Squamish Environment Society

2011 Squamish River IBA Report ~ Chris Dale

Concerns in the Squamish IBA this year are the same as for the last few years. The number of people using the Squamish Estuary for recreation is putting more pressure on the area. The number of wind-surfers, dog walkers and illegal campers along the Squamish River dike has increased the the traffic through the estuary section of the IBA. Most dog walkers are respectful and are aware that the area is a wildlife management area but some insist on not only letting, but encouraging their dogs to run off-leash and chase birds.

Just recently I learned that there is a proposal to allow hunting back in the Squamish Estuary. Proponents are using data from the monthly bird census to argue that the Canada Goose population is increasing since the ban was imposed but if you look at the data it shows no trend that I can see with some months having high numbers and other months having low numbers. The number of geese reported in the estuary is skewed a bit since one of the areas counted includes the school grounds in the Dentville area where on any single day a large number of geese can be found while in the estuary grasslands on the same day the numbers may be low. If the hunters are intending to shoot ducks, the Mallards are the only species which have consistently healthy numbers while the rest of the species of ducks are very sparse. Because of the poor salmon runs lately the number of some species such as Goldeneyes, Bufflehead and Mergansers have been dropping off in the last few years.

Birds of interest in the Squamish River IBA

Bald Eagles

Once again, as in the last few years, the Chum Salmon run was almost non existent resulting in another poor showing of Bald Eagles and ducks that are usually drawn to the area to feast on the salmon carcasses and eggs. Instead of the normal 1200 to 2500 Eagles that usually are along the banks of the Squamish River during December and January there were only 655 eagles counted on the Annual Eagle Count making it the fourth year that the count has not been above 1000 birds.

Diving Ducks

There a noticeable lack of diving ducks such as Surf Scoters, Goldeneyes, Mergansers and Bufflehead in the Squamish River probably also probably caused by the lack of Chum Salmon in the rivers. The only noticeable increase in the number of diving ducks throughout the last few years happens in February and March when the herring spawn occurs. The local stream keepers have been wrapping the creosote pilings under the deep-sea docks with landscape fabric to prevent the creosote from poisoning the herring roe and there has been encouraging returns in the number of herring so hopefully this will cause more diving ducks to return as well.

Peregrine Falcons

At least one young falcon was seen with the adult Peregrine Falcons this Summer so there must still be a successful nest somewhere on the Squamish Chief.

Trumpeter Swans

Very few Trumpeter Swans were seen during the year with only 2 seen in one of the sloughs along the Squamish River during the Spring and only a few small flocks seen during the Fall migration. Years ago there were usually small flocks of swans that would winter over in the estuary or back waters of the Squamish River. For the last few years only 2 to 4 swans are seen sporadically and not for any extended period.

American Dippers

The spawning channel along the Mamquam River near the Squamish Valley Golf Course is usually a good location to find American Dippers during the winter. On a three kilometre walk along the channels I sometimes can count up to 15 dippers some years but, because of the lack of salmon this year I have only seen 1 or 2 on my walks.

The Squamish Oceanfront Development Area ( The Former Nexen Lands )

The Nexen Lands located near the central section of the estuary is the former site of a chemical plant and now is a popular place for walkers and bikers and is slated for some form of light industrial or residential development in the future. The land was originally grassland and mud flats but was filled to make land for the FMC chemical plant which opened in 1965. Alder trees have now re-established a narrow band of greenery along the shore of Cattermole Slough which is one the old channels that runs though the estuary. The thin band of woods is good habitat for Chickadees and Warblers during the Summer and is an area that Long-eared Owl and a Great Horned Owl have been seen a few times. A lot of the Nexen Lands is open gravel with sparse trees and is an nesting area for Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper. The land also has a couple of acres of swamp where Red-wing Blackbirds, Towhees and Song Sparrows nest. Over the years it was suspected that Green Herons were breeding in the Squamish Area but this year it was confirmed when a pair of herons raised three young along the Cattermole Slough in the Squamish Estuary. The nest was probably located in the swampy area of the Nexen Lands and the adults were seen feeding the young along the adjacent Cattermole Slough during June and July.

Owls

Although I have not heard of any confirmed nest sites for owls in the area there were numerous sighting of Barred Owls with young. On one bike trip through the estuary I found an injured young Barred Owl with a broken wing. I took it down to O.W.L. in Delta but unfortunately did not survive.

Great Horned Owls and Northern-pygmy Owls are seen regularly in the Squamish IBA throughout the year and this year fellow caretaker John Buchanan located a Northern Saw-whet Owl. John was filming a Pileated Woodpecker and while I was watching the video I could hear the owl calling faintly in the background. These owls are heard in the upper Squamish River during the winter but are not seen or heard very often in the estuary so, the next morning I went to the location and confirmed a calling Northern Saw-whet Owl.

Each year I do a Nocturnal Owl Survey in the upper reaches of the Squamish River past the boundaries of the IBA. This year I heard only 2 Northern Saw-wet Owls and 1 Barred Owl on the survey night.

Birds of interest in 2011 seen in the Squamish River IBA

Besides the 2 adult and 3 young Green Herons there were a number of unusual bird sightings in the Squamish River IBA. These birds have been seen before in the Squamish area but only sporadically.

Long-eared Owl 1 seen along the Sea Grass Trail and 1 in the Nexen Lands
Horned Lark 1 seen along the Squamish River training dike
Lewis Woodpecker 1 seen in the estuary and 1 seen near Harris Slough
Whimbrel 1 seen in the estuary marshes
Long-billed Curlew 1 seen in the estuary marshes
Say’s Phoebe 1 seen in the estuary marshes
Western Kingbird 2 seen in the estuary marshes
Eastern Kingbird 1 seen in the estuary marshes
Snow Bunting 1 seen along the training dike and 1 seen in the Nexen Lands
Swamp Sparrow 1 seen in the estuary in January and 1 seen in December
Bohemian Waxwing 2 seen in Dentville
Cassin’s Finch 1 seen in the estuary and 1 seen along the river in Brackendale
Lazuli Bunting 1 seen in Brackendale