Coulees Cottonwoods - City of Lethbridge

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River Cliffs and Rocky Outcrops Steep cliffs high above the river are home to nesting prairie falcons, rock wrens, and cliff swallow colonies. Prairie falcons stay in the Lethbridge area year round but are only occasionally seen. Say’s phoebes and violet-green swallows are uncommon in Lethbridge, but can sometimes be seen on steep, rocky coulees in spring and summer. Wetlands Although limited in extent, the few wetlands in Lethbridge harbour a variety of birds. Both red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds and common yellowthroats inhabit the cattail marshes at the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands, University Marsh, and Sunridge community wetland in west Lethbridge. Nesting waterfowl include Canada geese, redheads, mallards, canvasbacks, and blue-winged teal. The wildlife viewing blind at the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands offers an opportunity to view waterfowl and other wetland wildlife close up. Sunridge wetland is another great location with various information signs to learn about and explore wetlands. Cottonwood Forests The greatest diversity of birds is found in the mature cottonwood forests, especially where there is a dense understory of shrubs. Between May and August, a one-hour early morning stroll in Pavan Park, the Lethbridge Nature Reserve, or the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands can reveal 20 to 30 bird species! The spring dawn chorus commonly consists of least flycatchers, American robins, yellow warblers, warbling vireos, house wrens, goldfinches, and Baltimore orioles. In late August, large numbers of migrating warblers stop over in the cottonwood forests. Over 20 species of warblers and vireos have been observed in the Nature Reserve at this time. Some of the species seen are Townsend’s warbler, black and white warbler, Tennessee warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, American redstart, blackpoll warbler, northern waterthrush, and Wilson’s warbler. The cottonwood forest is where raptors, such as great horned owls, kestrels, Swainson’s hawks, and red-tailed hawks nest. Occasionally Cooper’s hawks, and saw-whet owls, also nest in the cottonwood forests. American Goldfinch, Ken Moore 18 Residential Areas As backyard trees mature, more and more bird species are being recorded in the residential parts of Lethbridge. In the late 1990’s, red-breasted nuthatches had just begun to nest in
ackyards and are now commonly seen. Large spruce trees occasionally attract winter flocks of white-winged and red crossbills. These trees also provide nest sites for pairs of merlins each spring. At backyard feeders during the winter, Lethbridge residents can expect black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, redbreasted nuthatches, pine siskins, blue jays, northern flickers, downy woodpeckers, and house sparrows. House finches first appeared in the Lethbridge area in the winter of 1998 and are now common throughout the year. Eurasian collared doves arrived in the Lethbridge area in 2007 and are also increasing in the number of observations yearly. Henderson Lake is a man-made urban lake in south Lethbridge. Many interesting species of waterfowl can be seen during spring and fall migration such as common loon, pied-billed grebe, bufflehead, and long-tailed duck. Ospreys are also seen here and along the river during migration. The mature spruce and pine trees in Mountain View Cemetery and near the Lethbridge Research Station offer unique bird watching opportunities. Amphibians & Reptiles Due to Lethbridge’s dry, northern climate, there are relatively few reptile and amphibian species in the area. Those species found here are not especially abundant and tend to be secretive and difficult to observe. However, few experiences in nature are as thrilling as an evening visit to a pond full of singing frogs, or hearing the sound of a rattlesnake warning you of its presence! A characteristic of both amphibians and reptiles is their dependence upon external (environmental) rather than internal (metabolic) sources of heat for their body temperature. Most amphibians and reptiles function best at relatively high body temperatures, essential for proper internal functions, general activity, and alertness. Frogs & Toads Black-capped Chickadee, Ken Orich The striped chorus frog is the only true frog now found in Lethbridge. Until the midseventies, the northern leopard frog was also found in Lethbridge. Populations of 19
Page 1: & Coulees Cottonwoods Nature Field
Page 4 and 5: Introduction The Oldman River meand
Page 6 and 7: But the arrival of Europeans also m
Page 8 and 9: Parkland & Helen Schuler Nature Cen
Page 10 and 11: 8 Beneath these masses of loose mat
Page 12 and 13: Riparian Areas 10 Three-flowered Av
Page 14 and 15: 12 Insect Gall Galls A gall is an a
Page 16 and 17: Long-tailed Weasel, Ken Moore Yello
Page 18 and 19: Birds Over 230 species of birds hav
Page 22 and 23: 20 Painted Turtles, Ken Orich Prair
Page 24 and 25: Turtles Western Painted turtles fir
Page 26 and 27: Map, City of Lethbridge Pavan Park
Page 28 and 29: facility coordinates a number of ex
Page 30 and 31: Two-striped Grasshopper, Dan Johnso
Page 32 and 33: common introduced species include b
Page 34 and 35: CYPERACEAE (Sedges) Carex sp. (Sedg
Page 36 and 37: ROSACEAE (Roses) Amelanchier alnifo
Page 38 and 39: LOASACEAE (Loasa Family) Mentzelia
Page 40 and 41: Penstflemon albidus (White Beardton
Page 42 and 43: Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed) Hel
Page 44 and 45: Checklist of Mammals For this check
Page 46 and 47: Spotted Sandpiper .................
Page 48 and 49: Checklist of Fish in the Oldman Riv
Page 50 and 51: Notes _____________________________

Coulees Cottonwoods - City of Lethbridge

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