74 THE BLUE JAY Vol. XX, No. 2

Hazards Faced by Colonial Birds by C. Stuart Houston,

Photo by H. Dommasch. California Gull, a few hours old.

I have been quite impressed by the cormorants and gulls that I have special difficulties faced by colonial visited. birds, as I have visited them for Last Mountain Lake was tradition¬ banding purposes in the past ten ally one of the best-known nesting years, from flood conditions through sites of colonial birds. Here the late to drought. Their nesting habitat re¬ Reuben Lloyd of Davidson banded quirements are very specialized, for n^any cormorants in the late 1920’s they require islands on large lakes. and 1930’s. Here Fred Bard made his They are very vulnerable to the outstanding movie, “The Pelicans of changing water levels which fluctuate Last Mountain”—and I understand between wide extremes on the prai¬ from Fred that pelicans nested regu¬ ries. Since they cannot tolerate much larly at the north end of the lake, human visitation, their choice of nest¬ opposite Imperial Beach, up to and ing sites is becoming more restricted. including 1952. Thompson, referring to the White Pelican, said in 1932 that Saskatche¬ My first visit to the north end of wan presented “the most favorable Last Mountain Lake was in 1953. The conditions of any region within its lake rose several feet during the breeding range”; yet even here they latter half of June, flooding the usual appear in a somewhat precarious nesting sites, and the pelicans did not position. nest at all that year. Some cormorants belatedly attempted to nest at a new It might be of interest to record site twenty miles south on the west the changing status of some of the shore, opposite Penzance, where on colonies of pelicans, June 26 there were 25 nests with June, 1962 THE BLUE JAY 75 eggs, 11 nests with live young and 5 dead young gulls were found on the with dead young. On August 1, the island. However, a roughly equal water level was up a further ten number of healthy-looking young inches and most of that island was gulls had survived. Two days prev¬ submerged — but there were 35 new iously, on the evening of June 21st, cormorant nests with eggs on the there had been a sudden downpour highest ground! of 1 y4" of rain and it is presumed In 1954, the cormorants had two that half the young gulls had in some successful colonies: the one begun the way perished as a result of this. This previous year on the west shore op¬ gull colony was predominately Cali- posite Penzance, where I banded 85 fornias, with only a few Ring-bills. young on July 19; the other, on the There were about 200 young pelicans east shore across from Imperial and over 150 young cormorants, ap¬ Beach, where 71 were banded on parently thriving. July 24. Fifteen pelicans were banded On June 27, 1961, water levels were at the latter location (a rather poor down greatly and only a narrow success from the 28 nests there on channel of shallow muddy water sep¬ June 23) and this was the last known arated the island from the mainland. successful nesting of pelicans on the About 200 young cormorants and 100 lake. young pelicans were present, but In 1955, the cormorant colony east there were no active gull nests. At the of Penzance was thriving, though west end of the island was a rather the island used previously was com¬ small group of dead downy gulls, pletely under water. The birds had obviously dead for weeks. Mr. James, moved a half mile north and a bit the neighboring rancher, informed us west to a new island — the highest that a hail storm had occurred on part of what for years had been a June 4. We also speculated whether cultivated field. The 90 nests present skunks or weasels might have crossed on; June 20 produced 144 young to the shallow water to destroy the gulls band on July 16. without molesting the larger pelicans In 1956, water levels were dropping and cormorants. again and by the middle of July the Quill Lake was visited by John F. 1955 nesting site was separated from Ferry in July, 1910. He found 750 to the mainland only by a grassy area 1000 young pelicans and nearly 300 with water a few inches deep. Al¬ young cormorants on an island at the though readily accessible to mamma¬ south end of Big Quill Lake. Many lian predators from the mainland, adult birds were seen flying in the 181 young cormorants were banded. direction of Last Mountain Lake each In 1957, the site of the 1955 and evening and Ferry believed they were 1956 colonies was again dry land. The feeding there. J. A. M. Patrick of gulls, which had nested near the cor¬ visited this colony in the morants each year, moved back to 1920’s and Fred Bradshaw of the their 1954 site. Only eight cormorant Museum visited an island off the west nests were present on June 24. shore of Big Quill in 1931 and re¬ ported 2000 adult pelicans and over In 1958, there were again about 500 1000 young. gull nests (95 per cent Ring-billed During the Second World War, the and 5 per cent California), but only were used as a bombing five cormorant nests. practice range for planes based on the No cormorant nests could be nearby Dafoe air station. The peli¬ located on Last Mountain Lake in cans and cormorants deserted the lake 1960 or 1961. at this time. It is not certain when Crana Lake was visited by Steve these colonies were re-established, Mann on May 18, 1958, when an is¬ but I believe their increasing size land near the south shore contained may have been coincident with the 256 pelican nests, 87 cormorant nests, decreasing size of the colonies at Last 428 gull nests and 58 Common Tern Mountain Lake. nests. In 1956, I visited an island in the When Steve Mann took me to this western end of Little Quill Lake island for the first time on June 23, (actually the connection between the 1960, we found a lather desolate sight two Quill Lakes, sometimes called —the bodies of nearly 1000 recently “Middle Quill” or “Muddy Lake”). 76 THE BLUE JAY Vol. XX, No. 2

