ER 7 Trout Creek tour April 11 2010

I spent a pleasant total of 1.3 hours of my birthday  in the ER yesterday. It was cool (6 degrees at 8am) and overcast for the most part,but the sun was out for a while and the breeze was minimal.. I saw or heard 10 bird species;the best being a hooting DUSKY GROUSE and a pair of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS . This species nested on the ER for several years when I started my duties,but I seldom see a pair there now,despite a previous nest tree still standing where I see this species every year. Maybe this is the year they wil nest!

Needless to say, a lot of vegetation is in leaf,bud or flower.I found no knapweed in it's expected location on the old road . I dug up only 3 of the invasive /Sulphur Cinqefoil/ plants,so my digging last year was successful. I sent Orville a separate note to tell him that I located the site of a 1974 UBC recording of the red-listed/ Dalles Milk-Vetch/ with the UTM he gave me. I also described the site and named the vegetation within 30m.Since it can be expected to bloom in May and June I will look for it then. I am also wanting to find another site for the red-listed /Narrow-leaved Brikellia/ that Malcolm Martin found in 2007,based on the information he gave to the CDC,but I recorded the UTM incorrectly this time and ended up at a known site. I will wait until May or June to follow up.

I saw no mammals and only a few deer tracks. Usually I find a small number of Mule Deer on west side of the east ridge.

The fences have not been damaged or vandalized.

Cheers.......Laurie