North Park Herd Unit

North Park, Colorado is just to the south of the Snowy Range. Due to weather conditions and a dismally limited amount of planeleaf willow, we decided to complete North Park before the Snowy Range was completed. For the most part, the transects went smoothly, with much more abundant planeleaf willow than in the Snowy Range. We still ended up putting in a few unplanned sites, but were rewarded with seeing several moose during our stay, Walden, Colorado, in the center of North Park prides itself as the moose-viewing capital of Colorado. The turn of the seasons was certainly evident as the aspens were changing to a beautiful yellow-golden color and the area got its first snow, which stuck around on the peaks.

Snowy Range Herd Unit

The Snowy Range is an area within Medicine Bow National Forest, near Laramie. After arriving on a dark, rainy evening, the weather continued to be wet for several days. The result of all of this rain was that all of the willow bottoms had an additional few inches of water in them, making the transects very wet and unpleasant. Beaver dams, typically capable of holding back a river, were under three or four inches of fast-flowing water. Coupled with the rain, many of the locations didn’t have much in the way of planeleaf willow, so we were forced to put in unplanned points in better locations. Eventually, the skies cleared and the creeks receded, so we were able to finish the herd unit after completing North Park herd unit. On our final day, we awoke to rain which quickly turned to snow and sleet. It was truly a fitting parting gift from the Snowy Range.

Bighorn Herd Unit

The Bighorn Mountains are a range in north-central Wyoming, extending up to the Montana boundary. East of the Continental Divide, the Bighorn was the first herd unit where we measured a different species of willow, Salix planifolia or Planeleaf Willow. The area is so large that we split it into two halves. In the northern half around US 14, planeleaf was not especially abundant. The southern half, along US 16, had more planeleaf and the transects went quickly. We didn’t see any moose, but plenty of evidence that they were in the area. The scenery more than made up for it.

 

 

 

Uintas Herd Unit

Following our departure from Sublette County, our next stop was in the Uinta Mountains. These mountains run east-west and straddle the Utah-Wyoming state line. Camping in Utah in the Wasatch National Forest, we unwittingly found a wonderful moose spot in China Meadows.

Almost every day that we were there, we would see this same bull moose browsing in the willows, eating pond plants, or just standing around waiting for us to take pictures. Occasionally, there would be other moose passing through the meadow as well.

Many of our field sites here were on private land, across wide expanses of pasture. Some of the sites were within the bounds of Forest Service or BLM land, which generally had fewer cows (not none). Deer and pronghorn dotted the landscape around the sites, along with the occasional elk. Unfortunately, the weather was cool and rainy most of the time, so I don’t have any pictures of the area, although I’d certainly recommend passing through if you’re ever in the area. You might just see our moose.

Sublette Herd Unit

After leaving Jackson, we moved south to Sublette County.  Wyoming is well known as a cattle-producing state, and Sublette County is full of ranch land. Many of our field sites were on private land, across both empty and occupied pastures. Even on National Forest land, ranchers receive grazing allowances to have their herds graze the low brush in certain areas.

We set up camp along a Forest Service road by Horse Creek, living out of a couple of pop-up trailers. Mountains surround the area, a few with active forest fires near their summits. Willow bottoms are plentiful around the streams and rivers, most of which join up with the Green River. Traversing long pastures, clambering past barbed wire fences, and avoiding mettlesome cattle defined our experience in this herd unit. Cattle will generally make a lot of noise as they scamper away from someone approaching them, although some gave us a bit of a fright when they circled around behind us and continuously bellowed while we measured (and hid in) the willows.

The exception to this pattern came in the Grey’s River sites. Up in the Wyoming Range, the river flows north towards the Snake River. A narrow valley with a dirt road cuts through towering mountains of all hues.

Aside from cattle, Sublette herd unit abounds in pronghorn darting across the sagebrush, mule deer flitting through the trees, and moose browsing down in the willows. I even had the good fortune to catch a glimpse of a mountain lion from the truck. Overall, getting through this herd unit was tough work, but the Grey’s River sites really helped mitigate the monotony of ranch land, fences, and cow pies.

