Pickerel weed: Introduced along the Fraser River

We wandered along the riverside walkway at Steveston yesterday, from Steveston Village (in the southwestern corner of Lulu Island) east to the old historical buildings and shipyards run by the city of Richmond as a historical site. A new extension to the walkway at the east end has been opened up, where a series of small buildings are now open for viewing. These include an old bunkhouse, and a new, small interpretive centre. The buildings are located on what appears to be an artificial pond/slough system that has been constructed adjacent to the river, with a series of new small bridges to access them. (I'm not sure if these were present before the buildings were open, and just enhanced, so will have to look into that.) It's a lovely spot, with the river running past just a few feet away.

Historical bunkhouse.

New Interpretive Centre

Most of the vegetation along the boardwalk is comprised of alien species, which is typical in the delta. Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceae) and the ever-present Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) are very dominant, and morning-glory or hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium), in flower now, is draped everywhere. But one new species caught our eye. At one end of the pond/slough we disovered a patch of pickeral weed (Pontedaria cordata). A patch of it has been planted adjacent to the boardwalk. This is a very striking aquatic plant that really does enhance any water feature.

Pickeral weed with one solitary flowerhead visible.

A patch of pickeral weed has been established adjacent to the board walk, along a pond/slough system that is open to the river.

Pickeral weed is an eastern species of aquatic plant that is now grown by the nursery trade for use in aquatic gardens. A look at the USDA distribution map shows it introduced to the flora of Oregon, but absent from the floras Washington and British Columbia (it is not listed in E-Flora BC).

There is a question about the potential invasiveness of this species when it is introduced outside of its native range, and it is listed as invasive in a few US states. It can form dense thick colonies in ponds and lakes back east so the concern outside of its range is the potential for it to blanket areas. Plantings like this one set off alarm bells for me. So the question is, will it become invasive here?

Pickerel weed was reported in BC by Christopher Brayshaw in his book Pondweeds and Bur-reeds, and Their Relatives of British Columbia, where he mentions a collection from Port Alberni in 1950. But there are few other reports although it is grown in aquatic gardens here. So far, it doesn't seem to be invasive, but there are some considerations here. First, many invasive species don't become invasive for many decades, and then their populations explode, so is this a potential invasion waiting to happen? Second, wherever we have seen it in the delta, it is has been in contained water gardens or closed pond systems, so isn't in spots where it seed dispersal can follow water courses and establish elsewhere. Until now. This particular spot flushes into the Fraser River. If the plant is capable of establishing and spreading, this might be the area where it does so. Here, at its mouth, the Fraser River passes by the extensive cattail marsh at Sturgeon Banks, along the east perimeter of Lulu Island. Marshlands and open ponds within them are good pickerel weed habitat, based on the habitat that it occupies back east.

It's possible that pickeral weed has already been planted elsewhere along the dyke areas that parallel Sturgeon Banks,where extensive ponds have been planted with other aquatic species. Maybe this isn't the first planting in what seems to be a vulnerable area. We will have to walk the area and take a look, and keep an eye on the dynamics of this new patch.

Click here for more closeup photos of the flowers of pickeral weed.

Photo of the Day: American Toad and Hover Fly

This American Toad posed nicely for my sister today, complete with his fly mascot.

And he hung around for a good shot of his warty wardrobe. He wasn't in any hurry to move on.

Common St. Johnswort: Some weeds seem better than others...

Common St. Johnswort, Hypericum perforatum, is an introduced Eurasian species that is widespread in North America. In BC, it is commonly found in the southern part of the province, and is particularly common in the Fraser Delta and south-eastern Vancouver Island, along roadsides and in drier disturbed sites. It is a perennial species with creeping rhizomes that is in flower now in the Fraser Delta.

This is an easy species to identify, and one of the first species you learn as a field botanist. In addition to the easy to recognize yellow flowers, with their five bright yellow petals and prominent stamens, the leaves are peppered with translucent dots that are easily seen if you hold a leaf up to the light Click here to view a photo showing the translucent dots on the leaves. If you click on the photo below, you will also see the black dots around the margins of the petals that are also a distinguishing feature.

