Ernie the Elk Roams Again?

Blog readers from the Treasure Valley probably know the story of "Ernie the Elk," a large bull elk that--for reasons known only to him--decided to live among a herd of cattle along the Boise Greenbelt.

Ernie became a popular attraction along the Greenbelt. For two years, he lived among the cattle.

Last fall, he returned to the foothills, where a hunter allegedly shot him. This set off a fury of letters and controversy in the Idaho Statesman.

Tonight, as I jogged along the Greenbelt, I thought I saw a ghost. A very large bull elk suddenly bolted into cover as I ran.

Has Ernie returned? Has another bull elk taken his place? Was this just a random elk passing through?

Of course, we'll never know for sure. Perhaps more important than the individual elk, though, is the fact that we live in a state where such wildlife sightings are still possible.

Running along the Greenbelt in Idaho's largest city, I've seen river otters and beavers and long-tailed weasels and mule deer. Herds of pronghorn and elk roam the foothills.

Farther afield, there are bighorns and grizzlies, even caribou.

You never know what you might see when you go out for a hike or jog.

It's one of the important reasons why we live here. But as more people call Idaho home, we have to find a way to conserve wildlife habitat, so that future generations can still marvel at bull elk on their jogs.

As for "Ernie"? I won't reveal exactly where I saw him, for reasons that should be obvious. But if you're along the Greenbelt this weekend, look carefully. There's a bull elk out there. --Matt Miller

Back Underground

Take a walk during the spring or early summer in many parts of southern Idaho and you'll see ground squirrels scurrying around.

And then, around this time of year, they disappear.

Where do ground squirrels go?

Much is made of Punxsutawney Phil's emergence each year; the groundhog's emergence from a den is viewed as a sign of spring. But, in warm areas (like southern Idaho), ground-dwelling rodents return to their dormancy--not when it gets too cold, but when it gets too hot.

Hibernation and torpor are ways of conserving energy. Finding food and staying warm in the winter requires a lot of calories: more than most ground-dwelling squirrels can muster.

Staying cool also takes a lot of energy.

For several species of Idaho ground squirrels, that means they are above ground for very short periods of time.

For instance, take the Columbia ground squirrels so common around Silver Creek. They emerge in mid- to late-April. And then, in early July, they return to their burrows for a very long dormancy. Sometimes they reemerge for a short period in the autumn. Other times they don't re-emerge until April.

It boggles our human notions of time to imagine a species that is dormant for 8 or more months each year of its life.

Yellow-bellied marmots in the cool Idaho Rockies will remain active through the fall. In southern Idaho, many go into dormancy beginning in July.

Idaho is home to 19 species of the squirrel family--9 ground squirrels, 5 chipmunks, 2 marmots, 2 native tree squirrels and 1 non-native squirrel. One of them, the aptly named Idaho ground squirrel, is only found in this state. To most, a "ground squirrel is a ground squirrel," but they can be fascinating animals to observe.

In fact, this spring I hosted two mammal watchers who traveled to Idaho (one from France) specifically to see different species of ground squirrels. Mammal watching may not be as popular as birding, but its enthusiasts are just as as passionate.

Take some time to check out the ground squirrels. But go now, because many will soon be back underground, hibernating for another eight months.

Photos: (Top to bottom) Columbia ground squirrel, Silver Creek; Idaho ground squirrel, Emmett; Piute ground squirrel, Snake River Birds of Prey area. Photos are by my friend Jon Hall, who has seen more wild mammals around the world than anyone. See his web site Mammal Watching for trip reports and stories from wildlife travels around the globe.

Flight of the Nighthawk

Peent, peent: It's summer, and the nighthawks fly overhead.

During the day, the common nighthawk blends in on the ground or tree branches where it rests. Come evening, these interesting birds put on one of the best aerial displays around.

For some reason, I think they look a bit like boomerangs as they glide over rivers, ponds, city parks and even downtowns.

As they fly, they gobble up mosquitoes, caddis flies and other insects.

Common nighthawks spend the summer in Idaho before migrating to South America for the winter. They are common and adaptable birds, but even they depend on a wide range of protected habitat on a migration stretching over two continents.

At dusk, they're quite easy to spot overhead, and even easier to hear. Their nasal peent carries well. (Listen).

We've all experienced those sounds or songs that transport us back to another time in our lives. For me, every time I hear the call of the nighthawk, I travel back to Penn State, where I worked for several years as a writer and editor at the performing arts center.

