleled the road for a short distance, attracted by some movement in the water. The creek tumbled down the mountain, ran alongside the logging road for about 50 feet, then turned and tumbled further down the mountain towards Cultus Lake, which was visible far below us through the trees. In this little perched area of the creek, we could see several tiny ponded areas--puddles really. All had a thick layer of silt and lots of leaf litter on the bottom but were otherwise lacking in vegetation. All had cold water running through them.

As we looked into the ponds, there was more movement, and suddenly we realized that they were filled with salamanders. They were everywhere, in every little pond--sitting on the pond bottoms, floating just beneath the water surface, clinging to horsetails that had fallen into the water. A few floated to the surface to look at us. Many of them had bright yellow stripes on their backs, and all had large noticeable gills. These were larval Long-toed Salamanders, almost adults, but not quite. And there were dozens of them. It was quite a sight. The ponds were no more than a few feet across, puddled between the road and the slope of the mountain. Tiny thimble-sized habitats.

To see these salamanders, all concentrated in these tiny pools in this tiny perched area of the creek, it was very apparent just how vulnerable populations can be. While we were there, dozens of ATVs and dirt bikes zoomed past us on the logging road, along with a constant stream of SUVs heading who knows where. It wouldn't take much for a push out of stones and rocks from passing vehicles--or any grading of the road--to obliterate what was clearly breeding habitat for these salamanders. The fragility of the site was clear. You have to think about how many logging roads are placed on natural benches (many) like this one, where pools like these might form along creeks, and how many salamanders have lost their homes and their breeding areas as a result. In this part of the world, mountain benches are really interesting areas, where you can find Mountain Beaver and tall bugbane and red-legged frogs. All species at risk in Canada. But benches are usually where forestry and logging roads are placed.

Amphibians and Reptiles of British Columbia describes this species quite well, pointing out the long toe on each hind foot that gives the species its name. This species is found in western North America from southern Alaska to northern California.

September Surprises: Spiranthes in Bloom

2010-09-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

If you want to see flowering orchids right now in BC, head up the mountains and check the wet meadows. There you might find this tiny orchid in full bloom. This is hooded ladies' tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana), one of two species of Spiranthes found in the province. The other is Ute ladies' tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis). Both are secretive little things, most of the time, often very small. However, they can range from 10-50 cm tall. These orchids were in bloom on both Cypress Mountain and Mount Seymour last week in wet meadows and on seepage slopes at elevations of about 1200 m. At lower elevations (sea level), we've found this species in flower in July and August in the sandy meadows at Boundary Bay. Finding it now was a nice surprise.

View more photos in the E-Flora BC photo gallery.

Grizzly at Work

2010-09-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

You only have to watch a grizzly for a few minutes to realize what those huge claws are used for. They are tools for digging and flipping. Digging under rocks and logs, flipping rocks. We watched this one as it tried to flip over fairly large rocks, probably in pursuit of a rodent. It seemed to hear something under there.

Note that this is a captive animal at Grouse Mountain.

Pioneer Pond?

2010-07-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today I sat by a quiet pond in southwestern BC and enjoyed the wildlife, the serenity, the breeze rippling the water surface with the lightest of touches. On a hot day, the dappled shade of a big-leaf maple provided a sanctuary of sorts, relief from the baking sun. The pioneers must have sat like this, I thought. A break from whatever they toiled at in mid-summer. What did they see? Looking up, I noticed a lone crow sitting at the top of a tall conifer across the pond, statue-still. No shade-seeking there. How did it stand the heat? A Steller's jay fluttered in the branches above me, seemingly curious, close but not close. Perhaps just enjoying the shade. Dragonflies zipped busily across the pond, staking claims, oblivious to the heat. Several species. And, then, a bullfrog sang, and another, and another from somewhere behind me. Deep bass sounds with a vibration. Movement in the water caught my eye and I leaned over, peering into the murky depths. I saw tadpoles. Many of them, moving in spurts from one spot to another. Brown bullets. Big tadpoles. Bullfrog tadpoles. I was distracted by a submarine moving towards me from across the pond. It lifted its head and stared, the red patch at the side of its head clear and easy to see. A Red-eared Slider turtle. A honey bee flew past on its way to a patch of tansy. A European honey bee. Tansy from Europe. Global biodiversity.

