Duck Lake, Creston Valley WMA (CVWMA)
- Lake name:
- Duck Lake, Creston Valley WMA (CVWMA)
- Location:
- British Columbia
- Latitude:
- 49.228811
- Longitude:
- -116.635142
- Surface area (km2):
- 6.1
- Primary emergent vegetation:
- Typha
- Primary vegetation for nesting:
- Typha Myriophylum Cattail reed canary grass bulrush
- Management agency:
- Environment Canada; Ministry of Forests Lands; Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development of British Columbia; International Joint Commission
- Region associations:
- Kootenay River; Kootenay Lake; Leach Lake; Creston Valley WMA (CVWMA)
- Comments:
- Duck Lake is the main lake of CVWMA and is part of a complex of lakes, ponds, marshes and interconnecting dykes and channels.
Summary of Surveys (8)
Survey Citation:
Forbes, L. S. 1988. Western grebe nesting in British Columbia. The Murrelet. 28-33.
-
Type
shore; boat -
Time period
1968, 1983 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | presumably >100 | 1981 |
| Most Recent Adults | 101 to 500 | presumably >100 | 1981 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 75 | 1981 |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | 75 | 1981 |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 62 | 1982 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 1 to 100 | 45 | 1983 |
Comments:
Forbes surveyed for grebes and nests May through August 1981 to 1983 but also sourced historical data from Fyle and Teeple unpubl. ms., Rodgers 1973, and British Columbia Nest Records Scheme for Table 1. He entered colony once in 1981 and twice each 1982 and 1983. In 1982, 0.79 productivity considered normal levels. In 1983, first record of Clark's grebe breeding in B.C. Eggs were collected and tested for some contaminants in 1982 and deemed to not be a problem.
Survey Citation:
Forbes, L. S. 1985. Extra-pair feeding in western grebes. Wilson Bulletin. 97:122-123.
-
Type
shore -
Time period
8 May 1983, 14 August 1983 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 | 1983 |
| Most Recent Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 | 1983 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Forbes observed three incidents of extra-pair feeding of young while observing 75 pairs in 1983.
Survey Citation:
Ydenberg, R. C., and Forbes, L. S. 1988. Diving and foraging in the western grebe. Ornis Scandinavica. 19: 129-133.
-
Type
shore -
Time period
Spring 1982, summer 1983 -
Source
Peer-reviewed -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 230 | 1982, 1983 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | ? | 1983 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
This is a study on diving and foraging of Western grebes at this lake. There were 230 observable individuals on the lake, of which 180 (90 pairs) were breeding on the lake and observed foraging for their broods. No other details or data besides dive time.
Survey Citation:
TWO CITATIONS: First one cites the second one. British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks. 1998. Resources Inventory Branch, & Resources Inventory Committee (Canada). Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force. Inventory methods for colonial-nesting freshwater birds : eared grebe, red-necked grebe, western grebe, american white pelican, and great blue heron (Version 2.0, Ser. Standards for components of british columbia's biodiversity, no. 8). Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks, Resources Inventory Branch for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force, Resources Inventory Committee. ALSO: Campbell, R. W., Dawe, N. K., McTaggart-Cowan, I., Cooper, J., Kaiser, G. W., McNall, M., & Campbell, R. W. C. W. S. 1992. Nonpasserines : Introduction, loons through waterfowl. UBC Press.
-
Time period
1968, 1987 -
Source
Book -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 100 | 1987 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 100 | 1987 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 90 | 1982 |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | 90 | 1982 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Campbell et al. (1992) is the source data for Table 1 (location and maximum counts of nesting colonies in British Columbia, Canada) of the B.C. Ministry of Environment manual. Campbell et al. (1992) sources are from Forbes (1984) and Anonymous (1987).
Survey Citation:
Campbell, W.R., F.J.E. Hillary and L.M. Van Damme. 2009. Clark's Grebe. Wildlife Data Centre -featured species. Wildlife Afield. Vol. 6 (1). 105 pp.
-
Type
shore -
Time period
1983, 2009 -
Source
Species account -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 2 | 1998 |
| Most Recent Adults | 0 | 0 | 2009 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | presence | 1998, 2000, 2008 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 2009 |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 1(C), 1(H) | 1983 (H), 2000 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 0 | 0 | 2009 |
Comments:
Species profile on Clark's grebes at their two known breeding locations in B.C. Very infrequent breeder at Duck Lake (2 breeding records) and rare summer visitor. Anecdotal accounts per year show very few numbers and includes a hybrid chick in 1983. In 2000, one Clark's chick was being fed by red-necked grebe pair.
Survey Citation:
Blood, D. A., and F. Backhouse. 1999. Western grebe, low breeding numbers and threats to their nesting colonies put these birds at risk. Wildlife at risk in British Columbia. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
-
Time period
N/A -
Source
Brochure -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 110 | 1990s |
| Most Recent Adults | 101 to 500 | 110 | 1990s |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
One of 3 existing colonies as of publication year. At CVWMA, 55 pairs breeding there in "recent years" (assuming the 1990s based on publication year). Began nesting there in the 1960s.
