Emiquon Bio Blitz

Saturday October 11 was the Emiquon Bio Blitz. In the morning, I went out in a canoe with a biologist looking for water fowl (and struggling to paddle the canoe! good thing the water was pretty calm that morning!), and then pulled on some high water waders and went out searching for invertebrates living in Thompson Lake. In the afternoon, after a wonderful lunch of burgers grilled at the UIS field station, I attended workshops looking at the invertebrates under microscopes and identifying prairie plants, which was a challenge after the blooms have dried up and the seeds have blown away.


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A pair of juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons flew over:

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Hundreds of waterfowl flushed:

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Hundreds of Tree Swallows swarming in and out of the few trees growing along the former agricultural canals:

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A view down the canal, tiny white specs are egrets roosting in the trees:

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A beaver swimming to his den along the side of the canal:

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A Common Yellowthroat peeking out from the corn growing along Prairie Road:

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View from Prairie Road:

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Canton power plant off in the distance.

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A cave in the bluff along Clark road.

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Baker Hollow Creek

I had the opportunity to walk down Baker Hollow creek, the creek that runs down the bluff on the west side of US 24 and empties into the field of asters on the proposed mining site. Baker Hollow creek is full of life. We found minnows, leopard frogs, cricket frogs,and a northern water snake. I'm sure many more species are living there than we were able to see. At night there are likely salamanders, but I won't see them, since I am not a night person! More minnows and frogs than we could count fled as we proceeded down the creek in our high-water boots. The creek bottom starts out as solid rock, then begins breaking up into first large pieces, then smaller pieces, and finally and gravel before it disappears into the field. Agricultural canals surround the field, in an attempt over the years to drain field into what is now Morgan Ditch. However, it is apparent that the system has not been successful, and therefore the field was left dormant in most years after the flood waters receded. When we got out towards the end of the creek, we could see the field of asters. It is all brown now, but the asters are still standing. State botanists have censused the population there and at Rice Lake.

Baker Hollow Creek:

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Minnows swimming in one of many deep pools:

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Creek Bottom along the bluff:

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US 24 Bridge over Baker Hollow creek. This bridge was built to with stand a large volume of water back in the 1930s and it is still standing.

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Creek bottom east of US 24 bridge:

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The old Prairie Lane bridge.

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Butternut (Juglans cinerea), also called white walnut or oilnut, grows on well-drained soils of hillsides and streambanks in mixed hardwood forests. We found 3 or 4 of these trees with many butternuts scattered along the creek bottom.

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The receding flood left the decurrent false asters (Boltonia decurrens) standing, though brown and brittle, in the field where I found them before. Their seeds will scatter, and many will have been carried away with the flood waters, but they will appear again, if the field is not mined.

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We found several huge Sycamore trees growing along Baker Hollow creek.

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A worm, one of several, that we found in the water or banks of Baker Hollow.

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This leopard frog and northern water snake were lying on the bottom of the creek in the clear water in one of the deeper areas against the creek bank.

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We found many crawdad holes (Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads--all the same thing) along the creek banks.

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This crawdad hole is fresh! It has a current resident, who did not make an appearance for the camera.

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We found quite a few little frogs, which I think are Cricket frogs.

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And we found several Leopard Frogs:

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Threatened and Endangered Illinois Wetland Species

The number of Threatened and Endangered Species in Illinois is much higher than I thought! Do developers and state regulators look for endangered and threatened species before developing or mining land? I don't think so . . . at least not in any effective manner. The law is very confusing to this concerned citizen, but I intend to learn more about it.

Click the Title find a link to the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board's ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES LIST.

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According to Illinois Environmental Policy Review, Volume 2, Issue 2 - December, 2000, "Endangered Species and Habitat Protection," By Lawrence M. Page , as of 1999, the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board listed 147 animals and 331 plants as endangered or threatened in Illinois.

In the lists below, the symbols E and T indicate whether the species is endangered or threatened in the state, * indicates a species on the federal threatened list, and ** indicates a species on the federal endangered list. This list is not complete; it is an attempt to list the wetland endangered and threatened species.

Birds

According to the Changing Illinois Environment: Critical Trends, 1994, Summary Report of the Critical Trends Assessment Project," 105 [species of birds] typically depend on or are strongly associated with these highly specialized habitats for nesting and foraging. Their populations have become imperiled as these habitats shrink in size.... Many nesting birds such as egrets, herons, and double-crested cormorants build colonies in wetlands (mainly floodplain forests).... Of the 43 bird species listed as endangered or threatened in Illinois as of 1993, 30 are strongly associated with wetlands, especially during the breeding season...."

