Blue Jay, vol.70, issue 1

2012·8.5 MB·English

by  Saskatchewan Natural History Society

Ex Libris
fSI UNIVERSITY OF XT
wALBERTA UNIVERSITATIS
Albertensis
Blue Jay
Editors’ Message.3
Birds
70th ANNUAL SASKATCHEWAN CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 2011
Alan R. Smith.5
HOUR OF EGG LAYING OF THE MOURNING DOVE IN MANITOBA, AND A LOOK
AT AN EARLY DATA-SET ON LAYING TIMES OF CAPTIVE MOURNING DOVES
AND PASSENGER PIGEONS
Spencer Sealy.30
DISCOVERY OF THE WORLD’S FIRST NEST OF THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER
C. Stuart Houston.37
Mammals
39th ANNUAL SASKATCHEWAN CHRISTMAS MAMMAL COUNT 2011
Alan R. Smith.46
Notes and Letters
OBITUARY- DR. RONALD M. BREMNER (1923-2011).55
BAND-TAILED PIGEON (COLUMBA FASCIATA)
Trish Santo.56
A NEW BIRD FOR ALBERTA - ROCK PTARMIGAN
Kevin Kuipers, Natalie Kuipers, Peter Storer.56
Photo Notes
SHORT-EARED OWL {ASIO FLAMMEUS)
Ross Dickson.58
Nature Library
THE STOKES GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA
Donald and Lillian Stokes.62
Mystery Photo.64
1
70 (1) March 2012
Front Cover:
Solitary Sandpiper - Robin Arnold http://www. robinarnoldphotography. com
Back Cover:
Short-eared Owl - © 2011 Environment Canada - Cody Osborne
Inside Front Cover:
top left: Red Squirrel - Vicky Kjoss
top right: Tracks in snow - Anna Kjoss
middle left: Red Fox - Christian Artuso
middle right: Band-tailed Pigeon -Trish Santo
bottom: American White Pelicans - Lowell Strauss
Inside Back Cover:
top: Mourning Dove - Spencer Sealy
bottom: Solitary Sandpiper - Robin Arnold
http://www. robinarnoldphotography com
L. Strauss
THIS ORGANIZATION RECEIVES FUNDING FROM:
Saskatchewan
LOTTERIES
■noon
CtHTWJ
2 UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Blue
UNIVERSITY OF AL8ERTA
Editors’ Message
We are very pleased to take on the to nature. Lowell owns and operates his
responsibility of guiding and editing own biologist-for-hire business, Bird’s Eye
Blue Jay. This position has been filled View Consulting. He is also an outdoor
previously by very competent and skilled writer and photographer, with an active
people, and we hope that we can continue blog (for more, see lowellstrauss.com).
the standard of excellence. We hope to We have a 2 1/2 year-old son who is great
get to the Nature Saskatchewan Spring fun, and a black lab rounds out our family.
and Fall meets, to get acquainted with
many of you in person. Until that time, and We are both generalists. While we have
because we simply can’t meet everyone, specialized for particular jobs or studies,
we thought to introduce ourselves. we have a broad range of experience,
including: Great Horned Owl banding
Kerry and Lowell have a partnership going [thank you Dr. Houston], working with bats,
back quite a few years. We met in the damselflies, parasites, dendrochronology,
Cypress Hills (West Block, Saskatchewan New Zealand fur seal populations,
side) on a University of Regina biology zooplankton and phytoplankton, water
field trip in the summer of 1994. After chemistry, amphibians, marsh birds,
that auspicious beginning, we went grassland songbirds, fish, remote sensing,
off to do further education separately; airphoto interpretation, native prairie
Kerry earned an M. Sc. [Biology] from grasses and forbs, grassland restoration,
Carleton University studying damselflies small mammals, and big game. We
and their parasites, while Lowell stayed have complimentary strengths; Kerry
at the University of Regina, and studied really enjoys meeting and interacting
the forest fire history in the Cypress Hills with a variety of people, and Lowell is
West Block using dendrochronology and a computer whiz who will be putting
other methods. We got married part way together Blue Jay digitally.