Jackson Herd Unit

The first of 6 herd units we’ll be looking at, the Jackson herd unit is in the scenic area within and around Grand Teton National Park. The University of Wyoming has a field station that we have been staying at right on the edge of Jackson Lake. Here’s the view I have every morning:

Not too shabby

The field sites so far have been along several tributaries of the Snake River (Buffalo Fork, Pacific Creek, Spread Creek). Beavers have built dams near many of these sites, creating large ponds but allowing us to cross the water. Booth’s willow (Salix boothii), the primary browse species, grows interspersed with alder (Alnus sp.), Wolf willow (Salix wolfii), Geyer’s willow (Salix geyeriana), Coyote willow (Salix exigua), and Drummond’s willow (Salix drummondiana). Just above the riparian zone is usually a sagebrush flat with plants more befitting the dry Wyoming climate. In addition to evidence of moose, we’ve seen tracks and scat of wolves and bears in the sites. Elk and deer have been seen crossing transects in front of us. Ospreys soar overhead as kingfishers wait patiently atop streamside snags. Passerines of all sorts flit through the willows and conifer woods. But when it comes down to it, the sites in this herd unit will be best remembered by the scenery.

Measuring Moose Habitat

As I mentioned in my previous post, my new position is as a Moose Habitat Technician for the University of Wyoming. There are numerous distinct moose populations throughout the state of Wyoming and we’ll be working in 6 of these “herd units” starting in the Jackson area. The part of the study that I will be working on does not directly involve moose, although I’ve seen plenty of evidence that they’re around the field sites. My job is more of a vegetation crew member.

Moose typically spend their summers in the higher elevations and move down into the valleys in winter. The valleys will have less snow and quite a bit of vegetation sticking up through the snow that is present. Most of this riparian vegetation belongs to one of several species of willow. Willows (Salix spp.) are a diverse genus composed of many wetland shrubs and even some trees such as the widely-planted ornamental Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica). Of the several species found in Wyoming, Booth’s Willow (Salix boothii) is the preferred food species in the western part of the state. As such, we only concern ourselves with Booth’s when we descend into the willow bottoms.

Typical willow bottom

Our main focus in measurement is the Live-Dead Index. Essentially, this index is a number that can indicate how much browse is occurring in a given area. From this, an estimate of moose population size could be extrapolated. To determine the Live-Dead Index, we need to measure the Height Dead (the height of the highest browsed stem) and the Height at the Base of the Current Year’s Growth (on Booth’s Willow the new growth is yellow and older growth is browner, separated by an annual growth ring on the stem). Additional measurements will provide support for the Live-Dead Index, so we record the Length of the Current Year’s Growth and the Total Height of the plant. After measurements, we select five stems at random and tally whether or not they have been browsed the previous winter. Finally, we assess the Decadence of the plant (essentially a percentage of how much of the plant is composed of dead branches).

This aforementioned protocol is repeated in a transect for 10 willows. After the first plant, we take a bearing and pace 10 meters. The nearest willow of the correct species is then measured if it is alive, has any browse from previous years, and is between 50 and 250 centimeters in Total Height. If it isn’t alive, we put a tally in the “Tally Dead” column. Likewise, if it isn’t browsed, we tally the “Tally Unbrowsed” box. If the plant is less than 50 cm, we ignore it. If the plant is over 250 cm, it is considered “Escaped” since it has branches higher than moose would typically browse. For these “Escaped” plants, we do a tally of five random stems for browsed/unbrowsed during the previous winter. After one of these plants that was determined to be unmeasurable, we move on to the nearest one that is measurable and get to work on it. This process repeats until we have taken measurements on 20 willows. Sometimes a transect won’t be able to follow the same bearing for the entire length, so we’ll make a turn to avoid obstacles (e.g. streams, beaver ponds) or areas without willows. All told, a transect is considered complete when all 20 plants have been measured, GPS points are taken at the start, end, and turns, and pictures up the transect have been taken at the start end end points. It is a rigorous protocol made more difficult by the terrain (boggy, crisscrossed with streams, dense vegetation) but I’ve been enjoying it so far. I guess I really am a field biologist.

Across Wyoming

At long last I’ve found my next adventure: A two month stint working on a vegetation crew in Wyoming. The focus is on examining the amount of willow browse in winter moose habitat to get an idea of the population size. There are 6 herd  units throughout the state that we will be looking at over the next two months. For each herd unit, there are a few dozen transects. I’ll go into the methodology in more detail in a later post.

