Trout Creek Warden’s Report, June 7, 2012, Er #7

• unusually cool at 6C at 7am,but no wind to make it colder and lots of welcome sun! I was in the ER for 2 1/2 hours,plus 20 min. walking in/out.
• I saw or heard 16 species of birds,including my first Sharp-shinned Hawk,the 79th species for the ER. I was happy to hear 5 blue-listed Gray Flycatchers,too.
• most flowers are in flower at this time,but a few like the blue-listed Narrow-leaved Brikellia are only in leaf or bud.The red-listed Dalles Milk-Vetch is starting to flower.

Astragalus sclerocarpus, Dalles Milk Vetch
Photo by Ryan Batten<

• The mecinis beetle is wreaking havoc on the toadflax;most plants are infected and as a result, I saw few flowers. I removed 10-12 knapweed plants and one Sulphur Cinqefoil plant.
• I saw no mammals and only one insect,a butterfly with orange-tipped wings,probably a Stella Orangetip on Timber Milk Vetch.
• a large container of Drip Torch Fuel is still near the test burn site, a month after the burn.
• fence repairs still outstanding.
• the ER is very lush and green after all the rain.The old logging road is almost  completely overgrown.
• the trail that 30 people made through the grasses on the May 11th BC Nature field trip is still very evident and such numbers must not be allowed again.

Cheers…..Laurie Rockwell