through our graduate degrees and then
proceeded to finish up and get “real jobs”. In fact, this March 2012 issue will be the
first that the editors have put together
We both love Saskatchewan and have digitally. This transition has taken a bit
family here. Kerry grew up in Maple Creek of time to accomplish, and hopefully it
and then Regina for her teens. Lowell will lead to faster turnaround times in
grew up on a farm near Strasbourg. We the future.
both have had the privilege of working and
living on a farm for part of our formative We would like to encourage Nature
years. This seemed to lead easily into Saskatchewan members to contribute to
the observation and love of nature, even Blue Jay. Whether you submit interesting
when we had no idea what we were photographs, nature observations, range
looking at! extensions, or the more formal scientific
articles, all are welcome. Blue Jay is
Currently, Kerry is the manager of the the journal of Nature Saskatchewan,
Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife dedicated to publishing significant natural
Area and Migratory Bird Sanctuary history events from Saskatchewan and
(LML NWA/MBS). Part of this job is the the prairie provinces. We need your input
requirement to live on-site. We both love to accomplish that!
the solitude, remoteness, and closeness - Kerry Hecker and Lowell Strauss
(photos on following page)
70 (1) March 2012 3
fesMaiMi
Clockwise from top left: Kerry Hecker with son, Lowell Strauss with son, their black
lab sitting on the flooded road, the little boy checking out cattail fluff.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
Nature is full of strange and wonderful plants and creatures.
We’d love to hear YOUR stories and see YOUR photos.
Please send your photos, articles, notes, letters, photo notes, or any interesting
observations to the editors at <[email protected]>. We will happily work with
you to polish them up for publication.
4 Blue Jay
%
L
BIRDS_
70th ANNUAL SASKATCHEWAN
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT - 2011
ALAN R. SMITH, Box 154, Avonlea, SK, SOH 0C0, Email: <[email protected]>
The Counts. For the second consecutive this count than any previous count. Thanks
year the number of counts conducted to the lack of snow, numbers of the two
increased over the previous year with 91 common field-feeding waterfowl, Mallard
counts compared to 86 last year and 83 in and Canada Goose, rebounded nicely
2009. No doubt the warm winter weather from last year’s lows and were higher than
prompted more observers to venture out. the five year average (Table 7).
Nine new or revived counts more than
offset the four that were conducted last Results for landbirds were markedly
year but not this year. different. Upland gamebirds, Horned Lark,
and Snow Bunting declined substantially
The Weather. This past winter was (Table 7), and the Lapland Longspur
memorable for its warm temperatures was totally absent. These results are
and meagre snowfall. The average undoubtedly more apparent than real as
daytime temperatures for all counts there was no snow to force these species
ranged from a low of -7 to a high of -2°C, to roadsides to feed - they could forage
while snow depth ranged from 4 to 13cm. anywhere!
Comparable figures for 2010 were -16 to
-11 °C, and 18 to 32cm. As we shall see, Regina established a record high count
these unusual conditions had a profound for Snowy Owl with 45 birds (Table
effect on the numbers and distribution of 6). Province-wide numbers were up a
birds on the CBC. staggering 272% over the previous five
years. The large number of young-of-
The Birds. The 128,000 birds seen on the the-year observed leave little doubt that
count were about average for the last 10 the species had a very good year on their
years, while the 102 species on count day Arctic breeding grounds. Their lemming
was the highest since 2004 when 103 prey must have been very abundant, and
species were recorded. brood size of the owls must have been
pushed to the limit!