I flew into Laramie to start the trip. After a standard flight to Denver, I got on a small 30-passenger propeller plane to Laramie. Upon touching down on the tarmac and taxiing to the “terminal” I couldn’t help but be amused by the fact that this one small building was a commercial airport. It sounds like they have 2 flights a day in and out. Staying overnight in Laramie, our team assembled and gathered up all of the gear we would need into two pickups and camping trailers.

The following morning, we began the drive to our furthest field site location, Jackson. Eastern Wyoming along I-80 is not particularly scenic. Open fields and rolling hills are covered with cattle and the occasional pronghorn. We turned north at Rawlins to continue our journey along US 287. Crossing the continental divide twice, we drove through yet more open space hemmed in by the distant mountains. It was only further along this highway that the true beauty of the state began to appear. Past Lander the mountains began to come closer to the road. We were soon passing close to cut cliffs of brilliant red and nearby slopes with stone of every color one can imagine. I regret that I didn’t have the chance to take any pictures flying by at 65.

Through Dubois and its surrounding hills, we began to climb once more up to the continental divide. The winding road led us to Togwotee Pass and then down eventually into Grand Teton National Park. Somewhere along this stretch, the Tetons came into view, dwarfing everything else around. We have the good fortune to be able to stay at a field station run by the University of Wyoming right in the park with a stupendous view of the Tetons across Jackson Lake. It has been a harried few days, but I look forward to posting again soon, hopefully with some pictures.

Winter Birds of The Santa Catalinas

The Santa Catalinas and most of southern Arizona are great for birds, even in winter. With proximity to Mexico comes the ability to catch Mexican birds at the northern edge of their ranges. The high elevation allows for species from further north to exist here as well.  Many birds are full-time residents of the mountains, though some migrate here in the winter to escape worse snow and cold.

Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, Phasianidae

Occurring throughout much of the continental United States, the wild turkey is one of the largest birds in North America. Their colorful plumage and size make them unmistakable. I see them periodically walking about in flocks of up to 15, picking through the leaf litter for food. Despite their size, they are able to get off the ground and fly. This occurrence is equal parts awe-inspiring and terrifying for a bystander.

Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus, Picidae

Abundant and noisy, acorn woodpeckers are a fixture of mixed oak forests of the west coast and Arizona. More social than most woodpeckers, I would often encounter them in groups of four or five, calling to one another through the trees. Their name comes from the fact that they will store acorns in the trunks of trees.

Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus, Picidae

A resident of forests through much of the U.S. and Canada, the hairy woodpecker feeds extensively on insects under tree bark. Superficially similar to the downy woodpecker, the hairy is larger and has a longer bill. I would often see them pecking away at burned trees near the summit.

Red-naped Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis, Picidae

Spending their summers throughout the Rockies, red-naped sapsuckers spend their winters further south. Like all sapsuckers, they drill a series of holes in a tree trunk and come back later to feed on insects and sap.

Arizona Woodpecker, Picoides arizonae, Picidae

Found only in southern Arizona oak woods and Mexico, the Arizona woodpecker is related to the hairy woodpecker. They are distinguished from other Picoides woodpeckers by the extensive brown plumage.

Mexican Jay, Aphelocoma ultramarina, Corvidae

Named based on its range, the Mexican jay enters the states only in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Very social and vocal, a group of five would often join me for lunch to swoop in for crumbs at Bear Canyon. Higher up the mountain, they are less common, with Steller’s jays taking their place.

Steller’s Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri, Corvidae

The western equivalent of the blue jay, Steller’s jays are found from Alaska to Mexico.  Blue with a black head and crest, they are easily distinguished from other birds. They are highly vocal and occur commonly in populated areas. On the mountain, there are always several flying around the small village of Summerhaven.

Bridled Titmouse, Baeolophus wollweberi, Paridae

Like the tufted titmouse from the Northeast, this small bird flits about the branches eating seeds. They get their name from the dark markings on their head, similar to a horse’s bridle.

Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli, Paridae

Numerous species of chickadee exist across the U.S., with the mountain chickadee being the only one in the Santa Catalinas. Unlike the black-capped chickadee of more northerly places, they have a visible white line above their eye.

White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis, Sittidae

A common feeder bird throughout the country, white-breated nuthatches occur in forested areas. They glean insects from the crevices in tree bark as they climb down trunks head-first.