Although common St. Johnswort is an introduced species that is abundant in disturbed areas, particularly along roadsides, it is not particularly invasive in undisturbed, natural settings. Unlike some other introduced species. What makes some alien species invasive and problematic, and others not? This is a complicated question really. In part, some species become invasive and much more abundant in introduced ranges because in their introduced ranges they lack predatory controls that are part of their ecology in their native range. With common St. Johnswort, however, a lack of predators doesn't seem to have influenced abundance. Research has shown that population densities of the species in its introduced range are not much different than in its native range. It has also shown, interestingly, that plants of common St. Johnswort in introduced regions are smaller than those in the native part of its range. The opposite of many invasive species and very intriguing. Something to read up on.


Notes:

Common St. Johnswort is highly valued as an anti-depressant.

Click here for a US distribution map from the USDA.

View more photos in the E-Flora BC photo gallery.

References:

Vilà, Montserrat, John L. Maron and Laia Marco. 2004. Evidence for the enemy release hypothesis in Hypericum perforatum. Oecologia 142 (3): 474-479.

Photo of the Day: Tree Swallow feeding time

Juvenile Tree Swallows may be out and about, but they still need mom (or dad). In these photos, an adult brings food to the hungry baby and hovers in front of it for feeding.

Humpback Whales, Murres and Herring

It's a lot of work rounding up dinner. If you are a Murre, literally rounding up herring while they feed on plankton works. The Murres herd the herring into a tight ball for easy feeding. But watch this video. The round up attracts more than gulls...

What's in Flower in the Delta this Week

It's hardhack time. This colourful species of Spiraea (Spiraea douglasii) is adding splashes of lovely pink to the wetlands, wet roadsides and wet pastures in the delta this week. This is a widespread species in BC that can form extensive thickets and, in wet areas, will quickly move in following disturbance. A wetland pioneer. Although found in a few inland states, this is primarily a species of the west coast of North America. View a North America distribution map.

Water Shield in the Pond

We found a 'patch' of water shield (Brasenia schreberi) on Lulu Island in Richmond yesterday, in a golf course pond. This is a native plant species that has not been reported for Richmond before (although it is probably present in garden ponds elsewhere). It is a distinctive floating aquatic species in the water lily family (the Nyphaceae), but unlike water lilies, with their distinctive rounded, notched leaves, the leaves of water shield are elliptical and entire--and they are smaller than water lily leaves. In this pond, it was intermixed with duckweed, Lemna minor.

Water shield is found primarily in the southwestern corner of BC, with scattered reported populations across the southern part of the province. It is found in ponds, lake margins and in quiet oxbows of creeks, where it lends an understated beauty to the landscape. Although there is a UBC herbarium collection of water shield from our region (Pitt Meadows), I suspect this population is planted, originating from nursery stock. This is one of the problems with the trend in native plant growing: it really confounds our knowledge of the natural distributions of species. While this is most likely a planted population, given it is occurring in a manicured golf course, there is always a small chance that the population is a natural occurrence. We will have to visit more ponds on Lulu Island to see if any other populations can be found, in situations where they are unlikely to have been planted.

If you look closely, you can see the central point on the leaves where the stem is attached below the water.

Duckweed is a natural associate of water shield, although in this case, it, too, could have been introduced to the pond from nursery stock.

View the North American distribution map for this species, by the USDA.

Sedges Have Edges: Carexes in the field

The family Cyperaceae, the sedge family, has an evil reputation. It is considered a difficult group of plants to identify, even to the family or genus level, and especially to the species level. The genus Carex is particularly thought to be a tough group to identify. Many people, including biologists who survey the wetlands where Carexes like to grow, simply lump them as 'Carex sp.'--meaning they know they are a Carex, but have no idea what the species is.