Saskatoon with 48 species won for the
10th consecutive year; Gardiner Dam and The expansion of the Eurasian Collared-
the Qu’Appelle Dam were both a distant Dove continues apace with a record high
second with 37 species. Although Estevan of 333 birds on 17 counts (plus 2 during
had only 35 count day species, it had an the count period at Kyle). New localities
impressive 42 count period species. included Cabri, Gardiner Dam, Outlook
and Yorkton. In contrast, the expansion
Population Trends. The main beneficiaries of the House Finch has leveled off with
of the warm weather were the waterbirds. only two new localities (Balgonie and
Not only were new high counts set or tied Shamrock) reporting the species.
for many species (Table 6), it is very likely
that more species of waterbirds were on Rarities. No new species were added
5
70 (1) March 2012
to the all-time list of species seen on the 8. CABRI. Carman Dodge, Ron Jensen,
CBC so the total remains at 184 species. Don Weidl.
Two species were, however, seen for the
9. CANDLE LAKE. Carman Dodge,
second time ever. These were a Winter
Margaret Mareschal, Maurice Mareschal,
Wren on the Fort Qu’Appelle count and
Don Weidl.
an Orange-crowned Warbler on the Togo
count. A Yellow-headed Blackbird on the
10. CATER. Beverly Beland, Orval
Good Spirit Lake and two on the Indian
Beland, Donna Long, Waldy Long.
Head count were the second and third
records for the province. Also of note was
11. CHATSWORTH S.D. George Murray,
our third record for Barrow’s Goldeneye
Laurie Murray, Herb Rooke, Stewart
with one seen during the count period at
Rooke, Carol Tangedal, Torrie Tangedal.
Squaw Rapids. Northern Cardinals were
seen at two localities: two during the count
12. CHRISTOPHER LAKE. Jeannie
period at Prince Albert and one on count
Walker.
day at Yorkton.
13. CHURCHBRIDGE. Cas Chyz, Verna
Count areas and participants
Chyz, Elin Johnson, Ron Johnson, Phyllis
(Names of compilers are in italics).
Kaeding, Martha Karau, Wally Karau,
Elaine Pollock, John Pollock, Denis
1. ARCHERWILL. Gerald Hiron, Susan
Putland, Dianne Putland, Ed Wirth, Gloria
Hiron, Audrey Hnetka, Elaine Hughes,
Wirth.
Dorothy Klettberg, Judy Revoy.
14. CLARK'S CROSSING. Carol Blenkin,
2. AVONLEA. Alan Smith, Blaine Sudom.
Lucille Bradatsch, Annemarie Buchmann-
Gerber, Dave Cook, Louise Cook, Lome
3. BALGONIE. Keith Barr, Jared Clarke,
Duczek, Terry Hams, Marilyn Haskins,
Laurie Koepke, Kim Mann, Val Mann,
Richard Hedley, Robert Johanson,
Kristen Martin, Moira McKinnon, Brett
Richard Kerbes, Henry Klypak, Gordon
Quiring, Jordan Tholl, Jenna Tokaruk,
Koshinsky, Margaret Koshinsky, Audrey
Matthew Tokaruk, Duncan Willis
MacKenzie, Bill MacKenzie, Hilda Noton,
Sylvia Raginski, Jan Shadick, Stan
4. BANGOR. Allan Bolton, Lynn Bolton,
Shadick, Marten Stoffel, MaryToews, Guy
Aileen Hayward, Alan Hayward, John
Wapple, Michael Williams.
Maddaford, Leslie Maddaford, Bev
McLaren, Raye McLaren.
15. CODETTE LAKE. Doug Boivin, Barb
Weidl.
5. BIGGAR. Murray Newton, Mark Pickett,
Linda Schnedar, Lorrie Sielski, Larry
16. CORONACH. Ryan Dudragne, Dan
Sutherland, Rita Sutherland, Guy Wapple,
Sawatzky, Alan Smith.
Marguerite Wapple, Rob Wapple.
17. CRAVEN. Barbara Barnett, Lyn
6. BIRCH HILLS. Doug Boivin, Carman
Brokofsky, Tina Campbell, Stephane
Dodge, Margaret Mareschal, Maurice
Canevet, Jim Cummings, Amanda
Mareschal, Don Weidl.
