ER #76 2025, April 26, photos compressed
Report by Bev and Bill Ramey
Sunshine, 12 to 19o C, wind varied from 8 to 17 km/hr.
On islands from 10 am through to 8 pm. Walking distance about 18 km, which was longer than usual distance due to the higher water level which meant the inner channel was too high to wade betweenthe upper island and the other islands. So there was additional walking distance and portaging kayaks.
Water level at Mission gauge: 1.1 to 2.1 m (tidal)
Water level at Hope gauge: 4.8 m
Participants: Bev and Bill Ramey
After landing the kayaks, we followed our usual route walking upriver to the tip of the upper islands. We startled a coyote on the accreting islands. The coyote ran to the edge of the deciduous forest where it paused and watched us for several minutes, then disappeared into the forest.
We did not see flocks of migrating Black-bellied Plovers on the upstream tip – likely due to today’s date, which is a couple of weeks later than when we’ve previously seen them during their migration. There were gulls and Double-crested Cormorants loafing at the up-river tip. We started down the southeast side of the island, towards the inner flowing river channel, but as the water in that inner channel was too high to wade, we turned inland on a coyote trail through the almost fullingleafed-out deciduous woods where there wereseveral species of shrubs, some flowering. Within a short distance we were making our way through some blackberry patches, which slowed our pace.There were a few one- to four-metre tall Douglas fir and one small cedar growing amongst the alder and cottonwood.
After portaging our kayaks across the gravel/sand bars some distance, we paddled across the inner channel and then headed inland through the walkable old river swale where there are only a few blackberry canes growing amongst the Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). With ongoing succession, there are several conifers visible 15 metres tall. We looked for the egg masses of Northwestern Salamanders in the small pond along this route, but there weren’t any visible. We were likely too late as we’ve seen the egg masses previously in late March. However, there were lots of water insects, as well as many insect species visible along the sand-silt bars, so with freshet, these will provide excellent food source for fish.
Next we walked along what used to be the quiet water of the inland cross-channel, now filled with sediments with emergent vegetation. In one area it looked like helicopter training had been occurring, with more than twenty parallel landing skid-marks.We entered the deciduous forest of the southeastern upper island. At the circular pond we saw a very large Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas).
Then we headed back to the downriver islands and the now dry former swale between those two large islands. We walked as far as the breach of the southwestern lower island where river water now ponds. Gravels and sand continue to accrete out from the lower islands, towards the main channel next to Chilliwack Mountain. We then returned the same route through the forest trail, paddled back across the inner channel, portaged boats up to where we’d first landed and paddled back to the put-in location. The put-in location has continued to erode each year and now has a fairly steep silty bank that crumbles, which makes put-in and take-out challenging. The major shoreline repairs along this stretch of Nicomen Island river bank, which had been made about a decade ago with large rocks and fabric-sheathing, have mostly eroded away and remain only in a few locations.
Mammals
One coyote seen, many tracks especially on upper island shorelines, plus some tracks looked smaller so possibly a young coyote
Deer – none seen but many tracks throughout all islands
Bear – very clear tracks visible in cross-directional dry channel between the upper and lower islands
Beaver – tracks and workings visible in several locations
Mole – evidence from raised earth rounds
Amphibians and Reptiles
Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas), about 12.5 cm long body length (excluding hind legs)
Molluscs
One freshwater mussel shell (Wester River Pearl Mussel) near upriver tip of islands, likely had floated down from upriver, possibly from Harrison River system
Snails, several introduced snails, likely Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
Insects
In the warm weather many small insects moving about on the sand/silt areas, insects with short flights close to ground (less than a metre), some spiders and beetles; also pond insects such as water striders
Birds
Birds have been entered on eBird hotspot:
https://ebird.org/canada/hotspot/L844938
We were likely two or three weeks late to view the large flocks of American Wigeon, Mallards and Black-bellied Plover. We also missed seeing large numbers of migrating Tree Swallows and Violet-green Swallows.
Canada Goose 4
Mallard 4 pairs of M & F
Common Merganser 7 flying over
Killdeer 1
Short-billed Gull 50
Ring-billed Gull 6
California Gull 4
Double-crested Cormorant 18
Great-blue Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 1 flying over
Bald Eagle 3 (adults 2 and immature 1)
Red-tailed Hawk 1 flying over
American Crow 5
Common Raven 2 flying over
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tree Swallow 1
Swallow species 2
American Robin 5
American Goldfinch 4
Song Sparrow 1
Spotted Towhee 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Wilson’s Warbler 1
See link above to get this document with photos attached