Red-eared Slider

Big brown bullfrog tadpole

Landscape shifters...blue expanses of chicory

2010-07-23T16:02:00.001-07:00

This year we have noticed changes in the abundance of a few introduced plant species. One of these that stands out this month is chicory (Cichorum intybus), an alien species introduced from Europe. In the past, we have mostly seen only small patches of chicory along the roadside adding splashes of colour to the summer landscape. It's still somewhat contained near the coast of BC. But recently we began to notice a lot of it in the Okanagan. An awful lot. Enlarge the photo below to get a good look. You can see the chicory in a thick swath along the roadside, and this swath went on for many kilometers. Long blue vistas. Chicory isn't an invasive species in the sense of an ecosystem disrupter. It's a species that loves disturbed ground--roadsides, very disturbed fields. But you would think that large continuous populations like this one below must have some impact on pollinators that would normally spend their time visiting native plant populations. I have to admit, though, I've never noticed a pollinator on chicory, not that I can remember. This stands in great contrast to species such as wild carrot (Daucus carota). It seems like every wild carrot plant that I look at is chock full of insects: beetles, hover flies, honey bees--insects love wild carrot. This is intiguing to me, so I will have to go out this weekend and stare at a few chicory plants to see what is attracted to them. Maybe there realy isn't much, and maybe this colourful addition to our roadside flora is just that. Colourful.

Opportunistic Times: Casing the Hen House

2010-07-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

When it comes to survival, animals (and many plants) are very adaptable, and opportunistic. This Bald Eagle, which had a nest nearby, was clearly thinking about opportunity here. The free range chickens at this chicken farm must have seemed like an irresistible dinner offering. They wandered about, unprotected, oblivious to the predator in their midst. We watched for half an hour as the eagle pondered the situation, moving from one low pile of dirt to another to get a handle on the situation. When we left, it was still pondering.

Aliens with Size

2010-06-02T08:42:00.001-07:00

Invasive species have a clear impact on our ecosystems, sometimes by virtue of their longer flowering periods, sometimes by virtue of their often large seed production.........and sometimes by virtue of their sheer size. Here is one invasive plant species that bullies its way into the landscape. It's key features are density and size--and vigorous vegetative reproduction from rhizomes. This is Bohemian knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica), which is a hybrid of giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis) and Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), two other significant invaders in our region. We have been finding patches of it that are as tall as fourteen feet. It is very similar to giant knotweed, though not quite as tall (giant knotweed can reach heighs of 17 feet). And giant knotweed has distinctive, very large, heart shaped leaves. Bohemian knotweed has variable leaves that reflect both parents, and range from heart shaped to the typically flat bottomed leaves of Japanese knotweed--often on a single branch. All three of these knotweeds exhibit very dense growth, and don't leave room for native species to persist or re-establish. Giant knotweed has been shown to be allelopathic, and can inhibit the growth of other species via chemicals produced from the roots. This makes for a very aggressive species. All three of these knotweeds seem to be more common over the last few years.

Cryptic Invaders?

2010-05-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's interesting. When you look over lists of the worst plant invaders (see the BC Invasive Plant Council list as an example), you don't often see buttercups on the list. Most of the year, you know that buttercups are around, but they don't seem overwhelming. They are easily ignored. But catch them during the peak flowering season, and you might think twice. Here you can see Ranunculus acris, tall buttercup, which is in flower now in the Lower Mainland of BC. Come June, you might never notice it was out there. This is one of our alien species that seem invisible when they are not in flower. Take a look at the field in the photo below--and this wasn't the only field we saw like this.

Grazed pasture in south Surrey.

Washington State is one area that is taking action on this one. They state: "Tall buttercup can dominate a pasture or meadow given the opportunity, especially with acid soils and/or over-grazing. It could hinder colonization by native species in a prairie or grassland habitat if it were allowed to invade and spread."

Certainly a blanket of buttercups like this one would prevent any but the most hardy and competitive (and usually alien) species from establishing.

Mystery Flower...

2010-05-16T20:25:00.001-07:00

If you saw this flower, would you know what it was? Look at those lovely purple highlights and the inferior ovary. Any guesses? Ever seen it before?