Douglas, Ryan Dudragne, Karen Eliot,
7. BROADVIEW. Doug Boivin, Barbara Ruth Englund, Elaine Exelby, Gabriel
Weidl, Don Weidl. Foley, Louise Holloway, Phil Holloway,
Fran Kerbs, Laurie Koepke, Bob
6 Blue Jay
Luterbach, Kent Lynn, Barbara Mader, Heerschop, Alice Isfan, Jack Lowe, Jean
Doug Mader, Lauren Mang, Kim Mann, McKenna, Alan Mlazgar, Vivian Morcom,
Rocky Marchigiano, Jaret McDonald, Paul Paquin, Wendy Paquin, Brett
Barry Mitschke, Valerie Mitschke, Kevin Quiring, Janaye Starr, Keith Stevens,
Moore, Jeff Nye, Shelley Nye, Mary Lynn Kim Stevens, Ted Stevenson, Colette
Phillips, Curtis Pollock, Brett Quiring, Al Stushnoff, Richard Stushnoff, David
Sumla, Jeannette Taylor, Robb Taylor, Sutherland, Rose Vernoy, Fred Warren,
Mary Weber. Bill Wendell.
18. CREIGHTON. Brenda Schmidt, 30. GARDINER DAM. Ryan Dudragne,
Harvey Schmidt. Greg Fenty, Maxine Forsberg, Jeff
Jensen, Ron Jensen, Nick Saunders,
19. CROOKED LAKE. Boyd Metzler. Marten Stoffel, Guy Wapple.
20. CROOKED RIVER. Helen Carson, 31. GOOD SPIRIT LAKE. Bill An aka,
Lyle Carson, Burnice Lewis, Joyce Lewis, Dorothy Riesz, Ray Riesz, Lloyd Wilson,
Margaret Mehler. Ray Wilson.
21. CYPRESS HILLS PROVINCIAL 32. GRANDORA. Danelle Messer, Mika
PARK (Centre Block). David Larson, Messer, Verna Messer.
Margarette Larson, Brynne Martin,
Mimi Martin, Melody Nagel-Hisey, John 33. GRASSLANDS NATIONAL PARK.
Schock. Krista Bekker, Nick Cairns, Ervin Carlier,
Eugene Dumont, Pat Fargey, Michael
22. DENHOLM. Beverly Beland, Gerard Fitzsimmons, Johane Janelle, Matthew
Beland, Orval Beland. Johnson, Kevin Moore, Wes Olson,
Katherine Patterson, Taylor Roy, Colin
23. DORINTOSH. Joe Twidale, Lorraine Schmidt, Robert Sissons, Karin Smith-
Twidale. Fargey, Ashley Wruth.
24. EASTEND. Roxie Binkley, Duane
Bristow, Kevin Bristow, Robert Gebhardt, 34. GRAYSON. Carina Helm, Charles
John Hanlin, June Higgins, Harvey Helm, Daniel Helm, Linda Helm, Jeanette
Johnson, Keith Schwett. Zimmer, Karl Zimmer.
25. ENDEAVOUR. Norman Harris. 35. HARRIS. Nick Saunders, Guy Wapple.
26. ESTEVAN. Batty Dies, Marilyn Dies, 36. HAZLET. Laurent Dudragne, Ryan
Kathy Hedegard, Rose Walton, Guy Dudragne.
Wapple.
37. HUDSON BAY. Gloria Allchin, John
27. ESTUARY NORTH. Cathy Cocks, Daisley, Ian Daisley, Joyce Hayes, Les
Dean Francis. Hayes, Agnes Lewellin, Peter Lewellin,
Dennis Reimer, Ruth Reimer, Lee Smith,
28. FENTON. Carman Dodge, Maurice Delia Smith, Gloria Stang.
Mareschal, Don Weidl.