Ammodramus henslowii--Henslow's Sparrow--T
Asio flammeus--Short-eared owl--E
Botaurus lentiginosus--American bittern--E
Buteo swainsoni--Swainson's hawk--E
Charadrius melodus--Piping plover--E**
Chlidonias niger--Black tern--E
Circus cyaneus--Northern harrier--E
Dendroica cerulea--Cerulean Warbler--T
Egretta caerulea--Little blue heron--E
Egretta thula--Snowy egret--E
Falco peregrinus--Peregrine Falcon--T
Gallinula chloropus--Common moorhen--T
Grus canadensis--Sandhill crane--T
Haliaeetus leucocephalus--Bald eagle--T*
Ixobrychus exilis--Least Bittern--T
Ictinia mississippiensis--Mississippi kite--E
Laterallus jamaicensis--Black rail--E
Limnothlypis swainsonii--Swainson's Warbler--E
Nycticorax nycticorax--Black-crowned night heron--E
Nyctanassa violacea--Yellow-crowned night heron--E
Pandion haliaetus--Osprey--E
Phalaropus tricolor--Wilson's phalarope--E
Rallus elegans--King rail--E
Sterna antillarum--Least tern--E**
Sterna forsteri--Forster's tern--E
Sterna hirundo--Common tern--E
Thyromanes bewickii--Bewick's Wren--E
Tyto alba--Barn Owl--E
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus--Yellow-headed blackbird--E

The following were removed from the list:

Ardea alba--Great egret--(T)
Coturnicops noveboracensis--Yellow rail--(E)
Phalacrocorax auritus--Double-crested cormorant--(T)
Podilymbus podiceps--Pied-billed grebe--(T)

Amphibians

According to the 1994 CTAP report, 37 of Illinois' 41 amphibian species use wetlands at least part of each year. "Because of their permeable skin and because they are exposed to both terrestrial and wetland environments, amphibians are especially susceptible to environmental stresses....The eastern newt, once thought to occur across Illinois, is no longer found in the state's central counties due to the draining of prairie marshes. There are eight threatened or endangered wetland amphibians in Illinois."

Ambystoma platineum--Silvery salamander--E
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis--Hellbender--E
Desmognathus conanti--Spotted dusky salamander--E
Ambystoma jeffersonianum--Jefferson Salamander--T
Gastrophryne carolinensis--Eastern Narrowmouth Toad--T
Hemidactylium scutatum--Four-toed salamander--T
Hyla avivoca--Bird-voiced treefrog--T
Pseudacris streckeri--Illinois chorus frog--T


Reptiles

The 1994 CTAP reports that at least 47 of the 60 Illinois reptiles use wetlands to some extent. "Seven of the nine species listed as endangered or threatened in Illinois as of 1993 (three turtles and four snakes) use wetlands." I found eight species on the most current ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES LIST.

Clemmys guttata--Spotted turtle--E
CClonophis kirtlandii--Kirtland's snake--T
Kinosternon flavescens--Illinois mud turtle--E
Macroclemys temminckii--Alligator snapping turtle--T
Nerodia fasciata--Broad-banded water snake--E
Pseudemys concinna--River cooter--E
Sistrurus catenatus--Eastern massasauga--E
Thamnophis sauritus--Eastern ribbon snake--E

The following is no longer on the endangered and threatened species list:
Nerodia cyclopion--Green water snake--T

Mammals

The 1994 CTAP states: "Although few mammals are adapted specifically to wetlands, eight of the ten mammal species considered endangered or threatened in Illinois as of 1993 use wetlands to some extent. The swamp rabbit (whose populations are in decline in Illinois), and the marsh rice rat are among them. Such commercially valuable furbearers as the raccoon, mink, muskrat, and beaver also inhabit wetlands." I found six threatened or endangered wetland mammals on the Illinois list.

Corynorhinus rafinesquii--Rafinesques's big-eared bat--E
Myotis grisescens--Gray Bat--E**
Myotis sodalis--Indiana Bat--E**
Neotoma floridana--Eastern Woodrat--E
Ochrotomys nuttallii--Golden mouse--T
Oryzomys palustris--Rice rat--T

The following are no longer listed as endangered or threatened in Illinois:

Lutra canadensis--River otter--(E)
Lynx rufus--Bobcat--(T)


Invertebrates

CTAP reports that relatively few (four of 51) of the invertebrates endangered or threatened in Illinois as of 1993 are wetland species. However, I can't figure out which species is the fourth! Here are three endangered or threatened insects found in wetland areas.