Probably not. Here is a clue...does it help? A broader view of the flower head, multiple flowers.

Still not sure? How about the leaves? Do they give it away?

No? Okay, here is the whole deal...

These are the 'flowers' we all notice--flower heads surrounded by big white showy bracts. This is Pacific flowering dogwood (Cornus nuttallii). It is one species where we tend not to notice the real flowers. But at this time of year it sure stands out in our forests.

Coyote Lunch

2010-05-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, those on the hunt are just so focused they don't notice you. That was the case with this coyote that was hunting alongside the highway. Perhaps because it had caught a vole. Perhaps because cars are not a perceived threat. Perhaps because it had to swallow first. Whatever the reason, it paid no mind to the car as we stopped ten feet away. Until the camera clicked.

Radiator Spider

2010-05-03T23:42:00.001-07:00

Biodiversity is everywhere. From the carpenter ants that trundle through our backyard (I wonder whose house they live in), to the black rat that runs regularly along the top of the backyard fence. We may live in an urban setting, but animals are everywhere living their lives. Even here. For a while now, I have been watching a spider that lives beneath the radiator in the downstairs bathroom. It's been there since it was relatively small. Recently it disappeared for a few days, and then reappeared full grown (I'm guessing--it was certainly bigger). This is a shiny, dark-coloured spider that spins a cobwebby web, more of a tangle of spider silk than any tidy sort of spiderweb. I'm not sure what the spider is eating, but the web is great at trapping fallen plant leaves and other bits of debris that accumulate between vacuumings. I expect that if I could get a good close up shot, I would find spider food in the web. Working on that. I was lucky to get this shot of her on the web. The problem is that she bolts for cover under the radiator whenever the camera lens comes close, so we're in National Geographic mode. I need a spider blind.

I believe this spider is a false black widow spider (Steotoda grossa). There is a great set of photos for this species on E-Fauna BC that show the web much better than my photo below. You can clearly see the mad tangle of silk in those shots

Read the Truth about False Black Widow Spiders in the UK here. They have a venomous species (Steatoda nobilis). According to E-Fauna, we have several species of Steatoda in BC, but nobilis is not one of them.

Update: I just discovered another crazy web tangle in the corner of the bathroom window, which is new. Another false black widow? Stay tuned. According to this page, false black widows can live up to six years. So it appears we have a new roommate, or roommates.

More puple hordes, the stars were out.

2010-04-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

Biodiversity is everywhere, and even in the midst of a 'cultural' trip to Granville Island in Vancouver to visit the galleries, it catches your eye. Usually when we visit Granville Island the tide is in, and we don't see many underwater species. But last week, the tide was out and water levels were really really low. It meant that the purple or ochre stars (Pisaster ochraceus) were very visible, clinging to the exposed pilings of the pier. Many were sitting well above the water line and easy to photograph eye to eye, so to speak (thank goodness for floating docks). And some were moving--legs waving in slow motion as they changed position. Maybe they were attempting to move down, back into the moist haven of the water--although they are very tolerant of being out of the water. The area around the pier in False Creek offers a protected niche for this low intertidal (sometimes middle intertidal) species. No crashing waves, relative calmness, and a major food supply--hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of mussels cover the pilings. Most of what we saw were the date mussel (Mytilus trossulus)--the exposed pilings really showed them off. And there were lots of barnacles. A perfect feeding ground for this sea star species.

Purple sea stars are a native cold water species that feed mainly on mussels, but also on barnacles, limpets, chitons, and snails. They seem common enough along the northwest coast, and are found all along the coast from Prince William Sound in Alaska south to California. We see them in tidal pools when the tide is out, and usually can spot a few from piers and along rocks. But this time we managed to get a really good look, and some idea of the abundance of this species in the False Creek Area. There were lots of them just around the pier.

Acrobatics, without a net.

Scrambling sea stars?

The purple sea star is a summer-feeding species that in winter stops feeding and moves lower in the water (read Phil Lambert's write up on the species on E-Fauna BC).

Date mussels.

