June 23 - Welcome to Mitlenatch Island, aka Glaucous-winged City. Mitlenatch is the home of the largest Glaucous-winged Gull nesting site in the Strait of Georgia and the second largest seabird nesting colony in the strait. Okay, some of you are confused because most of the literature say Mitlenatch is the largest, but I found a reference that it's the second largest. Obviously, I would like some clarification on this topic. My preliminary guess is that the strait extends up to Triangle Island, and hence Triangle is numero uno!
There's nothing like starting a new journal with a little controversy. Maybe it's a good exercise for us to do a little research about our own geography and learn a bit more about seabird nesting areas. Anyway, before I get side-tracked too far, I finally visited Mitlenatch on June 18. A chance meeting in Campbell River last year with an old high school classmate, Ralph Weckstrom (crcruisingcharters.com), set the stage for my trip. During our meeting Ralph mentioned that he had a boat and did tours to Mitlenatch and other marine destinations in the strait. Why else would I have met Ralph after 49 years other than to facilitate a trip to Mitlenatch?
Apparently, Mittlenatch has several meanings depending on which native interpretation you choose. One is "It seems further away" which is exactly what happens as you think you are nearing the island. Another is "calm waters" and a third is "meeting place" as it is close to where the tides from the north and south island meet. The last two concepts may be related as the confluence of the tides could produce the calm waters. I don't know if it gets further away, but it is about 20 km from Campbell River, 4 km from Cortez Island, and 9 km from Lund which is on the Powell River side.
Mitlenatch is in a rain shadow and gets half the rainfall as nearby Campbell River. The semi-arid climate is responsible for the dry conditions and some of the interesting flora on the island.
The structure at the top of the photo is the only bird viewing blind on the island. Despite the advertisement of more than one viewing blind in some reports, I believe there is only one blind. Besides the lone blind, there are only two short trails available for public use - the one to the blind and one that crosses a narrow part of the island from Camp Bay to Northwest Bay. Public access is restricted to the trails which severely limits the receational and educational opportunities of the island. While scientists might argue that this is necessary for the sanctity of the nesting birds, there is probably little harm in designing and producing minimally invasive walking trails to provide a few more educational viewpoints of the flora and avifauna. There may come a time when the public is asked for financial or political support, and they are more apt to support something that they have seen and recognized as a significant natural treasure. Ironically, those who would argue against this see no invasiveness in having scientists intruding on nesting sites and nests to band and conduct other studies on the same birds. Another point to consider is the tolerance level and resiliency of the birds. It would be great to be able to flash back a few decades to see how the birds coexisted with shepherds and sheep when the island was used as a pasture.
While I'm on the topic, I was thoroughly impressed with the conservation strategies at Haystack Rock on the Oregon coast. Haystack is an even more significant seabird nesting site than Mitlenatch. If it were in B.C. I bet they wouldn't allow people within a mile of it, but in Oregon, they allow people to approach right up to the base of the rock. Their strategy is education. They have a conservation awareness program probably staffed by volunteers and viewing scopes to educate visitors about the nesting seabirds - conservation by public education and inclusion, not conservation by public restriction and exclusion. As I have said many times, people can only care about, love, and support things that they know about.
Seabirds aren't the only inhabitants of Mitlenatch. Where there are rocks, there are seals and maybe a sealion or two.
Staking its claim as a seabird is the Great Blue Heron on the left of the rock. There was also a sea-loving crow at the top of the rock (black spot).
If you're wondering where all your local Glaucous-winged Gulls are, the answer is Mitlenatch. A not-too-recent publication indicated that 8.4% of Canada's GW Gulls nest there.
The Glaucous-wingeds seemed to be very tolerant and undisturbed by our presence. Several stood nonchalantly within 6 meters of us while one sat on her nest only a meter from the blind. She was sitting on three eggs. There was a patch of dried grass and a possible nest right in the blind, and I would concede that if there were any gulls thinking of nesting there, they may have changed their minds based on the occasional human traffic. However, I doubt if anyone would have used the blind if they saw a nesting gull there.
There were many gulls nesting close by, and none of them left their nest except for the one right in front of the blind. She wasn't disturbed too long as we were there for less than five minutes.
There were a few Black Oystercatchers present, but I think their population is quite small at Mitlenatch.
Here's the Great Blue Heron that was pretending to be a Mitlenatch seabird.
With the abundance of birds it wasn't surprising to see a few Bald Eagles on the island.
Pigeon Guillemots were the third most abundant birds on the island. It was estimated that 1% of the Canadian population calls Mitlenatch home.
Pelagic Cormorants are the second most abundant birds on the island. 7.4% of the national population resides on Mitlenatch.
Many wildflowers were in bloom. Brilliant blankets of golden stonecrop illuminated much of the basaltic rock.
It was not surprising to find coastal prickly pear at Mitlenatch. I've also seen the prickly pear on Hornby Island and the Nanoose Peninsula.
Thanks to an assist from Janna Leslie of Nanramata, I believe this is an entire-leaved gumweed.
This one looked like an onion because it is an onion. It's a nodding onion.
I'm going by a photo posted by Robin Robinson for this one. I'll call it a fool's onion for now.
I've called these tiger lilies since I was a toddler, but David Routledge informed me thay are also known as Columbia lilies.
I was surprised to see fireweed in bloom. I generally consider it as a fall flower.
Here's another one that Janna helped me identify. It's a harvest brodiaea.
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Bird Droppings
1. Just noticed on the web that the WORLD SEABIRD CONFERENCE is scheduled for Sept. 2010 in Victoria. I don't think any of us will be invited, but I'm sure there will be a few interesting headlines from the discussions. Kudos to Victoria for attracting such a prestigious conference.
2.Just talked to a friend who was in Terrace in May. He took a drive to Kincolith and as soon as he arrived, the BLACK VULTURE swooped right in front of the car. The Black Vulture has been in Kincolith since the fall, and it is amazing that it survived the winter and is still around. Apparently, it has been quite the celebrity with visitors regularly arriving to enjoy close looks at the wayward Coragyps altratus. Anyone feel like taking a drive?
3. If you're seeing fewer YELLOW-BILLED LOONS in recent years, so are the US Fish & Wildlife Officials. They are now in the process of putting it on their endangered birds list.
4. BIRD OF THE MONTH for Vancouver Island has to be the female Lark Bunting reported by Mike McGrenere on June 20. Mike and his wife discovered the bird at the Botanical Beach parking lot. Remember last year it was the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in the same area. I've always thought that the birds seen and reported are just the tip of the iceberg for the avian species that visit our island. Honorable mentions for BOM was the Chestnut-sided Warbler banded on June 14 at Rocky Point, and the Arctic Loon reported to Joanne Mackenzie on June 8 by her daughter at Kanish Bay on Quadra Island.
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Bird Poster
My posters are on display at: Victoria - Swan Lake Nature House; Nanoose Bay - Credit Union; Courtenay - Graham's Jewellers
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