Carexes are not showy in the 'garden flower' sense. They lack big, colourful, showy petals and instead they are typified by the presence of spiky flowerheads made up of clusters of flowers that are usually a drab brownish-green in colour. But they are showy in their own way, architectural in appearance, with somewhat attractive patterns. Once you get used to the way Carexes look, you can begin to spot different species wherever you go. After a while, it is fairly easy to recognize the genus. The stems do have edges, and are triangular in cross-section. The leaves look grasslike, although they are usually a different shade of green than most grasses. And, importantly, they like wet areas--ponds, streambank, creeks, lakes, ditches. If it's grassy looking and growing in a wet area, think "Carex". Carexes are primarily freshwater species, but they will also grow in brackish lakes and ponds. In the Fraser Delta, they are also found in places like Ladner Marsh, or Finn Slough, areas that are subject to the daily tidal flux and brackish water.

The seeds, or peryginia, of Carexes, are the most important features for identification, and this is where the evil reputation comes into play. For the most part, they need to be examined under a microscope, and measured (in millimeters). The size and shape of the perigyinia (including the length of the beak), and the number of stigmas present in each flower, are critical in separating species. This isn't actually as bad as it sounds. The differences can be small, literally, but once you get used to the parts of a Carex, and become familiar with their shape and variation, many Carexes can be identifed to species. And, if not, they can be identified to the 'group' they belong to. But there is one, big, caveat to this: most taxonomic keys for this group are based on ripe fruit--fruit that are full-sized. To identify Carexes with any certainty (unless you already know the species well), you must have plants with mature fruits. Plants with immature fruits, or plants in flower, can be a challenge to identify. If not impossible.

Difficulties aside, some Carexes are instantly recognizable because of their large flowerheads, or distinctive shape or unique habitat. The photos below show some of the more easily identified species. If you see these in the field, you generally will be able to put a name to them. They all have big flowerheads, and are common in their preferred habitats. Click on the links to view distribution maps and more photos.

Carex macrocephala (large-headed sedge) is very distinctive, growing in low dune slacks and sporting very large flowerheads for the size of plant--which is actually fairly small.

Carex comosa (bearded sedge) is another distinctive one, these flower heads dangle, and are fairly large. Importantly, though, this is a species that prefers very calcareous growing conditions, such as those found in Cheam Lake, which is a marl lake.

Carex lyngbyei ssp. cryptocarpa (Lyngby's sedge) is a very common species that forms extensive homogeneous expanses in coastal areas in BC, including along the Fraser river, in the shoreline meadows that are also filled with orchids, bog buckbean and, unfortunately, purple loosestrife.

Carex stipata (awl-fruited sedge) is another very distinctive species, with relatively large flowerheads that are somewhat triangular in shape. It is very common in the Fraser Delta, and is found in almost any wet patch, ditch or creek edge in the area.

The genus Carex is the largest genus in the sedge family and one of the most important plant groups for waterfowl. Many ducks feed on sedges, in particular Carexes, and this genus, along with the spike-rushes (Eleocharis species), are common in wetlands throughout BC, sometimes occurring in large homogeneous stands.

Birding Moments: Sometimes its just fun to observe

A parcel of birds from our last trip. There's always something to see and never enough time.

During our trip in May, we must have hit migration time for Yellow-rumped Warblers. They were everywhere, lining fences, flitting through trees.

We saw this pheasant near Princeton. Differently coloured than the birds we see in the Delta--there is so much variation in pheasants.

We couldn't find this California Quail at first, he was twenty feet up in a tree, calling loudly. Somehow the call sounded like it was coming from a much lower spot.

This Bald Eagle was feeding on a dead porcupine in a creek (can't really see it in this photo, but it's there).

Sunshine on the Slopes: Arrowleaf Balsamroot in the Okanagan

The Okanagan in the spring can be beautiful, and one of the species that brings great swaths of colour to the slopes and sagebrush steppe is arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata). This is a common native species that is visually dominant in the spring in south-central and southeastern BC, and entire hillsides can be blanketed in it, creating a stunning effect amidst the ponderosa pine and cheatgrass that are ecosystem dominants here. It is a pretty easy species to identify, especially in the spring. It is a large, robust plant, and those colourful yellow sunflower/daisy type flowers are easy to spot and recognize. The only other species similar to it is in BC is deltoid balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea), which is a rare species, restricted in occurrence to the extreme southwestern corner of the province. The range of the two species does not overlap. Globally, arrowleaf balsamroot is found in the western part of the North American continent.