Insects
Atrytone arogos--Arogos Skipper--E
Calephelis muticum--Swamp metalmark--E
Nannothemis bella--Elfin skimmer dragonfly--T
Somatochlora hineana--Hine's emerald dragonfly--E

Fish

According to the CTAPreport, "twelve of the 29 fish species listed as threatened or endangered in Illinois as of 1993 either occur in wetlands (mainly swamps, oxbow lakes, and sluggish backwaters) or breed in them. The widespread drainage of such habitats reduced the range for seven Illinois wetland species that were subsequently listed as threatened or endangered." I've identified four threatened or endangered wetland fish in Illinois.

Agnatha
Lampetra aepyptera--Least brook lamprey (pdf)--T
Osteichthyes
Lepomis punctatus--Spotted sunfish--T
Lepomis symmetricus--Bantam sunfish (pdf)--T
Notropis maculatus--Taillight shiner--E

Plants

The 1994 CTAP reports that a total of 952 species are found in Illinois wetlands and these constitute about 42% of the state's native flora. I've listed 144 threatened or endangered wetland plants in Illinois.

Asclepias meadii--Mead's milkweed --E*
Alnus rugosa--Speckled adler--E
Amelanchier sanguinea--Roundleaf Juneberry, Roundleaf Serviceberry, or Shore Shadbush--E
Aster furcatus--Forked aster--T
Beckmannia syzigachne--American slough grass--E
Bartonia paniculata--Screwstem--E
Betula alleghaniensis--Yellow birch--E
Boltonia decurrens--Decurrent false aster--T
Calla palustris--Water arum--E
Calopogon tuberosus--Grass pink orchid--E
Cardamine pratensis--Cuckoo flower--E
Carex alata--Winged sedge--E
Carex arkansana--sedge--E
Carex aurea--Golden sedge--T
Carex brunnescens--Brownish sedge--E
Carex chordorrhiza--Cordroot sedge--E
Carex canescens--Arkansas Sedge--E
Carex crawei--Crawe's sedge--T
Carex crawfordii--Sedge--E
Carex cryptolepis--sedge--E
Carex disperma--Shortleaf sedge--E
Carex decomposita--Cypress-knee sedge--E
Carex intumescens--Swollen sedge--T
Carex gigantea--Large sedge--E
Carex oxylepis--Sharp-scaled sedge--E
Carex oligosperma--Few-seeded sedge--T
Carex reniformis--Reniform sedge--E
Carex prasina--Drooping sedge--T
Carex trisperma--Three-seeded sedge--E
Carex tuckermanii--Tuckerman's sedge--E
Carex viridula--Little green sedge--T
Chamaedaphne calyculata--Leatherleaf--T
Cimicifuga racemosa--False bugbane--E
Clematis crispa--Blue jasmine--E
Clematis viorna--Leatherflower--E
Conioselinum chinese--Hemlock parsley--E
Cornus canadensis--Bunchberry--E
Cynosciadium digitatum--Finger dog-shade--E
Cystopteris laurentiana--Small yellow lady's slipper--E
Cypripedium acaule--Moccasin flower, Pink lady's slipper--E
Cypripedium candidum--White lady's slipper--E
Cypripedium reginae--Showy lady's slipper--E

