Trout Creek Tour
Here are the news. I
was in the park for 2 hours, not including the
1 km walk in and out
(another 50 min or so). It was a balmy 19 degrees in the park at 7.25, with a
slight breeze and sun. The ER is very, very dry.
I saw or heard 16 species of birds. I was pleased to
see all 3 species on nuthatches, particularly good numbers of White and
Red-breasted. I saw only a few Vesper Sparrows, one carrying food, but it would
not reveal the nest location. I flushed a Common Nighthawk off the ground as it
was no doubt sleeping after a long night on the wing. I did not expect to find
eggs or young this late in the year and did not. I heard 2 and saw one
blue-listed Gray Flycatchers. The latter was as close as any I have seen in 20
years; I could almost count the feathers!
Only a couple of plant species were in flower as one
would expect at this time in a hot summer. Best of all, there was no Sulphur Cinquefoil where I had pulled out all the plants I
could find in June. Again, there were no knapweed rossettes,
so none at all this year. I thought that the wet spring may have brought them
out as in the past, but not so. The toadflax is withering fast, between the
effects of the heat and the /mecinus/ beetle. I saw
few flowers and quite a few seed heads, but most were closed. So, since I found
2 larva in 2 seed heads, at widely separate locations,
I hope that they are in most of the seed heads!
I saw no insects or reptiles and only a couple of
small bear scat with
Finally, there was no sign of human activity in the
ER and the fence at the talus slope still needs fixing; if and when you get the
time and money to effect the repairs.
Cheers.........Laurie