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Warden’s report -Visit to ER #76 – Fraser River Islands, April 26, 2008
Visit to ER #76 – Fraser River Islands, April 26, 2008
Sunny, warm; very low water – 0 to 1.5 m at Mission
Put it at Nicomen Island boat launch after carrying our boats from the locked gate. River very low with large sand/gravel bars exposed. Landed lower big island and observed bald eagle in nest in the large cottonwoods. Walked up the swale, explored the beaver activity and ponds near top, then down the dry central swale to south tip. Observed large baled bunches of equisetum (northern scouring rush) on downstream tip of island closest to Chilliwack Mountain. Walked up shore of largest island, then in boats to upper islands and explored extensive sand bank area, as we could walk there at low water.
Birds
50 Wigeon (flew from farm fields to islands)
Double crested cormorants
Bald eagle (1 on nest, 1 flying with fish in talons to nest, 1 imm)
Killdeer
Greater yellowlegs -2 (but legs almost orange)
Song sparrow
Swallows (violet green or tree)
Robin – 2
Northwestern crow – flying 20
Rufous hummingbird
Turkey vulture (2) flying overhead
Common Merganser – 8 in channel
Gulls – ring billed or mew – 22
Violet green swallow – 10
Black capped chickadee
Red tailed hawk
Hutton’s vireo
Canada geese – pair
Mallards – 6
Yellow-rumped warbler
Great blue heron – on tip of upper island Other Butterfly – browny red colour, on gravel Butterfly – blue Tree frog (by sound) Toads (young) Salmon fry in isolated ponds Deer – pair Bear tracks Coyote tracks ? Freshwater clams snails |
Plants Miner’s lettuce Cottonwood tree with English ivy climbing half way up Tall Oregon grape in flower Equisetum (northern scouring rush) – 30” stalks, in bundles, about 5000 stalks in total |