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Ethel Lake

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Grebe Survey Summary

  • Max Adults: 30
  • Year: 2015
  • Most Recent Adults: 1
  • Year: 2016
  • Survey Type: Boat
  • Most Common Threats Reported: N/A
Lake name:
Ethel Lake
Location:
Alberta
Latitude:
54.5319444
Longitude:
-110.3511111
Surface area (km2):
4.9
Basin type:
both
Dam completion date:
1986
Management agency:
Alberta Environment
Region associations:
Cold Lake
Comments:
Water was drawn down by Esso Resources Canada since 1965 for an oil sands pilot plant. Close to the larger Cold Lake.

Surveys (4)

Survey Citation:
COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 55 pp. www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm

  • Type
    shore; boat; air
  • Time period
    1970, 2011
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 84 1970-1990
Most Recent Adults 0 0 2011
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Table A.2, maximum counts of breeding Western grebes from surveys mostly conducted during nesting season from June and July (sourced from Wilson, A. and Smith, P.A. 2013. Distribution and population status of Western Grebes in Canada. Unpublished report for the Canadian Wildlife Service). Stated as 20 year chunks: 1970 - 1990 and 1991 - 2011 without breaking those down into years or other details.

Survey Citation:
Erickson, M. E. 2010. Persistence and abundance of the western grebe in Alberta. Dissertation. University of Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Same lakes and abundance estimated were checked against Erickson, M. E., C. Found-Jackson, and M. S. Boyce. 2017. Habitat associations with counts of declining western grebes in Alberta, Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology. 12(1):12. Appendix to Erickson et al 2014 is unavailable but presumed to be the same list of lakes and abundance estimates.

  • Type
    shore
  • Time period
    11 June 2008, 21 August 2008
  • Source
    Dissertation
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 84 1981
Most Recent Adults 0 0 2008
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Table B.1 and Table C.1, survey methods and dates for 2008 field season, and latest abundance estimate from 2008, compared to maximum abundance estimate. Source of maximum abundance estimate is historical data from Wildlife Status Reports (WSR) #60. I didn't include maximum abundance estimate as part of the survey date for Erickson's surveys.

Survey Citation:
Found, C. and A. Hubbs. 2004. Survey of Colonial Nesting Birds and Lakeshore Habitats in Northeast Alberta. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 88, Edmonton, AB. 32 pp.

  • Type
    boat; air
  • Time period
    1981, 1989
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 84 1981
Most Recent Adults 0 0 2003
Max Nests 1 to 100 42 1981
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 40 1989
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

According to Table 10 Historic information on breeding populations of western grebes on lakes in Northeast Alberta, these breeding adult numbers are nests X 2 and is sourced from Hanus (2002). I divided by 2 the historical adult numbers in Table 10 for the historical nest numbers. 2003 number of breeding adults is unknown (not noted according to page 6).

Survey Citation:
Prescott, D. R. C., J. Unruh, S. Morris-Yasinski, and M. Wells. 2018. Distribution and abundance of the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Alberta: an update. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 160, Edmonton, AB. 23 pp.

  • Type
    boat
  • Time period
    1980, 2016
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 84 1981
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 3 2016
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence 1981, 1989, 2003
Most Recent Nests 0 0 2016
Max Chicks 1 to 100 presence? 1981, 1989, 2003
Most Recent Chicks 0 0 2016

Comments:

Sources are eBird (accessed Nov 2015 and Dec 2016), AESRD and ACA (2013), FWMIS (Accessed Nov 2015 including field surveys from 2015 and 2016), Found and Hubbs 2004, Erickson 2010, and Hanus 2002. This report is an update of Western grebe distribution in Alberta based on previous provincial status reports, additional breeding records (between May 1 to August 31) through end of 2014 from new sources. Lakes were visited in 2015 and 2016 for occupancy and habitat conditions. In a given year, if there are multiple sources of data, the highest count was given. From the Appendix, I entered only lakes (67) with evidence of breeding (either chicks or nests, but doesn't specify which and no nest nor chick numbers provided). Otherwise, 318 lakes supported adult grebe populations. This report compiled a list of 35 priority lakes for grebe surveys and management actions through the provincial recovery plan based on high population and habitat scores. New lakes with breeding reveal a changing system of lake occupancy and possibly higher populations than previously thought in Alberta.

Sources of Information

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