It's a muggy Pennsylvania summer evening: I'm tired after a day of deadlines and copy editing. Something stops me as I walk across the now quiet and deserted campus. There: overhead, nighthawks circle around Old Main, catching moths and other insects drawn to the lights.

Those pressing deadlines and publications and edits will wait, and in the last evening light there are only those birds, and their calls. Peent, peent. -- Matt Miller

Photo by Gavin Keefe Schaefer under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Electro-fishing

Recalling his first fishing trip to Silver Creek, Jack Hemingway wrote "I suspected there was something going on that I simply didn't understand"--a sentiment familiar to many anglers.

Spring creeks like Silver Creek are complex ecosystems. Even a careful observer can only hope to catch an incomplete glimpse of what's really happening.

That's why monitoring and research are such an important part of the Silver Creek conservation program. Spring creeks are not well studied. But at Silver Creek, a substantial monitoring program supplies biologists with a more complete picture.

From birds to vegetation, from water temperatures to flow rates, monitoring programs regularly assess the state of the creek.Beginning in 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has monitored fish populations in Silver Creek every three years.

This year, USGS biologists, with assistance from the Idaho Department of Fish & Game and Conservancy interns and volunteers, are electro-shocking sections of the creek to conduct their survey. Electro-shocking sends an electric current through the water which stuns any nearby fish. Volunteers net the fish, which are then delivered to live wells.

Fish species are recorded, and each fish is then weighed and measured, before being carefully released back to the stream. Anglers and conservationists are always very interested to know the ratio of rainbow trout to brown trout. There has been some evidence that brown trout, a Eurasian species, have slowly been taking over as the dominant species.

During Monday's electro-shocking, biologists were surprised at the large number of healthy rainbow trout. But it's far too early to guess what the monitoring studies will find.Trout aren't the only focus of this study; biologists also record the presence of dace, sculpin and the other small fish species that often escape notice. USGS biologists are also recording large invertebrates as part of the monitoring survey.

These smaller species are an integral part of the Silver Creek ecosystem--and serve as indicators as far as water quality and the overall health of the creek.

The electro-shocking will continue through July. In early autumn, the Conservancy will receive the results of this year's monitoring. We'll post the information here, so check back for the most current information on Silver Creek's fish.

Camas Bloom

Nature Conservancy volunteer Ken Miracle sent these photos from his recent outing to the Camas Prairie and Centennial Marsh, located along Highway 20 near Fairfield.

The camas are in full bloom now, cloaking wet meadows in light blue. These beautiful meadows were also appreciated by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804; Meriwether Lewis described said one such meadow “resembles lakes of fine clear water.”

But the camas was more than a pretty flower for Lewis and Clark. They learned from American Indian tribes why camas bulbs were an important staple.

The bulbs were roasted in earthen ovens, and dried into cakes that could be eaten throughout the winter. Some tribes even cultivated camas. You can still ocassionally sample camas today, often at events like Camas Lily Days in Fairfield. A great place to check out the camas bloom is the Centennial Marsh, an area The Nature Conservancy helped protect that is today a wildlife management area owned by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

The Centennial Marsh is also a fantastic place for birding, especially during moist years. The marsh and surrounding areas contain large numbers of nesting waterfowl, shorebirds, sandhill cranes and raptors.

Ken Miracle photographed the avocet (above) and northern shoveler (below) last weekend.

The flowers are peaking, so check out the Camas Prairie this weekend for a "birds and blooms" outing.

Silver Creek Fishing Report, June 14

Submitted by Dayna Gross, Silver Creek Preserve manager

This spring weather has really given us a run for our money at Silver Creek. The usual pale morning dun (PMD) hatches are happening--- but throughout the day and seemingly at random. I saw an enormous PMD hatch (size 16-18) on upper Silver Creek (upstream of the visitor center) around five o’clock last night.

Other reports have the hatch happening around 10:30 or 11:00 am.

Baetis (size 20-22) appear throughout the day.

The word at the visitor center is that the brown drakes started last night. There was a thick hatch at the Picabo bridge about 10:30 p.m. and there were a few sparse flies near point of rocks.

I met up with the US Geologic Survey today, who just happened to be doing macroinvertebrate surveys at the the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's willows access and they said the creek was loaded with brown drakes.

I suppose that may be considered inside information, but when it comes to the brown drakes—take what you can get. Tonight may be the night!!

Waiting for Brown Drake, 2010

The brown drake hatch on Silver Creek is simply spectacular: It's the one time of the year when the fishing does not require micro-thin leaders, tiny flies and perfect casting. It's a great natural spectacle, with the large mayflies bringing so many trout to the surface it looks as if the water is boiling.

