Swan Lake
- Lake name:
- Swan Lake
- Location:
- British Columbia
- Latitude:
- 50.163305
- Longitude:
- -120.192598
- Primary emergent vegetation:
- Scirpus
- Primary vegetation for nesting:
- Scirpus Typha Ranunculus Leinna Spirogyra round-stem bulrush (Scirpus acutus)
- Management agency:
- Crown; private; Indian Reserve; Nature Trust of British Columbia; British Columbia Parks
- Region associations:
- Okanagan Lake; Swan Lake Park
- Comments:
- There are a few Swan Lakes in British Columbia. This one is near Okanagan Lake and Vernon. Not much information on this lake.
Summary of Surveys (8)
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 | 1 to 100 | ~80 | 1950-1966 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | ? | 1966 |
| 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:
Not a survey but some historical data. Swan Lake considered abandoned, no nesting since 1992. Did support about 40 pairs nesting between 1950 to 1966.
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.
-
Time period
1933, 1994 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 85 | 1950 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 6 | 1994 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 17 | 1950 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 1994 |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 2 | 1933 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 1 to 100 | 2 | 1990 |
Comments:
Considered a lake with historically regular breeding until 1966 but then rare. A brood of 2 chicks observed in 1990 was the only breeding recorded since 1966. Summer population numbers declined from the 1950s and numbers average 15 in the 1990s. Combined Table 2 and Table 6 (June through August numbers only, not including increases in August due to possible migration stopover) data with incomplete survey data. Survey years from 1933 to 1994 with some skipped years. Sources are BCNRS (B. C. Nest Record Scheme of the Royal B. C. Museum), Nest Records Cards of the Royal B. C. Museum, Munro (1954), Forbes (1984), Cannings et al. (1987), and unpublished data from S. Boyd, A.E. Burger, Ducks Unlimited (Kamloops) and C. Siddle. Munro (1954) entries match source: David A. Munro, Notes on Western Grebe in British Columbia, The Auk, Volume 71, Issue 3, 1 July 1954, Pages 333–335, https://doi-org.uidaho.idm.oclc.org/10.2307/4081697.
Survey Citation:
COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 55 pp. www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm
-
Time period
1970, 2011 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 60 | 1970-1990 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | ? | 2011 |
| Max Nests | 0 | 0 | 1991-2011 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 2011 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
From Table A.1, maximum counts of Western grebes (which may include non-breeding adults) at breeding lakes in B.C. from June to August (Burger 1997, Anderson et al. 2011). Stated as 20 year chunks: 1970 - 1990 and 1991 - 2011 without breaking those down into years or other details. The 6 in 1991-2011 are non-breeding adults with no estimated nor confirmed breeding. No breeding reported since 1966 except for one brood recorded in 1990.
Survey Citation:
Forbes, L. S. 1988. Western grebe nesting in British Columbia. The Murrelet. 28-33.
-
Time period
1933, 1966 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 1950 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 1966 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 17 | 1950 |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | 1 | 1966 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Forbes sourced historical data from British Columbia Nest Records Scheme and Munro 1954 for Table 1.
Survey Citation:
Munro, D. A. 1954. Notes on western grebe in British Columbia, The Auk. 1 July 1954; 71(3):333–335.
-
Time period
7 June 1950, 7 June 1951 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 85 | 1950 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 75 | 1951 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | 17 | 1950 |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | 17 | 1950 |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 1 | 1933, 1951 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 1 to 100 | 1 | 1933, 1951 |
Comments:
David and J.A. Munro were observers. In 1951, they did not do a search of nests but found one nest and one chick. Cites that chicks were observed in 1933 but no details nor numbers (J.A. Munro, Condor, 37:178, 1935). First nesting observed in July 1933 mentioned in Munro (1941) as well. Citation: Munro, J.A. 1941. Studies in Waterfowl in British Columbia: the grebes. B.C. Prov. Mus. Occas. Pap. No. 3. 71pp.
Survey Citation:
Stirling, D. 1962. Another western grebe colony
in British Columbia. Murrelet 43:3.
-
Time period
1962 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Max Nests | 0 | 0 | 1962 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 1962 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Observations in 1962 by J. Grant via letter, very general.
Survey Citation:
Munro, J. A., and I. McTaggart-Cowan. 1947. A review of the bird fauna of British Columbia. British Columbia Provincial Museum, Department of Education. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
-
Time period
17 July 1933 -
Source
Book (species account) -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 1933 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 1933 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | 1 | 1933 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 1 to 100 | 1 | 1933 |
Comments:
A large downy chick was observed, no other information.
Survey Citation:
Woods, John. 2023. Unpublished data. Personal communications. Cites Munro and Cowan 1947.
-
Time period
1962, after 1962 -
Source
Personal communication -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 1962 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 1962 |
| Max Nests | 0 | 0 | after 1962 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | after 1962 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
In an email from John Woods (2023), cites Munro and Cowan (1947) that Western grebes were only nesting at Williams Lake and Swan Lake in B.C. historically, at least in 1962 for Swan Lake but possibly no longer.
Sources of Information
- Swan Lake Park
- Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB)
- Forbes. 1988. Western grebe nesting in British Columbia. The Murrelet. 28-33
- David A. Munro, Notes on Western Grebe in British Columbia, The Auk, Volume 71, Issue 3, 1 July 1954, Pages 333–335, https://doi-org.uidaho.idm.oclc.org/10.2307/4081697.