News/Reports

Trout Creek Ecological Reserve Warden’s report, Nov. 13, 2016

Posted November 14, 2016 | Categories : 7,Warden Reports |
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Northern Pygmy Owl — photo by Dominic Sherony

ER Warden Laurie Rockwell submitted this report for his last visit to the reserve this year:

  • It was mild at 8c for my last tour of the year under a partly overcast sky(some mist), but some sunshine.
  • As expected,I saw only 5 species of forest birds, but I was pleasantly surpsrised to get good looks at a Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma). This was the first one that I have seen or heard on the reserve for years.
  • All plants are in seed for another year. For some reason some Wavy-leaved Thistle (Cirsium undulatum) flowers did not bloom on several plants. Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia fragillis) continues to spread throughout the reserve.
  • I saw some old coyote scat, one Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemonus) and a lot of tracks. For the second (wet) fall I saw numerous sites where the deer were foraging for mushrooms. Areas of pawing to expose the mushrooms and pieces of mushrooms scattered about told the story;they seem to prefer the stems which were not seen.
  • the page fence at the 12th green of the golf course has been further bent down by golfers seeking errant golf balls on the reserve. With the 2 Parks-owned stiles removed by the golf course last fall this fence will start to break over time. If the stiles are not re installed, Parks will need to put barbed wire at the top of the fence to save the fence and keep the reserve flora from being trampled.
  • Significant fence repairs are outstanding.