Purple Hordes: Lamium purpureum is here

2010-04-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

At certain times of the year, our impressions of nature can radically change. This is particularly true when a species comes into flower and you begin to notice it everywhere. And more so when you begin hearing about it from other people at the same time, and they are noticing it everywhere. This is true at the moment for purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), a European species that is found in a few areas in BC, but primarily in the southwestern corner. In the Vancouver area, it seems to be everywhere, and abundantly so. Most of the year, we think of it as an unobtrusive species. It's a small species, only a few inches tall. But in the last two weeks it has lost its invisibility cloak and it is apparent that it is much more abundant that we realized. And maybe more widespread. The map on E-Flora BC doesn't quite do its distribution justice, as we are hearing about it from many spots on Vancouver Island, all the way north to Comox.

It's possible that we just haven't paid attention to this species in the spring and never noticed just how much of it there was around. Maybe it is just more visible right now because the landscape overall is still all brown and beige, the greening of spring is still underway. It might get lost in the taller greens of grasses as they grow. But I have a niggling sense that we might be noticing it because there is a lot more of it around. Could we really have missed the great purple carpets on the normally brown and dull agricultural fields in the Fraser Delta last spring? Right now, these carpets jump out at you. Our first clue was when we drove past a fallow field two weeks ago. Normally a drab brown, the field was a bright purple. Acres of purple. A quick look through the binoculars (very handy for plant spotting) let us see what it was. A mass of flowering Lamium. Hmmm. My first thought was, thank goodness it is a disturbed ground species. But then I started to wonder, is it beginning to spread more aggressively? Wouldn't we have noticed these carpets before this? Is this sudden visibility to my eye just me? Or is this an invader on the march?

Look how thick the Lamium is in amongst the beach grass in this low beach dune.

Feature Creature: the Blobfish

2010-02-22T06:51:00.001-08:00

Biodiversity is an amazing thing. There are just so many variations of species, and so many reasons why they vary. Here is one I couldn't resist (could you?). It's a new species to me: the blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus), also known as the Australian sculpin. Once I stumbled across it, I just had to read more, and here is what I learned.

FishBase, the global database of fish species, says this is a deep water species (depth range 600-1200 m) that is endemic to Australia. It has been recorded on the continental slope, from just off Broken Bay, New South Wales (33°34'S) to off southern Australia, including Tasmania. Wikipedia has this to say:

Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front of it.

A borrowed photo (unfortunately I can't read the photo credit to give proper acknowledgment).

So the depths where it is found account for its lumpy look. But wait! There's not just one species, there are two! The second one, in the same genus, is the western blobfish (Psychrolutes occidentalis), also known as the western Australian sculpin. It is found off the coast of northwestern Australia. According to Fishbase, it is found in the "Eastern Indian Ocean: known only around Rowley Shoals, Western Australia".

Now that I think about it, the blobfish does look like a sculpin, though a rather human-looking one.

Volcanoes, Vigias and the formation of new land: one of the processes behind biodiversity.

2010-02-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Fukutoku-Okanoba undersea volcano erupted off the coast of Japan on February 3rd, and may result in the formation of a new island or islands (see article and photo). This is typical of volcanic action in oceanic areas, and reminds us of how nature both forms habitats and removes habitats. Reading about this reminded me of an article I read several years ago about old maps of the Mediterranean by James Kelley--here is the abstract:

"Many small crosses, once called vigias, denoting hazards to navigation, appear on the late medieval portolan charts of the Mediterranean. The fact that most appear far at sea over abyssal depths has classed them as mariners' delusions. Indeed, "vigia" has been defined, perhaps partly in jest, as "Numerous imaginary dangers … traditionally inserted in all Ocean Charts" (OED). Perhaps. But considering that portolan charts are so pragmatic in other respects, could there be some underlying practical reality to explain their vigias? Using geophysical and anecdotal data, this paper suggests that the vigias of the portolans are not arbitrarily placed, but originate from observations of short-term, sometimes repeated, surface phenomena—shock waves, surface disturbances, smoke plumes, scoria, and so on—thrown up by seismic and volcanic disturbances on the Mediterranean's geophysically active sea floor" (Kelley, 1999).

