Reflecting on wildlife...>This may run long!

[chain2]

I have been in the same rural area all my life [43] and on my own quarter for 14 of those years. As a boy I enjoyed viewing all critters and birds on a daily basis and still do today.
These are a few things I can see that have changed in my life so far. Please feel free to note simularities or the contrary.

Whitetails are the success story here...mules where yarded commonly in good number but now only a couple known pockets hold them and wt's live there too.

Secondly, the ravens...never saw any till you drove west 1hr. Now daily residents here. With that, I noticed a lack of magpies which where very common when I was a boy. 10 cents a pair I'd starve to make a buck today.
Crows are down in numbers too. Ravens are nest raiders for sure.
Weasle tracks were in the snow on all fencelines but now rarely do I find them. Coyotes the good numbers.
Song birds numbers way down from when I was a boy!
but the real "no shows" here are the garder snakes, I have never seen one here since I bought the place. Also the Toads are gone! we use to have them in the garden but none now. I have seen both snakes and toads in surrounding areas but not many. I'm not just saying 25 steps from my house a general area of 20 miles or about.
Now turkey vultures are occasional sites.
Bald eagle numbers in spring and fall are way up...use to be notable to see one, now common and expected.
I'm gonna leave with that... Anyone care to reflect their observations?
Armchair Biologists welcome..

The one key thing I believe is the stripping of bush and fencelines.
This safe zone was nesting / wintering and protection. Then we took on a drought state of several years and stands of timber are dry and deadfall. Even the best of sloughs from my childhood are under culivation now. Sloughs are a haven for almost every spieces mentioned above.
I can see thru most bushs around that I never could have before but there is healthy new growth coming back undrneath....so time will heal?

...chain

[Copidosoma]

Habitat loss and alterations affect everything.

What you may notice is likely a real thing (maybe some natural cycles where things are down temporarily). Humans by their very presence (and especially at the densities and intensities we are at now) cause disturbance. What you are seeing is just other populations adapting to it and reaching a new equilibrium.

As far as time healing things.

I think it is unlikely. One of the problems is that alot of your memories (values more like) are not going to be passed on (unchanged at least). I'll bet your grandpa had a very different view of the area than you do. This will become "situation normal" for the current generation (those who actually bother to look out the window). Eventually they may exclaim how common the turkey vultures are when they used to be rather rare 20 years ago...

I can remember fishing in alot of lakes as a kid. If we didn't catch a decent pike/walleye in about 20 minutes we'd move on to a better spot (usually not far away). Anyone want to tell me how many lakes you can catch a decent fish (7 or 8 lb. pike) every 20 minutes? Maybe it is still the same. I doubt it tough.

Sometimes it is unfortunate that humans are so adaptable. We'll get used to the new reality just fine. The weasels, mule deer etc. will have a tougher time of it though.

Just my opinion.

[thumper]

Good subject Chain,

Over the past 30 years in our area of the mountains (Canmore), we've seen 'spring peeper' frogs disappear completely. Used to be quite the chorus every spring at ice-out - but not anymore, even though the small wetland behind my house remains the same. We used to find the odd wood frog as well, but haven't seen one of those for over 10 years now.

As the sewage plants in Lake Loouise, Banff and Canmore have all improved tremendously, there's not as much nutrients in the Bow River- so less weed growth, and consequently less bugs. This has negatively affected fish populations and there's less American Dippers too (at one time Canmore had the highest known population of Dippers in North America). Harelquin Ducks, which also rely on bugs and nymphs found in flowing water, seem to holding tehir own. Still lots of top predators like Bald Eagles and Ospreys as well.

I've noticed that our raven population has increased as well, and magpies dropped somewhat. More wolves, cougars and grizzlies, less black bears and coyotes. And far fewer snowshoe hares. We also haven't seen a ruffed grouse 'high cycle' in over 15 years now.