Visit the E-Flora BC photo gallery for arrowleaf balsamroot.
View the E-Flora BC photo gallery for deltoid balsamroot.
Visit the USDA web page for this species to view a North American distribution map.

Dying Pines: a fire in waiting

Mountain Pine Beetle has taken a toll on the forests of BC, and this is evident driving from Vancouver through to the Okanagan. As in this photo of ponderosa pine, in some spots, most if not all trees are dying or already dead. In others, only a few trees here and there are so far affected. But overall, there is immense fuel source accumulating, and, in this already drier than average year, fire is a real fear in the province. A major fire is presently burning near Lytton, and a smaller fire has broken out near Kelowna. No doubt there is more to come before the summer is over.

Fire is a natural part of systems. However, climate change has fueled the beetle outbreak, and fueled the fuel source, so to speak--which will only grow larger over time. This will eventually result in significantly bigger and hotter fires than in the past and will have major impacts on BC forests and wildlife.

Redhead: A duck we don't see too often...

In fact, I can't remember the last time we saw a Redhead (Aythya americana). We saw this pair on a pond in the Okanagan, along with the Ruddy Ducks and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. The male was asleep when we first came across them, but not for long--they quickly sailed away from us.



View the Breeding Bird Atlas of BC map for this species.

Photos of the Day: Mule deer

Mule Deer (Odocoileus hermionus) (also known as Black-tailed Deer) are pretty common in BC and are found throughout the province. One of the great spots for observing them, though, is along the Hope-Princeton highway (Hwy. 3) which runs along the southern perimeter of the province. They are frequent along the roadside, particularly as twilight descends and they emerge as shadowy figures into the open corridor of the road to browse on the new growth of grasses and other non-woody plants. There is one open pasture just to the west of Princeton where we always see dozens of Mule Deer browsing on the lush, unusually green (for this dry area), grasses. If you wait long enough beside this pasture, deer slowly begin to appear from the surrounding forest, in two and threes, until the pasture seems to fill with them. On our last trip, we counted fourteen does, the time before that there were forty deer in the field, including some juveniles. Locals tell us that this field also attracts Elk (Cervus canadensis), but so far we haven't spotted any there.

In a few regions of eastern BC, the Mule Deer overlaps its range with the White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The two species can be separated in a few ways, including the presence of the black-tipped tail in the Mule Deer. The tip of the tail in the White-tailed Deer is usually much lighter in colour (though it can be dark brown), but in the Mule Deer it is always black-tipped.

This forested area is immediately adjacent to the 'green' pasture and Mule Deer seem to magically appear from the trees. One minute there is no deer and the next, one is standing there watching you.

The eastern edge of the pasture grades into sagebrush steppe, with it's mix of sagebrushes and other dry site plant species. Notice the black tip of the tail on this deer.

Look at the ears on this deer! Mule Deer are well named.

In his book, the Hoofed Mammals of British Columbia, David Shackleton talks about three subspecies of Mule Deer: Sitka Black-tailed Deer, Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, and Columbian Black-tailed Deer. However, current taxonomic sources for mammals of the world (Wilson and Reeder's Mammal Species of the World is the current authority) doesn't recognize subspecies and lists only the Mule Deer.

Read about Mule Deer on E-Fauna BC
Read about White-tailed Deer on E-Fauna BC
Read about Elk on E-Fauna BC


References:

Shackleton, David. Hoofed Mammals of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum, Victoria.

Wilson, Don E. and DeeAnn M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd. ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp.

Funny creatures: the Pygmy Jerboa

If this isn't the funniest, cutest, strangest creature you have ever seen, then what is? Check out this video! Introducing the Pygmy Jerboa...doesn't it make your day? Watch how it turns in a circle so it can reach its tail.

Thanks to the Bleiman brothers on Zooillogix for another great find!

