“Our” Green Heron Success Story 2011
Three summers ago Rie released a juvenile Green Heron in our back channel. It had come to Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center as an orphan with no provenance. They will not self-feed in captivity so it was force fed until it got old enough to catch fish thrown to him in the hospital area. Deb Sheaffer, the vet, asked about OYC’s back channel, as a number of birds have been released in our uplands - those for whom there is no history of location (By law, if the bird's provenance is known, it must be released back into the same area). As there were no Green Herons in the area, our channel seemed like a likely spot for it. For the rest of that summer it charmed all of us by fishing from our channel tenders. The next summer it had developed full adult plumage but had gone wild, staying on the upland bank side and fishing from the overhanging willows, but it also was occasionally seen with a mate. Then this last summer a baby was born to them and we delighted in seeing it occasionally with a parent. A favorite experience was watching it one day careening up and down the channel, squawking loudly, as if saying, "Look, Mom, I have wings!" For the WCC, it really is a special story as so seldom are releases able to be tracked. And for the WCC and all of us at OYC, after all, isn't this what we at OYC are all about with our WRP and Clean Marina Program - giving wildlife a chance, putting the wild back into the wild for future generations, both theirs and ours? Our OYC story, by the way, was used in Audubon's Annual Report, which was a real thrill!
Watershed Revegetation Program (WRP) 2011
Summary
OYC has been in a partnership agreement with the City of Portland through its Watershed Revegetation Program during the past 11 years. The removal of invasive plants and the revegetation of our uplands with native trees, shrubs, and ground covers has been a tremendous success. Our uplands are now revitalized, with immeasurable benefit not only to OYC members but also to the fish and wildlife that depend on the Willamette. As we are virtually surrounded by public green spaces (Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Ross Island Wildlife Area, The Springwater Corridor Trail, etc.), we can be proud of our value to this whole natural area complex, which is some of the highest quality Willamette river floodplain habitat left in the City of Portland.
The OYC Board and the Stewardship Committee strongly supports the continued maintenance of our uplands through the 2nd WRP Maintenance Contract (January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2015) for the reasons stated above. The Committee believes that maintenance of our Uplands should be regarded in the same light as maintenance of other OYC facilities and infrastructure.
Overall WRP Maintenance Tasks Undertaken in 2011
Under the able supervision of Jim Schiller, the WRP Watershed Supervisor, he and his crew:
1. Continued maintenance on wetland, greenway and riparian areas and monitoring on a regular basis of planted and free-to-grow native species.
2. Controlled invasive species through cutting and herbicide application, particularly blackberry, ivy and clematis.
3. Contained invasive reed Canary grass by cutting to allow native grass growth, with control over long term via shading with native tree canopy and shrub control.
4. Provided regular reports to the Stewardship Committee and continued to be a joy to work with while doing superlative work in caring for our property.
Plans for 2012
1. After removing the blackberry near our ramp and further assessing this area, in December Jim added cuttings of spirea, dogwood and willow along the river’s edge and bank in the ramp area on a trial basis. He will assess the survival rate and, if good, will continue to add cuttings further along the bank, adding to the bank’s stability. He also spread some wildflower seed!
2. In February he and his crew will be adding some plantings along our gate and guest parking fence, a suggestion made by the police as a security measure. OYC will contribute to plantings as well.
3. In the spring additional cutting of blackberries and ivy will take place, along with localized canary grass, followed by spot spraying of the smaller invasives – garlic mustard and lesser calendine.
2005 Dedication of the OYC Nature Trail
2005 was a banner year. Our Nature Trail, with its 15 descriptive signs, was officially dedicated on June 28th with a "Wild Garden Party" in our Uplands, with most members of our moorage helping with the event itself. The invitations, refreshments, decorations, setup, and prizes for best floral costumes, were all handled with great flair and fun. Appreciation is due to Andi Gresh and Jim Schiller of the Watershed Revegetation Program (WRP) for coordinating their grass cutting of the Uplands with our event and for the guided walk as part of our program. Thanks to everyone for making this event such a fun summer evening!
Purple Martin Stewardship
Our Purple Martin population has not significantly recovered since we dredged. Disruption sent some of our martins elsewhere but the primary culprit continues to be climate change; the difficult weather while migrating and our late springs have taken their tolls. However, those pairs that did make our moorage their home were “tough hombres,” each pair claiming one area of gourds, with the result that 5 gourds were occupied. Other martins appeared to desire our location but were kept at bay by the feisty temperaments of our martins. Hopefully they will have mellowed with age by next summer, although all were fine providers and all 5 nests fledged. The martins thank our 5 landlords for providing housing.
2010
Our Purple Martin population did not significantly recover this year, primarily due to the difficult weather while migrating. However, those pairs that did make our moorage their home were “tough hombres,” each pair claiming one area of gourds, with the result: 6 gourds were occupied with each landlord having at least one pair. Other martins appeared to desire our location but were kept at bay by the feisty temperaments of our martins. Hopefully they will have mellowed with age by next summer, although all were fine providers and all 6 nests fledged.
2009
Due to dredging in the summer of 2008, right in the middle of the Purple Martin nesting season, our martin population was considerably down this past year. Predictably, the martins did not return in numbers to those gourds most disrupted in the earlier part of the season, when nest site fidelity would be weaker, with only two gourds occupied this summer – one of the Lakins and one of the Cushing/Shutten’s. The gourds on the Luft floating home, however, did quite well this spring as their house move had taken place later in the 2008 season when eggs were already hatched and site fidelity was strongest. Also, then Commodore Larry Walter had aided in assigning a slip with the same orientation for the 3-week temporary move so that the martins would be able to locate their nests without confusion. The 4 nests of 2008 all fledged successfully and the summer of 2009 found 7 of the 8 gourds occupied, all of which also fledged successfully.