But the hatch is also notoriously hard to predict.

The past two years, I found myself at Silver Creek during the first week of June. Both times, I held high hopes of once again experiencing the brown drake hatch. And both years, I missed it.

As of today, the drakes haven't started yet. Maybe tonight? Or next week? It wouldn't hurt to check. Admittedly, you're likely to spend your evening not fishing, but waiting for brown drake. Still, there are worse ways to spend an evening.

Conservation Easement Protects Grizzly Habitat, Rural Economy

The above photo of grizzly bears was taken by Idaho Department of Fish and Game via a "camera trap," just south of the Canada border.

This photo was taken on a property, Boundary Creek, owned by Forest Capital Partners, a private forest management company. Bears and other wildlife use this property to move from the Selkirk to the Cabinet-Yaak mountains.

The Nature Conservancy very excited to announce that this property will be protected--for bears and for the rural community--by a conservation easement. The forest will continue to be logged, with conservation measures in place to ensure the bears are not disturbed when they're in the area.

This property is a spectacular place, a place where the wild things still roam, and where the rural economy is still sustained by the forest. This conservation easement ensures it stays that way.

Learn more about the conservation easement.

June 2, 2010: Silver Creek Fishing Report

New this year, Idaho Nature Notes will feature regular Silver Creek fishing reports by our preserve manager Dayna Gross. Check our blog before heading out on your next trip.

This is opening week at Silver Creek Preserve!

We have had some spring weather which makes fishing challenging because of the wind, rain, overcast skies, and generally poor visibility.

It has been quite cold, but many spring hatches happen with warming temperatures throughout the day. This week we have seen a light pale morning dun hatch around 10:30 a.m. or later (size 14 and 18), when it starts to warm up.

With overcast skies, you can count on baetis, also known as blue-winged olives (size 22 or so) throughout the day. There is a super small tan midge all day long and pheasant tail nymphs are also bringing in fish.

Stories of large rainbows and browns caught on woolly buggers (brown and black) are making their way upstream from the Purdy’s RR Ranch. On the preserve, woolly buggers are also sure to generate some action and are a good back up if it appears there is no hatch activity.

Angler traffic has been steady on the preserve but quiets down around 4 pm. Word is out that brown drakes will be coming in 2-5 days…! But you know how that goes...

--Dayna Gross

Opener

There may have still been a chill in the air on Saturday, but at Silver Creek, it was still a nice day for fishing, and an even nicer day for a barbecue.

A large crowd hung around the visitor center, enjoying hot dogs and hamburgers, telling fish stories and learning a bit more about the Silver Creek enhancement plan. After the quiet spring days, it's always nice to have so many friendly faces back on the preserve.

Did you miss the opening day barbecue? Don't worry: There's still plenty of opportunity to have fun at Silver Creek this summer.

Free natural history walks are offered every Saturday, all summer long, from 9:30-11:00.

The visitor center is open daily from 8:30- 1:30 through October 31. Stop by and say hi!

We always welcome volunteers, for the day or week or hour. Please call 208-788-7910 for the latest opportunities. This year we especially need volunteers in June for fish monitoring.

To keep informed of the latest happenings on the preserve, become a Friend of Silver Creek by donating to our conservaiton work. You'll receive an annual sticker, patch, and a deal on a special “Friends” hat. We will host a thank-you fall barbeque for all Friends -- stay tuned for the date. Donate today.

Opening Day Festivities

This Saturday is the opening day of fishing season at Silver Creek.

Enjoy some fishing and celebrate with our staff and volunteers with an opening day barbecue, beginning at 12:30 pm at the visitor center.

It's free.

Staff will be sharing information on the Silver Creek enhancement plan, an effort to improve fish and wildlife habitat over the entire watershed.

We hope to see you on the preserve!

And check Idaho Nature Notes frequently this summer. New this year, we'll be posting regular fishing reports, with information on the hatches and what's working best on the creek.

Tanagers and Orioles

It's a great time of year to see two of Idaho's most colorful birds: the Western tanager and Bullock's oriole.

These beautiful species are quite common, if you know where to look.

The Western tanager (above) prefers forested habitat, although you may also see them in brushy habitat along streams. This species is found farther north than most tanagers, which are most associated with tropical environments. I find them to be one of the most striking birds, particulary when they have bright red facial markings.

Interestingly, according to the Cornell Lab or Ornithology, the tanagers don't manufacture this red pigment. Instead, they acquire it from their diet--from insects that ingest it from plants.