[chain2]

copi-agreed, I guess we look at change in terms of our own lifetime. You are correct bout grandpa too. His goal was to unearth every stone-fight off trees- just keep the damn plow in the ground. His goals where met with hard toil. Mountains and slough bottoms = pure wasteland.
I believe if we see a high water table ever again mother nature will take back alot of ground. Many towns and private homes are built without this thought of elevation.
Thanx for your reply.

Thumper- I hear ya. I haven't seen a dipper for a least 5 years. going to go looking this May. Do you see Harliquins around Canmore?. Malign River is best as far as I know? I do have a good population of wood frogs and the smaller chorus frogs. I was surprised last year the slough, which had been dry for several years, had unearth frogs again. Small pleasures at night with the window open. Lots of wolves on the Bow...just filmed 5 wolves / 4x4 mulie kill down there month ago. Lots of Roughlegs on the move today, The wind is right!
Thank you for your reply.

chain

[roger]

sallymanders are seemingly a rarer site too,, and moose in zone 222 were rare to non existant in the 80's and now a season exists
a dont forgot those 4 antelope just south of ponoka on the four lane a few years back

[ironkid96]

elk on the block there is even a bow season.
friend said he has seen a ton of moose in the patricia/jenner area along the river

151 has taken a big hit on all deer with the cwd cull...sad
less rattle snakes along the bow it seems

[thumper]

Chain2

Yes we see Harlequins frequently on the Bow around Canmore, and also from Castle Junction right up to Bow Lake. There's on spot where they sit on the rocks in the middle of the fast water that you can usually see them right from Highway 1Next time you're in Jasper, if the Maligne River outlet at Maligne Lake doesn't have the usual bunch, check out the Sunwapta River for Harlequins - just down stream from the last waterfall at Sunwapta Falls.

And you can still find dippers near Canmore along the Bow - there just doesn't seem to be the winter concentration there used to be in years past. If you're looking in May - follow your ears! They have a terrific spring mating song.

[Copidosoma]

copi-agreed, I guess we look at change in terms of our own lifetime. You are correct bout grandpa too. His goal was to unearth every stone-fight off trees- just keep the damn plow in the ground. His goals where met with hard toil. Mountains and slough bottoms = pure wasteland.
I believe if we see a high water table ever again mother nature will take back alot of ground. Many towns and private homes are built without this thought of elevation.
Thanx for your reply.

chain

Actually, as good of a point as that is, it isn't even what I was getting at (maybe a better point than mine though). A few generations ago the wildlife populations would have been alot different than they are now. If Grandpa had time to stop and take a look around he would have probably seen bigger, healthier populations of alot of things than we'd see now. Probably wouldn't have been to hard to pull a pile of fish out of the local lake or see moose walking around everywhere (ok. not everywhere but you know what I mean).

It would have seemed quite normal to have the richness (one sort of richness) that existed at that time and maybe would have been a bit disturbing to see the losses that would have occurred as he got older. Of course, that is where you start out as a kid and the "degraded" system is all that your reality ever had so it is "normal".

I can't really imagine this province the way it was 80 or 100 years ago. So I can't really attach much of a value to that sort of thing (it is an idea of sorts but not very attainable). The older generations would probably be a bit disappointed with our values and I have no doubt we will be a bit disappointed with the values of future generations. It really is an unfortunate thing how constant degradation becomes normalized. But, like I said, we are awfully adaptable creatures. We'll go on saying to each other along the way, "isn't progress great?"

Sermon over.
Everyone go get out there and appreciate what is left.;)

[nekred]

Our memories and observations are very subjective. Something may bring our attention to something and we observe something we never observed before, not that it was not there, just it was unnoticed.

Wildlife and habitat is always in a state of flux. There are succession patterns and natural ebb and flows.

This is why it is very hard to do a good wildlife study. There are so many variables and it is easy to be subjective.

here is an example!..... It is magic.... from now on whenever you see the time you will notice that it is 11 minutes after the hour more often.