Drosera intermedia--Narrow-leaved sundew--T
Drosera rotundifolia--Round-leaved sundew--E
Dryopteris celsa--Log fern--E
Echinodorus tenellus--Small burhead--E
Eleocharis pauciflora--Few flowered spikerush--E
Eleocharis rostellata--Beaked spikerush--T
Epilobium strictum--Downy willow herb--T
Eriophorum virginicum--Rusty cotton grass--E
Eriophorum viridi-carinatum--Tall cotton grass--E
Eupatorium incarnatum--Thoroughwort--E
Filipendula rubra--Queen-of-the-prairie--T
Fimbristylis annua--Baldwin's fimbristylis--E
Fimbristylis vahlii--Vahl's fimbristylis--E
Galium labradoricum--Bog bedstraw--T
Gaultheria procumbens--Wintergreen--E
Glyceria arkansana--Arkansas manna-grass--E
Glyceria borealis--Northern manna-grass--E
Helianthus angustifolius--Narrow-leaved sunflower--T
Helianthus giganteus--Tall sunflower--E
Heteranthera reniformis--Mud plantain--E
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides--Water-pennywort--E
Hydrolea uniflora--One-flowered hydrolea--E
Hypericum adpressum--Shore St. John's wort--E
Isoetes butleeri--Quillwort--E
Juncus alpinus--Richardson's rush--E
Juncus vaseyi--Vasey's rush--E
Justicia ovata--Water willow--E
Larix laricina--Tamarack--T
Lycopodium inundatum--Bog clubmoss--E
Lysimachia fraseri--Loosestrife--E
Lysimachia radicans--Creeping loosestrife--E
Melothria pendula--Squirting cucumber--E
Mimulus glabratus--Yellow monkey flower--E
Panicum stipitatum--Tall flat panic grass--E
Panicum yadkinense--Panic grass--E
Paspalum dissectum--Bead grass--E
Planera aquatica--Water elm--E
Platanthera clavellata--Wood orchid--E
Platanthera flava--Tubercled orchid--E
Platanthera flava herbiola--Tubercled orchid--E
Platanthera leucophaea--Pairie whithe fringed orchid--E
Poa autumnalis--Autumn bluegrass--E
Pognia ophioglossoides--Snake-mouth--E
Polygonatum pubescens--Downy Solomon's seal--T
Polygonum arifolium--Halbred-leaved tearthumb--E
Primula mistassinica--Bird's-eye primrose--E
Puccinellia pallida--Pole manna-grass--E
Rhamnus alnifolia--Alder buckthorn--E
Rhynchospora globularis--Grass beaked rush--E
Rhynchospora glomerata--Clustered beaked rush--E
Ribes hirtellum--Northern gooseberry--E
Rorippa islandica hispida--Hairy marsh yellow cress--E
Rubus pubescens--Dwarf Raspberry--T
Rubus setosus--Bristly blackberry--E
Sagittaria longirostra--Arrowhead--E
Salix serissima--Autumn willow--E
Sambucus pubens--Red-berried elder--T
Sanguisorba canadensis--American burnet--E
Sarracenia purpurea--Pitcher plant--E
Scheuchzeria palustris--Arrow-grass--E
Scirpus cespitosus--Tufted bulrush--E
Scripus hattorianus--Bulrush--E
Scirpus paludosus--Alkali bulrush--E
Scirpus polyphyllus--Bulrush--T
Scirpus purshianus--Weak bulrush--E
Scirpus smithii--Smith's bulrush--E
Sorbus americana--American mountain ash--E
Sparganium americanum--American burreed--E
Sparganium chlorocarpum--Green-fruited burreed--E
Spiranthes romanzoffiana--Hooded ladies' tresses--E
Styrax americana--Patterson bindweed--T
Styrax americana--Storax--T
Sullivantia renifolia--Sullivantia--T
Thalia dealbata--Powdery thalia--E
Thismia americana--Thismia--E
Thuja occidentalis--Arbor vitae--T
Tofieldia glutinosa--False asphodel--T
Trientalis borealis--Star-flower--T
Triglochin maritima--Common bog arrowgrass--E
Triglochin palustris--Slender bog arrowgrass--E
Utricularia cornuta--Horned bladderwort--E
Utricularia intermedia--Flat-leaved bladderwort--E
Utricularia minor--Small bladderwort--E
Vaccinium corymbosum--Highbush blueberry--E
Vaccinium macrocarpon--Large cranberry--E
Vaccinium oxycoccos--Small cranberry--E
Valeriana uliginosa--Marsh valerian--E
Veronica americana--American brooklime--E
Veronica scutellata--Marsh speedwell--T
Viola incognita--Hairy white violet--E
Viola primulifolia--Primrose violet--E
Zigadenus glaucus--White camass--E

IDNR Hearings Continue: Proposed Mine Site on Eagle Habitat

Tomorrow and Wednesday there will be hearings in Springfield, Illinois regarding the proposed mine site in the sensitive wetland/eagle habitat along the Illinois River. I will update my blog after the hearings!

I'm sure the hearings will continue for several more months, but the petition will close at the end of this month. If you havn't signed the petition to stop the destruction of eagle habitat, please do so now! We need all the support we can get in this fight to save what little wetland habitat and eagle roosting and nesting habitat that we have left in the state of Illinois. Most of the habitat has already been farmed, mined, or developed in some way. We need to save this little portion of high quality habitat that lies between two state protected wetland habitats.
Please sign the petition today!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/StopMiningBanner