The Bullock's oriole (below) thrives amongst streamside vegetation. For instance, look for them in the willows at Silver Creek Preserve. The Idaho Birding Blog has some excellent information (and photos) on orioles around Boise, where they're also quite common.

Both of these colorful birds eat insects and fruits. You can attract them to your backyard by hanging or impaling old apples near your bird feeder. If orioles or tanagers are around, they'll find the fruit.
Photos: Western tanager by nature's pic's licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Bullock's Oriole by Kevin Cole licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Volunteer Opportunities

Would you like to help protect some of Idaho's most special places? Here are some upcoming volunteer opportunities that may be of interest.

At Silver Creek Preserve this summer, staff and partners will monitor fish, insects and habitat. We need volunteers to help especially with the fish shocking, collecting and recording.

The shocking will take place on June 15 and 16; we need four or five volunteers. The week of June 21 and 28, we will help the Idaho Department of Fish and Game with their mark and recapture study—so we will be shocking at night. Please call the Silver Creek Office at 208-788-7910 if you are interested in helping.

Silver Creek has an active volunteer program. Check our volunteer page for the latest information, or call the office if you would like to bring a group to help.

This Saturday, Thousand Springs State Park hosts a work day.Thousand Springs State Park staff and volunteers will dust off winter at Ritter Island: work will entail dusting off artifacts in the historic barns and preparing Ritter Island to open for the summer. Opening is slated for May 29.

Work begins at 10 am. Dress to work and bring rags and cleaning supplies. To get there (from the west): Take the second Wendell exit, turn left to 1500 and then follow the signs to Ritter Island.

If you have questions – please contact Debbie Dane of South Idaho Tourism or Dave Landrum, Manager of Thousand Springs State Park.

Leapin' Lizards

With southern Idaho finally experiencing warmer temperatures, lizards have become quite visible. You might catch a glimpse of one scurrying across a trail, or sunning itself on a rock.

Ten lizard species live in Idaho. With the exception of the northern alligator lizard--which prefers cool, moist forests--all thrive in arid, sagebrush-covered habitat.

You'll most commonly encounter the Western fence lizard (pictured above), with a mottled brown back and blue belly. They can be seen on rocky slopes, around abandoned buildings, and yes, on fence posts.

Their propensity to sun themselves render them vulnerable to predators like raptors, which is why they've evolved lightning-fast reflexes--a trait familiar to anyone who has tried to catch one.

At this time of year, males fiercely defend their territory (a whopping .01 acre). Soon females will lay a brood of ten eggs.

Fence lizards also possess a nice quality that benefits humanity: They reduce Lyme disease. When ticks feed on lizards, a protein in the lizard's blood kills the bacteria that cause the disease. In areas with large lizard populations, less people are infected with Lyme disease.

But do lizards face an uncertain future? A recent study, published in the journal Science, suggests many lizard species may be seriously threatened by climate change.

The study in Mexico found that when faced with a warming climate, lizards spend less time hunting and more time in the shade. This weakens their condition and leads to a population reduction.

The scientists who authored the article also wrote an editorial, in which they state "extinctions are not only in the future, but are happening now." Hopefully studies like this inspire conservationists to take action--for lizards and other species that are an important part of Idaho.

Floating Silver Creek

The Sun Valley Families blog features a nice post on another activity to enjoy at The Nature Conservancy's Silver Creek Preserve this spring: kayaking.

Silver Creek is a great place to explore by canoe or kayak. For an angler, it can be an illuminating (and humbling) experience: Schools of fish dart under the canoe; big trout lurk in the shadows.

You'll surely see waterfowl, herons, marsh wrens and many other birds. If you're lucky, you may see a mink or a moose.

If you're planning to float the creek, now is a great time to do it, because the stream is not yet open to fishing (the season opener is May 29).

You can still float the creek during fishing season, but please respect anglers: Stay quiet, don't splash the water and float behind anglers when you pass. Also, be sure to sign in at the visitor center.

We hope to see you on the preserve, and enjoy your float!

Photo by Giuseppe Saitta.

Idaho's Top Five Migrations

It's spring, and that means the animals of the world are in motion again — flying, swimming, running and crawling to their summer homes and breeding grounds.

Idaho has some of the most dramatic wildlife migrations on the continent.

To celebrate, here's our list of our state's top five "must see" migrations. How many have you seen?

Geese in the Long Grass

For wildlife, restoring an area to native plants is like creating a Field of Dreams: "build it, and they will come."