Because I put this in your mind to watch for you will see it more often!....

It is not because it was never there before or because you look at the clock more often.....Believe me this is a simple case of how subjective we really are!.... Our success depends on looking for trends and tendencies and that is the way our brains are wired...

Once again you will see it is xx:11 for time way more often!....

Same thing with vehicles... I never noticed how many Liberties were on highway until I had one!....!

[thumper]

Granted the habitat of some species has taken a kicking in the past few decades - but some game animals are doing very well.

Deer for instance - both mulies and whitetails have been knocked down some from very recent hard winters, but overall, the last decade has probably been the best ever in numbers and quality.

Moose seem to be expanding their range into the prairies every year. I can now get drawn every 2nd or 3rd year and do day trips for moose within 2 hours of Calgary! I've yet to be skunked on them!

Pheasants last year were terrific - maybe not as high as the late 70s - but the best Ive seen in 20 years. Ducks are doing well and there's so many geese, their becoming a nuisance in some places!

No shortage of bears, wolves or coyotes either.
I think a lot of us will look back at this period as 'the good old days".

[winged1]

Certainly have noticed the lack of leopard frogs and pintails.

[willy]

elk on the block there is even a bow season.
friend said he has seen a ton of moose in the patricia/jenner area along the river

151 has taken a big hit on all deer with the cwd cull...sad
less rattle snakes along the bow it seems

Rattlers on the bow? Where at fished the bow below bassano for 25yrs yet to see one a few bullsnake around tho.

[Bushrat]

Yup it's not that long ago some of our grandparents will remember seeing the first whitetails in these parts and theres scads of them now.

[chain2]

I never noticed how many Liberties were on highway until I had one!....!

HaHa, I know what your talkin bout there! The QE2 is like stirred up red antpile any more, even at 2am, it's a string of lights. My dad said he didn't need high beam headlights on his new truck - cause he never gets to use 'em in Ab. anymore..lol
But if thats the case with garter snakes, I watch the road, while cutting hay ect. all the time -shouldn't I be seeing more cause I'm "lookin" for them?
I believe ditch and feild sprays are taking untold tolls on critters.
I've never saw a leopard frog in AB. yet but I know of a hole full of them in Sask.
Pintails are down here too!

opp..Gotta run here TTYL
chain

[ironkid96]

Rattlers on the bow? Where at fished the bow below bassano for 25yrs yet to see one a few bullsnake around tho.

as you get east of rainier towards rolling hills/hays

[Copidosoma]

Our memories and observations are very subjective. Something may bring our attention to something and we observe something we never observed before, not that it was not there, just it was unnoticed.

Wildlife and habitat is always in a state of flux. There are succession patterns and natural ebb and flows.

This is why it is very hard to do a good wildlife study. There are so many variables and it is easy to be subjective.

here is an example!..... It is magic.... from now on whenever you see the time you will notice that it is 11 minutes after the hour more often.

Because I put this in your mind to watch for you will see it more often!....

It is not because it was never there before or because you look at the clock more often.....Believe me this is a simple case of how subjective we really are!.... Our success depends on looking for trends and tendencies and that is the way our brains are wired...

Once again you will see it is xx:11 for time way more often!....

Same thing with vehicles... I never noticed how many Liberties were on highway until I had one!....!

But of course the problem is that many people either don't look or they look at one thing that they happen to be interested in and end up assuming that everything is just fine and that anyone who complains is just fear mongering.
:wave:

[TheClash]

used to have scads of frogs and snakes in the ditches in front of my parents house. now you never hear them croaking...well almost never. i did hear some last summer and was pretty happy at hearing them.

[chain2]

Where was I now?

anyway... it seems a lil weird to leave the farm and go to town/city to see more mulies, skunks,pigeons,magpies and jackrabbits...I musta been a bad landlord to 'em.
just what I noticed...
anyway
...chain