Here there was a small colony of ants when I visited it in July 1956. Ring-billed Gulls together with 52 The conservation officer informed me young cormorants and 19 young peli¬ that local ranchers were in the habit cans. of taking boatloads of eggs from these In 1957, this colony was larger, colonies to feed their mink, ration¬ with 70 young cormorants and 100 alizing that the fish-eating birds were young pelicans. A mile to the south, harmful to the fishing interests on the on a narrow-necked peninsula (re¬ lake. Since then, new roads and new cently an island) was an apparently resorts have been built, the major new colony of at least 220 young resort being just opposite the island pelicans. I visited. I understand that the colony has decreased in size. In 1958, both of these areas were deserted due to falling water levels, Redberry Lake, where 150 to 200 and another colony with 160 young young pelicans are raised yearly, may pelicans was located on an island at soon be in danger owing to the in¬ the south end of Little Quill Lake, creasing use of the lake as a resort. six miles north of Mozart. Seven The only “safe” lake in southern Great Blue Heron nests were located Saskatchewan, with a good-sized is¬ in low trees, six to ten feet high, be¬ land, rarely visited by humans, is side the colony. The farmer nearby Old Wives Lake. Further north, Suggi said that the pelicans had been nest¬ Lake (northwest of Cumberland ing there since about 1955. House) and Lavalee Lake (at the north end of Prince Albert National In 1959, this area too became part Park) are still relatively unmolested. of the mainland. No pelican colonies' were located in 1959 or 1960, but it With better roads, bigger boats and was presumed that they were some¬ motors, and an increasing number of where on Big Quill. people visiting all of these lakes in recent years, one can visualize an In 1961, water levels of the Quill increasing problem in years to come. Lakes deteriorated drastically — so Already it appears that no portion of that the shoreline of the northeast Last Mountain Lake is remote enough corner of Big Quill receded one mile to allow pelicans and cormorants to and “Middle Quill” dried up entirely. nest successfully. It is not unusual to A survey on foot of the likeliest por¬ find recently empty beer bottles in tion of Big Quill — the northeast the middle of a gull colony, offering corner — was unsuccessful and in evidence of recent disruptive visits desperation on July 5th I chartered by boaters. a light plane to fly me over the Quill Lakes to locate the nesting site of the Pelicans and cormorants particu¬ pelicans. One flock of 30 pelicans larly cannot tolerate human molesta¬ were seen in flight, but a careful tion. A short exposure to the midday search of the entire shoreline showed sun will kill a small naked cormorant that all previous islands with vege¬ or pelican. When the pelicans are tation were now part of the mainland. frightened from their nests, the bra¬ The new low islands that had ap¬ zen California Gull takes advantages peared were too low and offered no of this opportunity to break open and cover. Obviously no pelicans or cor¬ suck the pelican eggs. Eggs may be morants nested on the Quill Lakes in rolled from their nests by the hasty 1961. flight of the parents. Manito Lake, south of , Young pelicans when frightened had 300 nesting pairs of pelicans collect in groups called “pods” and when J. A. Munro visited it in June the weaker ones may easily be tramp¬ 1921. According to Bradshaw, they led to death. left this lake during the drought years We cannot keep people from these of 1930 or 1931. lakes, but we should work for laws preventing people from setting foot S. R. Belcher and I boated around on colonial islands in the nesting this large saline lake on June 25, season. It would be difficult to en¬ 1958 and could find no evidence of force, but I would like to see boats colonial birds nesting. prohibited from waters within half a Dore Lake had over 100 young mile of such islands. The hour is al¬ pelicans and over 500 young cormor¬ ready late — but the picturesque June, 1962 THE BLUE JAY 77

Photo by Fred G. Bard. Colony of pelicans and cormorants at Old Wives Lake. 1960.

pelican is too unique a feature of the mer nesting sites in settled Saskat¬ summer landscape to be allowed to chewan. disappear. The following resolution was sub¬ LITERATURE CITED mitted to the Saskatchewan Depart¬ FERRY, JOHN F. 1910. Birds observed in Sask¬ atchewan, summer of 1909. Auk, 27:185- ment of Natural Resources and the 204. Canadian Wildlife Service: MUNRO, J. A. 1929. Manito Lake—description of lake and bird life. Can. Field-Nat. 43: Because pelicans, cormorants, gulls 100-103. and terns are birds of very limited THOMPSON, BEN H. 1932. History and pre¬ habitat, with specific nesting require- sent status of the breedina colonies of the White Pelican. Occas. Paper #1, National mnets, be it resolved that the islands Park Service, U.S. Dept. Interior. of Redberry Lake and the waters within half a mile of the islands be PROTECTION URGED FOR preserved unmolested as a wildlife COLONIAL BIRDS ON sanctuary. REDBERRY LAKE In reply, the Honourable A. G. Kuziak, Minister of Natural Re¬ At a meeting of the Saskatoon sources, told the Society that his Natural History Society on January department plans no recreation de¬ 18, 1962 a resolution was drafted velopment for Redberry Lake in the urging protection of colonial birds on immediate future. Should such devel¬ Redberry Lake. Learning of plans to opment take place at a later date, Mr. turn Redberry Lake into a resort, the Kiuziak assured the Society, “you Society was particularly concerned may be certain that my department lest nesting sites of pelicans, cormor¬ will be most concerned that the ants, gulls and terns on the islands faunal life of the lake be safeguarded in the lake be destroyed. Even though against disturbance and destruction the lake is a wildlife sanctuary, holi- of habitat.” dayers are likely to visit the islands While encouraged to learn that the during the nesting season, unaware Recreation Branch will not initiate that even a short visit sometimes re¬ development without considering the sults in the deaths of hundreds of needs of colonial birds, the Society is young birds. The pelican in particular still concerned about private plans has been deprived of most of its for¬ for development of the lake.