Manitoba Conservation Data Centre Surveys and Stewardship Activities, 2013 Manitoba Conservation Data Centre Colin Murray Report No. 2014-01 Manitoba Conservation Data Centre Box 24, 200 Saulteaux Crescent Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 3W3 www.manitoba.ca/conservation/cdc Recommended Citation: Murray, C. 2014. Manitoba Conservation Data Centre Surveys and Stewardship Activities, 2013. Report No. 2014-01. Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. v+41 pp. Images: Unless otherwise noted, all images are ©Manitoba Conservation Data Centre. Cover image: View of the Assiniboine River and Beaver Creek valleys looking south from a top the valley plateau. Inset is a White Flower Moth (Schinia bimatris) at rest. Photographed at Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Manitoba Conservation Data Centre Surveys and Stewardship Activities, 2013 By Colin Murray Manitoba Conservation Data Centre Wildlife Branch Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship Winnipeg, Manitoba Executive Summary In 2013, the Manitoba Conservation Data Center (MBCDC) added nearly 1,240 new occurrences to its Biodiversity Geospatial Database. This represents thousands of species at risk (SAR) observations including 27 plant and 51 animal species. Observations were gathered by MBCDC staff and also submitted to the MBCDC by individuals and other organisations. This information will further enhance our understanding of biodiversity in Manitoba and guide research, development, and educational efforts. This year MBCDC field surveys targeted 21 species which are listed under the federal Species at Risk Act, assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and listed under Manitoba’s Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act, and especially occurring in the mixed-grass prairie and sandhill areas of southwestern Manitoba. Approximately 15,840 acres (6,410 hectares) were surveyed for SAR species for all areas in Manitoba representing 124 quarter sections. In addition 23 SAR bird stops were completed at mile road intersections at locations having historic SAR bird observations. This totals an additional 94 quarter sections. Incidental SAR bird observations were also made while performing surveys for other species in other areas. Also, approximately 113 miles (181 km) of road allowances were surveyed for SAR. Skink cover boards were placed at 9 sites totalling 144 cover boards placed. Finally, approximately 24.5km of river bank was surveyed for Western Ironweed on four different rivers (Roseau, Rat, La Salle, and Red). Of note this year was the capture of White Flower Moth (Schinia bimatris), Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis), and Dusky Dune Moth (Copablepharon longipenne) which increased the aerial extent of known occurrences. White Flower Moth and Pale Yellow Dune Moth were also found in open White Spruce forest along the edge of its preferred habitat. Six new Hairy Prairie-clover (Dalea villosa) sites were found with one site containing many thousands of plants. Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus) were detected on seven quarter sections and 5 mile road segment while conducting night time surveys. Many thousands of Western Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) plants were observed along a continuous 10 km stretch of river which connects two other known occurrences. i | P a g e Acknowledgements Many other people spent time and energy to make the 2013 Manitoba Conservation Data Centre field season a success. Thanks to Chris Friesen and Nicole Firlotte from the Data Centre for their continued support through the field season and for just being good people to work with. Thank you to Base Biologist Sherry Punak-Murphy from Canadian Forces Base Shilo for navigating military procedures and regulations to allow me access to the base and also to Range Control for their professionalism and attention to safety. Thank you to Cary Hamel and Kevin Teneycke from Nature Conservancy Canada- Manitoba for inviting me to witness the very beautiful land around St.Lazare and for the use of their field house. Thank you to Cam Cathcart and the other staff at the Spruce Woods Provincial Park maintenance yard for providing the use of their ATV’s to get me and some other heavy equipment closer to the survey sites. Thank you to Allison Krause-Danielsen from Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, Western Region, for surveying Small-White Lady’s-slipper sites in the Brandon area. Thank you to Holly Peters from the Critical Wildlife Habitat Program who helped out in the field. Thank you to Ken De Smet from Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship for leading a birding survey around St. Lazare which I found most instructive. And also thank you to Andy Didiuk from Canadian Wildlife Service in Saskatchewan for helping coordinate inter-provincial toad monitoring. And thank you to Sacha and Mae for their assistance conducting one of the Ironweed canoe surveys. I’m also grateful to all those who contributed data and expertise on rare species, in particular Christian Artuso (Bird Studies Canada), Doug Collicutt (Nature North), Nicola Koper (University of Manitoba), Diana Bizecki-Robson (Manitoba Museum), Pamela Rutherford (University of Brandon), Richard Staniforth and my other colleagues from Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship who provided the support, encouragement and expertise necessary for the work reported herein. In particular I thank Jim Duncan, Bill Watkins, Jessica Elliott, Jason Kelly, Peggy Westhorpe, and Janet Moore. Dr. Richard Westwood at the University of Winnipeg continues to assist with the identification of Lepidoptera specimens which is much appreciated. Special thanks to all the landowners who granted permission to access their land for rare species surveys. Organizational partners for this work included the Critical Wildlife Habitat Program, Environment Canada (through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk), Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, Nature Conservancy of Canada, NatureServe and NatureServe Canada, and Parks Canada Agency. Funders Financial support was gratefully received from Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (HSP). Additional funding was received from Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), through an agreement with NatureServe Canada, to survey several prairie and sandhill sites in southwestern Manitoba. ii | P a g e Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................ii Introduction to the Manitoba Conservation Data Centre .............................................................. 1 2013 Surveys and Stewardship Activities ....................................................................................... 2 Small White Lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium candidum) ..................................................................... 7 Western Silvery Aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum) ..................................................................... 10 Agalinis Species (Agalinis spp.) ..................................................................................................... 12 Western Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) .................................................................................... 15 Sandhill Plants ............................................................................................................................... 18 Hairy Prairie-clover (Dalea villosa)............................................................................................ 18 Western Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis) ..................................................................... 20 Smooth Goosefoot (Chenopodium subglabrum) ..................................................................... 21 Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis) ..................................................................................... 22 Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus) ........................................................................................ 24 Prairie Butterflies and Moths ........................................................................................................ 27 Verna’s Flower Moth (Schinia verna) ....................................................................................... 27 Ottoe Skipper (Hesperia ottoe) ................................................................................................. 27 Uncas Skipper (Hesperia uncas) ................................................................................................ 28 Dakota Skipper (Hesperia dacotae) .......................................................................................... 28 Sandhill Moths .............................................................................................................................. 29 Gold-edged Gem (Schinia avemensis) ...................................................................................... 29 White Flower Moth (Schinia bimatris) ...................................................................................... 29 Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis) ................................................................... 30 Dusky Dune Moth (Copablepharon longipenne) ...................................................................... 31 Species at Risk Bird Surveys .........................................................................................................