Survey Citation:
Burger, A. E. 1997. Status of the Western Grebe in British Columbia. Wildlife Working Report WR-87, Wildlife Branch, Ministry of the Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
-
Type
air -
Time period
1981 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 200 | 1968 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 80-117 | 1990s |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 75-90 | 1981-1983 |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | 20-30 | 1995 |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 1-3 | 1990-1991 |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | ? | 1991 |
Comments:
Grebes started to nest there in the 1960s after diking, water level regulation, and emergent vegetation enhancement (Forbes 1984, Butler et al. 1986). Combined Table 2 (only 1 year of data - 1981) and narrative with incomplete survey data for this entry. Sources are BCNRS (B. C. Nest Record Scheme of the Royal B. C. Museum), Rodgers (1973), Forbes (1984), CVWMA unpubl. reports, and unpubl. data from S. Boyd, A.E. Burger, S. Cannings, and B. Stushnoff. 96% of the grebes are on Duck Lake while 2 % are on Leach Lake, 1% on Kootenay Lake, and 1% on other smaller lakes of the CVWMA complex. Infestation of milfoil weed limits open water for foraging. Considered the most protected nesting sites in B.C. due to the Creston Valley Wildlife Act. Western grebe research was high priority for the CVWMA but the federal government withdrew funding and no work continued on the grebes since 1990. The cause(s) of low breeding success of grebes remains unknown.
Survey Citation:
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. 2023. Unpublished datta.
-
Type
shore -
Time period
1968, 13 July 2022 -
Source
Database -
Both Western and Clarks?
Y
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 254 | 2004 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 12 | 2022 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 48 | 1978 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 2022 |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 22 | 2012 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 0 | 0 | 2022 |
Comments:
Database forwarded from Marc-Andre Beaucher, Head of Conservation Programs, Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA) includes Western grebe survey data from 1968 to 2022 of Duck Lake, Kootenay Lake, Leach Lake and CVWMA in general. Surveys from 1968 through 2003 are limited in survey data and are once or twice during the breeding season. Surveys from 2004 through 2022 have more details and are more frequent throughout the breeding season, ranging from once to weekly or almost regularly depending on the year. Some surveys extended beyond the breeding range so data culled for this inventory is restricted to approximately mid-May through August. Survey comments often stated that nests and chicks were not mentioned unless there were count numbers for those. If surveys were conducted mid to late breeding season, I assumed nests and chicks were surveyed for but not found if those columns were zero. Conversely, zero for an adult count number at a lake did not necessarily signify zero adults were found. Refer to time surveyed per lake in a given year to see if that lake was surveyed at all, or in the survey dates of that year. Maximum count numbers for that breeding season for that lake was used for this summary.
Sources of Information
- Forbes, L. S. 1988. Western grebe nesting in British Columbia. The Murrelet. 28-33; British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks. 1998. Resources Inventory Branch, & Resources Inventory Committee (Canada). Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force. Inventory methods for colonial-nesting freshwater birds : eared grebe, red-necked grebe, western grebe, american white pelican, and great blue heron (Version 2.0, Ser. Standards for components of british columbia's biodiversity, no. 8). Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks, Resources Inventory Branch for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force, Resources Inventory Committee.; Campbell, R. W., Dawe, N. K., McTaggart-Cowan, I., Cooper, J., Kaiser, G. W., McNall, M., & Campbell, R. W. C. W. S. 1992. Nonpasserines : Introduction, loons through waterfowl. UBC Press., Campbell, W.R., F.J.E. Hillary and L.M. Van Damme. 2009. Clark's Grebe. Wildlife Data Centre -featured species. Wildlife Afield. Vol. 6 (1). 105 pp.
- British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks. 1998. Resources Inventory Branch, &
- Resources Inventory Committee (Canada). Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force. Inventory methods for colonial-nesting freshwater birds : eared grebe, red-necked grebe, western grebe, american white pelican, and great blue heron (Version 2.0, Ser. Standards for components of british columbia's biodiversity, no. 8). Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks, Resources Inventory Branch for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force, Resources Inventory Committee.
- Campbell, R. W., Dawe, N. K., McTaggart-Cowan, I., Cooper, J., Kaiser, G. W., McNall, M., & Campbell, R. W. C. W. S. 1992. Nonpasserines : Introduction, loons through waterfowl. UBC Press., Campbell, W.R., F.J.E. Hillary and L.M. Van Damme. 2009. Clark's Grebe. Wildlife Data Centre -featured species. Wildlife Afield. Vol. 6 (1). 105 pp.
- Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA) Trails and Maps
- Duck Lake Contour Map
- Duck Lake and Leach Lake Orthophoto Overview
- About Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA)
- Creston Flats Environmental History 1883 to 2014