Field Trip Report:

Radium Hot Springs, June 20-22, 2003

June 20, Friday Evening
Late Friday evening, fourteen souls went owling under the leadership of expert local birder Peter Davidson. At two favoured locations, we enjoyed satisfying calls and swoops of half-a-dozen nighthawks, and occasional fine drizzle. Those with keen ears heard Hammond's and Least flycatchers which apparently call all night. The only thing lacking was an owl sound. We called it quits early to allow four solid hours of sleep before the morning expeditions.

John Sprague

June 21, Saturday Morning
Wilmer Marsh
Some 20 people spent Saturday morning around the Wilmer Marsh Unit of the Columbia National Wildlife Area, led by Larry Halverson of Parks Canada. Sharon Morgan, another park naturalist in Kootenay National Park, has musical talents and provided word-jingles to remember the bird calls (Vesper Sparrow: "here ... here ... over there ... everybody down the hill"). Glen Moores and Marion Porter also found us a lot of species. In the Horse Creek drainage, we had a riparian walk through woods, then brush, to grassy wet fields. This was accompanied by a constant racket of Cassin's and Warbling Vireos, some shy redstarts, baby mountain chickadees, and three Wilson's Snipes in view at once. Other notables were a Columbia Spotted Frog and unidentified mosquitoes, same size as the chickadees but not fierce. A second windy but pleasant hike took us over hills of sparse grassland, juniper and rabbitbrush to the ponds along the Columbia River, where a good assemblage of grebes, ducks, and raptors greeted us.

John Sprague

Dog Lake
Our trip to Dog Lake inside Kootenay National Park began with bear sightings on the highway. Just past the tunnel, well before arriving in the park, we stopped to check out Mountain Ladyslipper's extraordinary white flowers.

The trip continued to be a big mammal, botany tour with several deer seen in the parkway and our first stop on Wolf Island redolent with the scent of Wolf Willow. Wolf Island, connected to the park by suspension bridges over the Kootenay River, also provided a showing of orchids. The birds, reluctant to come show their true colors, played hide and seek with us; many were identified by song. The island did offer warbler sightings and the river showed us the ubiquitous Canada Goose. A two kilometer trek through the forest showed us many more native plants. We braved the flooded path and hiked into the lake for the more interesting part of the birding. A loon pair were fishing to feed their youngster. Four swallow species cruised about, keeping the insects in check. The Red Crossbills did a fly-by. Common Yellowthroats and other warblers frequented the reeds. The return trip took us alongside the stream then met up with the fire trail. Near the crossroads the photo buffs took the opportunity to immortalize the Yellow Ladyslippers. We searched for the woodpeckers; we could hear their drumming but they eluded our sight. Close to the end of the fire trail we spotted a spruce grouse with six chicks. On the return trip we saw mountain sheep grazing and more bear foraging along the roadside. Altogether we counted 35 bird species. Walking the trail with park naturalist Sharon Morgan made the trip informative and heightened our appreciation of our natural surroundings.

Bird species identified: American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Townsend's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flicker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Mountain Chickadee, Lincoln Sparrow, Canada Goose, Belted Kingfisher, Red Crossbill, Common Raven, Orange-crowned Warbler, Western Tanager, Tree Swallow, Pileated Woodpecker, Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, Violet-green Swallow, Ring-necked Duck, Willow Flycatcher, Macgillivray's Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Wilson's Snipe, Spruce Grouse, and Spotted Sandpiper.

Mike & Doreen Dyson

Dog Lake
The field trip to Dog Lake in Kootenay National Park on Saturday, 21st June took us through mid-elevation forests of Douglas-fir, western redcedar and spruce, and yielded a variety of species such as Hammond's Flycatcher, Gray Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, both kinglets, Swainson's Thrush and Townsend's Warbler. The highlight of the trip for many was the family of Three-toed Woodpeckers that we discovered by following some tell-tale tapping to its source.

Dog Lake is a shallow forested pond with emergent vegetation that hosted a yodelling Common Loon, Common Yellowthroat and a singing Lincoln's Sparrow. Whilst we scanned the lake a Sharp-shinned Hawk with prey in its talons flew past with a flock of Pine Siskins in pursuit mobbing it - they obviously protesting the demise of one of their number.

The trip logged 32 species.
Tony Greenfield

Dutch Creek Hoodoos and the Columbia Lake Headlands
On this trip south from Radium we enjoyed the experience of extremes in elevation from being at the summit of the hoodoos looking down over the valley to descending down to the marsh areas of the lowlands giving us a great variety of scenery, flora and fauna.

On the way our leader, Randy Hopkins, had several treats for us. Almost immediately after our 6:10 departure, we turned into a cattle property owned by Mrs. Kempton, who is a bird lover at Windemere. Immediately, Randy spotted a calling Long-billed Curlew. We all got great looks. Soon, we spotted another curlew. One stood on an irrigation pipe and "sang" for a bit. They flew up together and showed their field marks several times.

