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Old Wives Lake

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Grebe Survey Summary

  • Max Adults: 2000
  • Year: 1953
  • Most Recent Adults: 0
  • Year: 2011
  • Survey Type: Shore; Boat; Air
  • Most Common Threats Reported: N/A
Lake name:
Old Wives Lake
Location:
Saskatchewan
Latitude:
50.1000297
Longitude:
-106.0005867
Basin type:
non-reservoir
Primary vegetation for nesting:
Schoenoplectus Typha
Management agency:
Province of Saskatchewan; Canadian Wildlife Service; Old Wives Watershed Association
Region associations:
Old Wives Lake Watershed; Chaplin/Old Wives/Reed Lakes; Chaplin Plain Landscape Area; Old Wives Lake Bird Sanctuary; Old Wives Lake Natural Area
Designations:
Bird Sanctuary
Comments:
Part of a complex of lakes, the Chaplin/Old Wives/Reed Lakes area, that are the second largest inland saline lakes in Canada. Old Wives Lake is large and shallow intermittent saline lake with fluctuating water levels. These lakes are very important for migratory birds.

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
    1991, 2011
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 50 1991-2011
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.3, maximum counts of breeding Western grebes from surveys conducted during nesting season from 1991 to 2011 (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 Unpublished report for the Canadian Wildlife Service). No break out of data per year or other details. No colony had been sighted for "several years" (Calvert pers. comm. 2013) so I indicated this as a 0 in 2011 though exact years were not given.

Survey Citation:
Nero, Lahrman, and Bard. 1958. Dry land nest site of a Western grebe colony. Auk 75:347-349

  • Type
    shore
  • Time period
    11 June 1953, 20 July 1957
  • Source
    Notes
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults >1000 2000 1953
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 12 1956
Max Nests 501 to 1000 1000 1953
Most Recent Nests 101 to 500 250 1957
Max Chicks 1 to 100 presence 1957
Most Recent Chicks 1 to 100 presence 1957

Comments:

Observation of dry-land nests due to dropping water levels. Not really a survey, but intermittent observations and counts in 1953, 1956 and 1957 but not consistently. Chicks are described as "a few". Low nest success documented in 1957. Some nests in 1953 and 1957 at the base of willows and rose bushes. Grebes observed walking across sand beach.

Survey Citation:
Beyersbergen, G. W., W. A. Calvert, R. C. Bazin, S. J. Barry, and B. A. Gingras. 2009. Spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of the Franklin’s gull in the Canadian Prairie Provinces: 2005–2007. Canadian Wildlife Service Technical Report Series Number 504, Prairie and Northern Region. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

  • Type
    shore; boat
  • Time period
    May 2006, June 2007
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 100 2006
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 65 2007
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:

This report was focused on Franklin's gull colonies but other waterbirds, such as western grebes, were counted as nesting in association with them. These are minimum counts of western grebes and not the target species so uncertain if this entry should be included.

Survey Citation:
Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2021. Management Plan for the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Management Plan Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. 5 iv + 52 pp.

  • Time period
    1928, 2007
  • Source
    Management plan
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 600 1928
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 65 2007
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 Appendix C, data columns are historical high count, high count since 2000, and most recent count. Since minimum count was not stated, I entered the minimum from these columns though it might not be the actual minimum across the span of years reported. Also, there is no detail on years that were excluded from surveying so range of survey years may be inaccurate. Footnote for this lake is that breeding was confirmed. Sources are McKellar et al. 2019 and McKellar et al., in press.

Sources of Information

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