Photo of the Day: Ruddy Ducks in a Pond

It seems like every lake and beaver pond we pass east of Hope these days has at least one pair of Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis). Sometimes there are several pairs criss-crossing the open water of marshy areas. These are adorable ducks to watch, with their stiff, upright tails, great colours and diminutive size. On our last trip, we saw 16 pairs.

his photo doesn't do this male Ruddy Duck justice: the bill was actually a beautiful blue.

View the Breeding Bird Atlas of BC map for this species.

Sasquatch: hairy creature of the forest

Sometimes we come across strange wildlife on our BC outings, like this Sasquatch, observed just east of Osoyoos. It was a little metallic...not hairy at all!

This statue sits at the entrance to a planned subdivision.

A blurry photo, but maybe better than most sightings!

Bighorn Sheep: Making a living in rocky slopes

On our trip to the Okanagan a few weeks ago, we came across this herd of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) along Westside Road on the west shore of Lake Okanagan, just north of Kelowna. They were browsing on a rocky slope just below the road, between the road and the lake. There were 12 animals in the herd, and one ram with noticeably large horns. They were comfortable enough with us photographing them from the car, but once we stepped out they moved away from us.

Male and female Bighorn Sheep generally live in separate herds most of the year, joining together during the rutting season. In this group we saw some that were clearly males, and a few with smaller horns that could have been females or juveniles.

They browsed calmly while we were in the car, but even so, one still kept a close eye on us.

This ram calmly watched over the herd and was the last to move away.

This sheep is wearing a radio collar (you can see the antennae), which is part of ongoing monitoring to track movement of this species in the area.

The herd moved away single file.

Although they were moving away, there was still time for a bit of browsing as they went.

Read the E-Fauna BC atlas page on Bighorn Sheep in BC. Lots of info on behaviour, ecology and population fluctuations.

This group of Bighorns may be part of a transplanted group brought into the area from the Harper Ranch, near Kamloops as part of population management and herd reduction in that area. Read more here.

Read about transplanted Bighorn Sheep in Okanagan Mountain Park on the other side of Okangan Lake: "In January 2007, 34 bighorns were captured by drop net near Keremeos, B.C. and released near Wildhorse Canyon in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park".

Engineers at Work: watching beaver in a pond

We often see beaver lodges and ponds in our region, but we seldom see the beaver themselves. This time, this beaver worked away in front of us, oblivious to our presence. Couldn't get a clear shot of his tail though--maybe next time.

This is a blurry shot, but it's interesting to see a beaver lodge built around a telephone pole!

Notes:

Muskrats will sometimes live inside a beaver lodge with beaver.

Beaver will bring down trees throughout the summer, but usually don't begin repairing and strengthening their lodge until late summer early fall.

Painted Turtles: Gone from Lulu Island?

This native Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) was sunning itself in a pond in Kelowna. Although the Painted Turtle is a widespread species throughout the southern part of British Columbia (click here to view a distribution map from the Reptiles of British Columbia web site), we haven't seen this species on Lulu Island in several years--our last sighting was 2001. What we do see are plenty of Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), an introduced 'pet store' turtle that is present in abundance in our local ponds and ditches and in a few other spots in BC (click here to view a distribution map of the Red-eared Slider in BC). It is unlikely that the slider is breeding here according to some sources, but rather populations are maintained by constant releases by pet owners (e.g. Matsuda et al. 2006). Although the 'red ear' is one of the most noticeable difference between these two species, there are other differences such as shell morphology, colouring, and size.

This is a good time of year to go out and conduct a little survey of the ponds and ditches on Lulu Island, something to do on a quiet Sunday.

Western Painted Turtle

Red-eared Slider, photo by Diane's Digitals.

The 'red ear' is more noticeable in some individuals. Photo by Diane's Digitals.

Notes:

The Red-eared Slider is a subspecies of the Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans).

Other turtle species in British Columbia include two sea turtles, Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and the Western Pond Turtle (now extirpated in BC, view a distribution map). Snapping Turtles were introduced to BC in the past but there are no recent sightings.

We also have Turtle Crabs (Cryptolithodes sitchensis) in BC! View a photo and read more on E-Fauna BC.

Reference:

Matsuda, Brent, David M. Green and Patrick T. Gregory. 2006. Amphibians and Reptiles of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum, Victoria.