In the same range, we saw and heard a Western Meadowlark singing. A Vesper Sparrow landed on a post carrying food a couple of times. Not far away an Osprey was sitting on its nest. After a couple of days, we realized that the Columbia headwaters are the world's Osprey capital and we became blasé about Ospreys.
After this brilliant start, we proceeded south to the top of the Hoodoos at Dutch Creek for a chance to see White-throated Swifts. We saw Mule Deer on the way up. Just as we parked we spied a 2 or 3-year-old black bear. On the walk to the top we had good looks at and heard a Dusky Flycatcher and a Western Tanager.
At the top, the White-throated Swifts that are supposed to nest there weren't making themselves visible so we enjoyed a Great-blue Heron heronry in the distance, a perched Bald Eagle, many Violet-green Swallows and the magnificent scenery and plant life.

Just as we were leaving the magical Hoodoo formations, Brian Scott heard the swifts and sure enough four swooped in. In the end there may have been up to 15. Eventually they came very close and below us so that we could see their markings perfectly.

We then explored the bottom of The Hoodoos and saw and heard several more species such as an American Redstart and a Red-eyed Vireo singing its heart out.

Finally we reached the Columbia headlands where it was raining some (so much for the dry interior!). A highlight was a Moose that hid quite expertly behind the reeds much of the time.
Four kinds of swallows were seen, including Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Some of us observed at close range two Cedar Waxwings sitting on a branch together. For about four cycles they sidled up to each other, bumped then moved apart. Finally one jumped the other and they copulated. Dannie Carsen took a photo of the deed.

We then started our way home and dropped into a new housing estate near an airport in Riverside near Fairmont, looking for a Lewis's Woodpecker. It landed in a dead tree and out popped its mate from a cavity. Not everyone saw them unfortunately.

The rain then became very heavy and we started back.

Fifteen people in four vehicles took part. The group species total was 61 species.
Sandra Eadie

June 22, Sunday Morning
Columbia Lake

This trip on Sunday, 22nd June, explored various habitats south of Radium on both the east and west sides of the Columbia wetlands. The first stop was at a long grass meadow beside the highway near Invermere where we admired a pair of the ever spectacular Long-billed Curlews flying and calling. Other grassland species noted here were Mountain Bluebird, Clay-coloured and Vesper sparrows and Western Meadowlark.

Further south along the highway at Fairmont Hot Springs in open, grassy riparian habitat we observed Lewis' Woodpeckers (that also perched on houses), and watched Black Terns over the wetlands.
Driving along the highway we noted the proliferation of Osprey nests on the hydro poles, a significant feature of the birdlife of the Rocky Mountain Trench.

A visit to both the top and the foot of the very impressive hoodoos at Dutch Creek failed to locate the White-throated Swifts that occur here. June Ryder, an expert in Pleistocene geology interpreted the formation of the hoodoos for us.

We returned to Radium along the west side of the Columbia wetlands and added numerous waterbirds and passerines at a small pond. The Invermere sewage lagoons produced many duck species to boost our trip list to 70 species.

Tony Greenfield

Wilmer Marsh
Wilmer Marsh Unit is 5 km north of Invermere on the west side of the Columbia. The river is slow here and forms a variety of ponds, marshes and levees. A dry Douglas fir forest looks down on the area. The valley is an important flyway for migratory birds and many stay to breed. The views from the high benches (about 30% of the area) are breathtaking.

Sixteen people went on the trip. We had an excellent start as we spotted a Long-billed Curlew in a field as we drove towards Invermere.

We first had a woodlands walk to the marsh. Bryan Gates's played the Northern Pygmy Owl call on his toy saxophone and brought out many Red-breasted Nuthatches shouting at us. It was just amazing to see them come in at the call.

Along the way we came across a Red-eyed Vireo nest with an egg in it. Later we saw a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers going in and out of their nest. We also saw Mountain Chickadees visiting their nest.
Many beautiful flowers delighted us including Twinflower (Linnaea borealis - named after the famous founder of taxonomy, Linneaus) and the Round-leaved Orchis (orchid).

At the end of the walk we came to a lovely marsh where Yellow-headed Blackbirds were plentiful. Three Black Swifts, a year bird for many, flew over.

On the way back we stopped at a meadow where we had spectacular views of a Black-throated Hummingbird which stayed still for us for an extended period. Just at the end of this walk an Orange-crowned Warbler sang in plain view for us.

We then proceeded to Ritchie's Point where we climbed along the high cliff/promontory/bench overlooking the wetlands. The views over the marsh in the valley and the high hills on either side were just lovely. We saw a Goldeneye and a Red-necked Grebes with young. A sub-adult Herring Gull was loafing on a rock. Black Terns flew over the marsh.

Of course Ospreys were "everywhere". The Valley must be the Osprey capital of the world. Ducks included Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Goldeneye, Common Merganser.
A special goodbye treat as we walked back was a male first year sing Bullock's Oriole in its bright yellow plumage. Western Meadowlarks were singing as well.

Sandra Eadie

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