38. INDIAN HEAD. Jan Beatty, Mike
29. FORT QU’APPELLE. Jim Armstrong, Duran, Eileen Escott, Irv Escott, Mavis
Mark Gerema, Peter heerschop. Shiela Jealous, Jim Jinks, Linda Jinks, Roy
7
70 (1) March 2012
Hearn, Nick Kucharan, D. Loran, Dora Runn, John Sinclair, Joshua Turtle,
Nichols, Adam Scott, Brian Scott, Bob Leonard Turtle.
Scott, Glenn Scott, Lome Scott, Chad
Skinner, Christine Skinner, Fred Skinner, 51. LUSELAND. Kim Finley, Estelle
Donna Tompson. Finley, Graeme Finley, Liam Finley,
Valerie Finley, Brent Honeker, Shirley
39. KENASTON. Doug Beckie, Drew Honeker.
Beckie, P. Lawrence Beckie, Tyler Beckie.
52. MACDOWALL. Hazel Barton, Myron
40. KENOSEE LAKE. Boyd Metzler, John Barton, Dianne Brown, Ron Brown, Barb
Pollock. Sather, Alan Smith, lone Surbey, Bob
Tunstall.
41. KETCHEN NORTH. Dallas Fairburn.
53. MACNUTT. John Skinner, Tim
42. KILWINNING. Ed Driver, Gerry Wendell.
Threlfall.
54. MATADOR. Jim Romo, Cindy Romo.
43. KINDERSLEY NORTH. Jean Harris,
Keith Harris. 55. MEADOW LAKE. Bill Caldwell, Janet
Caldwell, Marlynne Sampson, Monty
44. KINLOCH. Don Forbes, Doreen Sampson, Bob Wilson, Ian Wilson.
Forbes, Cliff Logan, Joyce Logan, Doreen
Wickstrom. 56. MOOSE JAW. Ryan Dudragne, Jeff
Mander, Alan Smith.
45. KYLE. Greg Nelson, Glen Pederson,
Ed Stepple, Dan Zazelenchuk. 57. MOOSE MOUNTAIN. Bob Cameron,
Kathy Hedegard, Doyle Thomas, Val
46. LAC LAPLONGE. Katherine Brewster, Thomas.
Erin Conkin, John Conkin, Aislinn Petz.
58. MORSE. Jared Clarke, Noel Enns,
47. LA RONGE. John Schisler. Stella Enns, Mike Francis, Kristen Martin,
Randy McCulloch, Pete McHugh, Joel
48. LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE N.W.A. Priebe, Ken Priebe, Myrna Priebe, Lori
Valeriana Harris, Shiela Lamont. Wilson.
49. LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE N.W.A.- 59. NIPAWIN. Carol Blenkin, Vi Budd,
NOKOMIS. Ross Dickson, Lois Joyce Christiansen, Bert Dalziel, Carman
Vanthuyne. Dodge, Rick Douslin, Patti Gaertner, Joe
Graumans, Jennette LeCuyer, Doug
50. LOVE - TORCH RIVER. Carol Phillips, Sherley Phillips, Leonard Turtle,
Blenkin, Hal Birkett, Joan Birkett, Bert Barb Weidl, Don Weidl.
Dalziel, Duke Dalziel, Joan Dalziel, Sara
Dalziel, Jack Dewar, Lena Dewar, Scott 60. NISBET FOREST, NORTHWEST.
Edwards, Ashley Gallon, Roseanne Sandra Jewell, Beth Neil, Dale Neil.
Kirkpatrick, Ron Knutson, Terry Knutson,
Eilene L’Heureux, Jennette LeCuyer, Kyla 61. NISBET FOREST, WEST.
LeCuyer, Bev Macauley, Dave Macauley, Kim Clark, Kiri Clark, Shamara Clark,
Lillian Nesset, Beatrice Runn, Jeanette Suzanne Clark.
8 Blue Jay