That's certainly been the case at the 45 Ranch, located deep in the Owyhee Canyonlands.

Two years ago, co-owners Charles Conn and Dennis Fitzpatrick worked with The Nature Conservancy and other partners to restore wetlands and native plants to the ranch.

The restoration project allowed the Owyhee river, which flows through the property. to behave more like a wild river--including moving from its channel and periodically flooding.

The owners replaced an irrigated field with native plants like Great Basin wild rye. Already wildlife like sage grouse and bighorn sheep use this area.

Perhaps surprisingly, geese like the long grass, too. It provides perfect cover for nesting. Look closely in the photo above: you can see a nest tucked into the base of the wild rye.

In the years to come, it will be interesting to see what other wildlife nests, hides, feeds, hunts or rests in this restored oasis in the desert

Silver Creek Birding Report

Blog reader Robert Mortensen has a great trip report for Silver Creek Preserve on his Idaho Birding Blog.

He visited en route to Carey (as part of a successful trip to see the hooded crane), and found many interesting species. Birding has become increasingly popular at the preserve, and spring is an excellent time to visit.

I'm glad this blog is encouraging folks to visit the preserve. If you have written trip reports or blog posts about our preserves, please send them and I'd be happy to link. (And if you're looking for trip ideas, check out our Idaho public access guide).

By the way, the Idaho Birding Blog is an excellent resource, with birder interviews, book reviews, trip reports, great photographs and more.

Boat Inspection Stations Open

The above photo is of a rope encrusted with quagga mussels, a non-native species that is spreading across the country.

These invasive mussels coat everything from boats to power turbines. They destroy wildlife habitat and cost millions to control.

We don't want them in Idaho. That's why boat inspection stations are so important in making sure our state stays "mussel free." The following press release from the Idaho Department of Agriculture provides the latest on boat inspection stations. In short, if you are boating this summer in Idaho, expect to be inspected.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced Monday that mandatory watercraft inspection stations will begin opening in Idaho on Tuesday, April 27.

The first stations to open in the state will be near the intersection of Hwy. 51 and Hwy. 78 near Bruneau and on Hwy. 95 near Marsing. A station at U.S. 93, just north of the Nevada state line, will open on Saturday, May 1. Additional stations will be opening statewide throughout the boating season. The stations will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., seven days a week.

Boaters should expect inspections! The purpose of these stations is to inspect watercraft coming from outside of Idaho. Watercraft inspectors will be looking for high-risk boats that have been in quagga mussel- and zebra mussel-impacted states. Boats will be inspected for any attached mussels and/or standing water. Owners also will be asked where they have boated in the previous 30 days. It is important that boaters arrive in Idaho with a clean, drained and dry watercraft.

Idaho’s inspection program underscores the importance of preventing these mussels from becoming established in Idaho,” said Agriculture Director Celia Gould. “If introduced, these mussels could impact Idaho’s waterbodies and recreation and likely impose a heavy maintenance burden on irrigated agriculture, power generation and water suppliers.”

ISDA urges all boaters to take the following steps to prevent the introduction of the mussels to Idaho:

--Inspect all exposed surfaces - small mussels feel like sandpaper to the touch.

--Wash the hull thoroughly, preferably with hot water.

--Remove all plant and animal material.

--Drain all water and dry all areas.

--Drain and dry the lower outboard unit.

--Clean and dry all live wells.

--Empty and dry any buckets.

--Dispose of all bait in the trash.

--Wait five days and keep watercraft dry between launches into different fresh waters.

For more information contact Amy Ferriter at 208-332-8686 or email at amy.ferriter@agri.idaho.gov

Rare Bird Alert: Hooded Crane Spotted Near Carey

Avid birders: If you're looking for a weekend outing in Idaho, you may want to head to Carey to add a new bird to your life list.

Last week, a group of Blaine County birders including regular Silver Creek volunteers Poo Wright-Pulliam and Jean Seymour spotted a hooded crane--native to Siberia and Japan--at the Carey Lake Wildlife Management Area.

There are only a handful of records of the species being sighted in North America.

Sandhill cranes nest in southcentral Idaho and are quite easy to see at this time of year. The hooded crane appears to be living with the sandhills.

I am sure many birders will be around Carey this weekend. It's a beautiful time of year in southcentral Idaho. Even if you don't see the crane, there is excellent birding at Silver Creek and on the Camas Prairie.

Read the full story in the Idaho Mountain Express.

Photo by Kathleen Cameron.