An article detailing the above experience and titled “A Site-Fidelity Test” was written and submitted with photographs by Rie to the Purple Martin Conservation Assoc. magazine’s 2009 fall issue of Update. There has been positive feed-back to the article from several birders on the importance of this kind of behavioral observation – certainly not a scientific finding but anecdotal in nature for possible future study.
Since our numbers of nests more than doubled this past year we can be hopeful for a fuller recovery in the spring/summer of 2010. To this end Glenn Luft has gradually been adding porches to our OYC gourds in an attempt to make our OYC nesting site more attractive.
2008
This spring started inauspiciously. Up and down the Willamette River Valley the word had spread: only half the purple martin population had survived the 5,000-mile migration from Brazil, victims of the harsh winter and spring weather. And now our local survivors faced an additional hazard - dredging of our moorage. Many of the gourds on pilings did not fare well; the disruption was too great, with only the survival of a few nests on the Lakin and Swanson pilings; the Brannan gourds were visited often, but left unoccupied. Those on the Cushing/Schutten decks also did not fare well due to the installation of new decking as well as being moved early in the season before nesting was well established. Still, they did fledge one nest even under these adverse conditions.
In the case of the Luft home, with poles directly on the decks, these martins faced an additional challenge right in the middle of their nesting cycle - an orientation change. All available literature on the martins stresses how "site-specific" they are, exhibiting site fidelity year after year, and the importance of maintaining the same orientation in gourd opening at all times so that the martins are able to locate their particular nest. Confusion can result in nest and site abandonment. But what exactly does "site-specific" mean –directional, based on north, south, etc., or does orientation to the landscape and surrounding buildings play a part? We were about to find out.
There were 2 pairs of nesting martins on each of the decks; half of the 8 gourds had nestlings. The first to move was 500' downriver, tied for most of one day to the log boom where the gourds were 90 degrees off their original orientation. The first martin to arrive in this new location is one we've named Padrone, now in his third season. Part bully, part guardian and nonstop provider, he is the arbiter of his 4 gourds. With a large grasshopper in his bill, he landed without hesitation on the gourd porch that now offered his original orientation even though at a different level, looked inside, found it empty, looked again, and finally started scouting out the other gourds. Each of our 4 pairs followed suit. Although they all eventually found their own nests, each food delivery began with the same confusion, which lasted throughout the day. So preliminarily it does look like the directional takes a precedence; certainly not a scientific finding but anecdotal in nature for possible future study.
The second move late that afternoon was 900' upriver into a slip with the original orientation. Despite the noise and presence of a huge tug, many of the martins actually stayed with the floating home during that move, which was interesting as well. Once relocated they took to their new home of nearly 3 weeks. The third and final move was back to the original location, 400' downriver. All four nests subsequently fledged without incident and two weeks later the skies were empty of their wing and song - until next spring and hopefully milder weather.
2007
Our moorage continues to support 22 purple martin nesting gourds and one nest box, with 5 households as landlords. Of the 23, 17 were occupied by martins, an increase of 2 nests over last year. Of the 6 nests that were monitored on a weekly basis, there was a fledge rate of 24 young. Based on this average of 4 fledglings per nest, OYC purple martin stewardship is responsible for approximately 68 new martins! Although not endangered, purple martins are considered “of special interest” and will continue to need our help in supplying habitat for the remarkable creatures.
2005
One of the gourds was outfitted with mini-cam hooked up to a television – our very own reality show! As soon as the eggs hatched, the adults began feeding partially masticated dragonflies to the young until they were three days old. After that each hatchling was able to handle whole dragonflies, with the adult tapping on the dragonfly every few seconds in order to activate the young's swallowing reflex. The average time to acceptance of a dragonfly until it was completely swallowed: 10-15 seconds! It truly was an astounding sight to see such a tiny, uncoordinated, sightless, featherless creature ingesting a dragonfly larger than itself in length.
Purple martins are richly colored, acrobatic and graceful in the air, feisty and territorial, intricately and beautifully melodic and incredibly hard workers from the time the nest is begun until the hatchlings are ready for migration. It is sheer joy to be a witness to their successes; the way they face their adversities instills admiration and awe. OYC and all of our landlords can be proud of their part in supplying habitat for these incredible creatures that will continue to need our help in order to survive.
Wood Duck Stewardship
2011
This year we again had at least 3 nesting pairs, one with a brood of 15 ducklings! Our nest box program is instrumental in the significant recovery of these magnificent ducks.
2010
This year we again had at least 4 nesting pairs, several with broods of nine ducklings. Our nest box program is instrumental in the significant recovery of these magnificent ducks.
2009
This year we again had at least 4 nesting pairs, several with large broods. Our nest box program is instrumental in the significant recovery of these magnificent ducks.
2008
This year we again had at least 4 nesting pairs, several with 7-9 young. Our nest box program is instrumental in the survival and significant recovery of these magnificent ducks.
Yard Bird List
For those of you interested, the OYC “Yard” Bird List increased by 4 this year (2 of which are really unusual for this area) for a total of 101 species found either in our front “yard” – Holgate Channel – or our back “yard” – the inner channel, uplands, boat yard and entrance road. The full listing is attached.
For those interested, click the “OYC Yard PDF” to see the SPECIES SEEN list.