Pygmy Nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea, Sittidae

Smaller than white-breasted nuthatches, pygmy nuthatches have a solid brown crown. I’ve often seen them in groups of four to six, flitting through the branches of pines.

Brown Creeper, Certhia americana, Certhiidae

Looking like a cross between and nuthatch and a loose piece of bark, the brown creeper can be difficult to spot as it creeps up a tree trunk. They feed in a similar fashion to nuthatches, eating insects from bark crevices.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, Regulidae

A tiny, grayish bird darting between branches and grass stalks, the ruby-crowned kinglet gets its name from a small ruby-red crest. The crest is not always visible. I’d often see them in the branches along the road. On one occasion I also saw a golden-crowned kinglet (R. satrapa), though they are rare in this area.

Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus, Turdidae

A small brown and white bird, the hermit thrush is rather indistinct. They caused me my share of frustration due to their resemblance to juncos at a first glance.

Olive Warbler, Peucedramus taeniatus, Peucedramidae

A year-round resident of Mt. Lemmon, the olive warbler is generally secretive and hard to spot. This one was flying about the top of some pines with another. They are the only species in the family Peucedramidae, having been split from other New World warblers (Parulidae) by genetic analysis.

Pine Siskin, Carduelis pinus, Fringillidae

(Note: Recent taxonomic research has changed the genus of this bird from Spinus.) Brown and streaky with some hints of yellow, pine siskins travel in flocks of 5 to 30 on Mt. Lemmon. They dart through the treetops, feeding on seeds.

Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus, Fringillidae

A rare visitor from further north, the evening grosbeak is named for its thick bill. It forages in the trees in small flocks.

Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, Emberizidae

Like juncos, towhees are in the sparrow family. Spotted towhees are larger, with a dark head, white-spotted back, and orange sides. They feed by scratching in the leaf litter for seeds.

Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis, Emberizidae

The closest relative of the yellow-eyed juncos, the dark-eyed juncos don’t breed in the Santa Catalinas, but overwinter here. Highly variable, there are numerous recognized subspecies, most of which occur on Mt. Lemmon during the winter months. Some are readily distinguishable from yellow-eyed juncos, like the Oregon subspecies (left). Others are nearly identical to yellow-eyes, differing only in eye color (right).

The Grand Canyon and Las Vegas

At the end of January, our schedule worked out such that we had a 4-day weekend before we had to be back up on Mt. Lemmon. I used this time to travel with one of my coworkers to the northern part of Arizona and southern Nevada.  An obvious stop for anyone in northern Arizona is Grand Canyon National Park. Carved over millions of years by the Colorado River, the canyon is one of the most heavily visited parks in the states. Even in winter, it draws international crowds to walk the snowy rim trail. Unfortunately, my luck with weather is such that it was drizzly and foggy when we arrived. From the rim of the canyon, all you could see in front of you was clouds straight ahead. After a quick walk around the visitor’s center, we tried the rim and managed to get a brief break in the fog. Even under cloudy skies, the brilliant red stone and the scale of the canyon are truly awesome.

 

While we couldn’t seen far out into the canyon, there were quite a few birds flitting about just below the rim. Dark-eyed juncos (of course), spotted towhees, Cassin’s finches, and western scrub-jays (below) were all foraging in the brush.

 

Soon, though, the clouds rolled back in completely and after looking through some of the museums and exhibits, we left the canyon for the east entrance. Just before dusk, we took a quick drive through Sunset Crater National Monument. The area has some interesting geological history including several old volcanic craters and lava flows.

The following day, having entered Nevada, we went to Red Rock Canyon. The area is run by the Bureau of Land Management, which runs a small visitor’s center. The center has a museum that gives information about some of the things you may run across along the loop road. It being winter, wildlife was not abundant, but some of the views from the trails were magnificent.

 

On the way back, we stopped at Hoover Dam. After seeing the Grand Canyon, it is truly impressive that a river as large and powerful as the Colorado can be tamed. A tour through the inside of the power plant and a few dioramas about the history of the river and the dam were worthwhile.

 

On the long drive back to Tucson, we passed through some very empty places with nothing but desert shrubs for miles. One of the more interesting of these are the Joshua trees, which grow abundantly along one stretch of highway between Kingman and Phoenix. They are the size of small trees, but are adapted for desert life. Before I knew it, though, we were back in Tucson and I was back to counting juncos on the mountain.