In other words: volcanos. I suspect the author of the Mediterranean paper is correct, and vigias on old Mediterranean maps probably represent products of volcanic activity during active periods. The process is interesting to me because of the formation of new land and, sometimes, the loss of land during volcanic events, and the role this land might play in species ecologies. This particular Japanese volcano fits the portrayal of a vigia well. It has erupted before and has produced temporary islands that "later sank below the surface again". Clearly highly fluctuating, and definitely a candidate for an 'imaginery danger". The article says:

"The most recent of the volcano's short-lived additions to Japan's Bonin archipelago was born on January 18, 1986, although the island disappeared by March 8 of that same year."

Actions like this could result in mapmakers of olden days mapping 'obstacles' that could later disappear, and appear to be mariners delusions.

I'm curious about what the first occupants might be of a new island off coastal Japan, even a temporary one. In Mount St. Helens in the US, the first plant occupant following volcanic eruption was a lupine species. But in an oceanic setting, what would come first? Would it be a plant, or a bird? Not likely a lupine as lupines are not good dispersers (the seeds are relatively heavy), but species that are wind dispersed would be good candidates. Climate on Japanese islands varies from tropical to cold temperate, and location will determine the possible colonizers, along with currents, winds and regional biota. This particular underwater volcano lies 745 miles south of Tokyo.

Volcanic islands can be steep and challenging areas for colonization, though. Or not. View a photo of a nearby rugged volcanic island.

References:

Kelley, James E. 1999. Curious Vigias in Portolan Charts. Cartographica 36 (1): 41-49.

Are Wolverines our first (Larger) Land Mammal to Decline Because of Climate Change?

2010-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

A BBC news article today highlights research findings by US researchers studying Canadian wolverine populations. Their study of Canadian trapping data, combined with research on snow pack levels, show interesting and significant results. The snow pack has decreased during the researchers study period (1968-2004) and, according to fur trapping data, so has the number of wolverines caught by fur trappers. Aside from this sad way of obtaining data, this appears to be evidence of a decline directly linked to climate change. At least the two appear to correspond. Wolverines are adapted for hunting and scavenging in deep snow, so, according to the article, if the snow pack declines, their hunting and foraging also declines. The thinking is that some of the prey they depend on (hoofed mammals) do better when the snow is not so deep, so there are fewer carcasses to scavenge, while other prey (rodents) may not be doing as well because a reduced snow pack means less insulation from winter cold. This in itself is alarming. The data may well suggests major declines in small mammal species.

According to the article:

"Dr Brodie believes that his is the first study to show a decline in species abundance due to a reducing snowpack - for any land animal, not just those in North America."

Given this, there are some immediate things we can do to protect populations of vulnerable animal species like this.

"But we don't have to just sit back and watch climate change drive animals extinct," he says.....As climate change worsens, we should reduce trapping levels and also disturbance to boreal forest habitats.....Reducing the impact of these anthropogenic stressors could help 'offset' the impacts of climate change on wolverines."

Let's hope provincial governments in Canada respond to this sort of data, and do just what the researchers suggest. Reduce trapping levels. This is is one of the biggest impacts on populations of this species, next to climate change. It is something that we can do to help the situation. And not just for wolverines. Reduced trapping will help many mammals species. With this data now available, we have science-based evidence that should allow an appropriate response to a serious situation. With the effects of climate change growing, and data emerging, governments need to move towards an adaptive management approach, and not be tied to past management levels. Yearly review of data can guide this. What this research suggests to me is the need for immediate changes to the number of trapping permits and trap lines out there. This is something we can do, and do quickly, in response to one of the most serious threats to biodiversity. Reduce human impact.

I have never seen a wolverine, although I have friends who have occasionally stumbled across them when hiking. But you can view photos here on E-Fauna BC, and from Google here.

The wolverine is the largest of the weasel family, all of which are carnivores.

The Opossum is a Canary.

2010-01-30T10:32:00.001-08:00

Climate change will affect biodiversity in several ways, including changes to the distributions of many species. Many will expand their ranges northward where their dispersal abilities allow (e.g. wind blown species) and where suitable habitat becomes available. Some species with more limited dispersal abilities (e.g. short distance dispersers or species dependent upon 'partners', such as pollinators) may or may not be able to disperse quickly enough to take advantage of suitable habitat when it opens up. That is, warming trends may move faster than they can disperse, and could quickly make habitat that was suitable in the short-term unsuitable in the longer term. Or maybe their 'partners' won't be able to make the shift in parallel. Ecological conditions could change too quickly to accommodate many species, and there is some awareness now that change is going to happen relatively quickly. Populations of these species could die out with no matching northward shift in dispersal. So much will depend on genetic strength and species plasticity--the range of temperature and moisture levels species can tolerate.

This becomes a game of ecological tic tac toe. So which species will shift, and which ones won't, or can't? One species we will keep an eye on in BC is the Virginia Opossum. This is a prolifically breeding species which has expanded its range in eastern North America considerably since the early 1900's. It's a mover. If you look at the current distribution of this introduced species in BC, it is presently restricted to the southern parts of the province. The write up in E-Fauna BC, by David Nagorsen, says:

"The North American Opossum ranges from Middle America north through eastern North America to extreme southern Ontario. It was introduced to parts of western North America, including Washington State and southwestern British Columbia. The British Columbian population inhabits the lower Fraser River valley as far east as Hope, although there is an unconfirmed extralimital record from Spuzzum. The opossum was introduced to Hornby Island off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island in 1986, and there were several confirmed records from the Victoria region of southern Vancouver island in 1992......In 1992, a dead North American Opossum was found near the Victoria airport and four live opossums were sighted at Cordova Bay in Victoria. The origin of these animals is not known. There have been no confirmed sightings since 1992, and it appears the species is not yet established on southeastern Vancouver Island."

So the BC distribution of this species has, so far, been limited. In southwestern BC, it is somewhat easy to tell where opossums are found because they are very prone to road kill. A drive around White Rock, along the US border, quickly shows this. There are, relatively speaking, many dead opossums on the road in the summer. And if you drive around after dark, it is not unusual to spot opossums crossing the road.

We don't see many opossums elsewhere in our travels, and we have never seen them north of the Fraser River, although there is a historical record for Vancouver.

We attribute this to climatic limits on the species distribution and perhaps in part to the presence of barriers to distribution such as crossing the Fraser River. However, given this species' propensity for expansion, the river isn't an insurmountable barrier, and expansion can take place in a variety of ways. Suitable habitat availability along with climatic be more limiting. For example, this is a warm climate species, and the naked tail and ears are very prone to frostbite. It is not really adapted for persistent, really cold winters. We have often noticed the frost-bitten ears on roadkills. Our impression from the literature and personal observation is that this is a species that moves northward when climate permits, and, in colder winters, populations may die off, shifting the distributional limits southward once again. A tension zone of distribution that is climatically driven.

Given this, as the climate warms, this is a species that has the potential to move northward in British Columbia if suitable habitat exists. It could be a canary to keep an eye on.

Elements of Biodiversity: Barred Owl

2010-01-29T21:52:00.001-08:00

Some species are more adaptable than others, and can thrive in urban areas. The Barred Owl is a species that is expanding its range in western North America. This one was hunting rats by a garbage dumpster at a local shopping mall. What was really noticeable about this bird was that it didn't mind being photographed, and from only ten feet away. Ornithologists say this species is a threat to the endangered Spotted Owl in mature and old-growth forests. It appears to be a threat to city rats too.

Ratcatchers

Influences on Biodiversity: Reed Canary Grass

2010-01-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is one invading plant species that has a major effect on wetland ecosystems. Once it moves in, it spreads rapidly and 'smothers' native wetland species, preventing germination through dense, light-inhibiting stands and thick sod formation (sometimes more than half a meter thick) that buries seed banks. Additionally, thick growths of reed canary grass along shorelines can inhibit water movement, changing conditions for germination of native species that might otherwise establish. The arrival of invasives such as reed canary grass in wetlands is a result of disturbance that alters growing conditions, favouring strong competitors and pioneer species that can establish quickly. Types of disturbance can include shoreline development, water level controls (removing the natural fluctuations and dynamics), or trampling. So, is part of the secret to invasive species control, disturbance control? And how do we control all of the disturbances that affect ecosystems and allow invasions? Given that this would be just a part of control, and there is also a need to re-establish original conditions (e.g. removing that sod build up), just how effective can restoration really be? I know of some systems where it has worked very well, where site conditions were easily restored, but I can think of many where that seems daunting.

Reed canary grass in winter.