Swishwash Island Nature Reserve

Swishwash Island at sunset...photo by David Blevins
 
 

Swishwash Island, located in the mouth of the Fraser River (middle arm) is owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and is protected as a nature reserve.  Located directly across fro Terra Nove, it is comprised of 72 acres of saltmarsh, reed marsh, dune and riverine scrub forest.  It is an excellent example of riverine deltaic island habitats and provides habitat for many wildlife species.  The site was donated for conservation by BC Packers in 1999.  A stewardship plan for Swishwash Island Nature Reserve has been prepared by Mike Carter (Carter, 2002). Little in the way of life science data has been collected for the island (as of 2002), however two short field trips there have collected some information on the site:  a trip by the BC CDC on behalf of the NCC in 1999, and a trip in September 2002 by members of the Richmond Nature Park Society Ecology Committee in conjunction with the NCC.  This information collected is summarized below. Please scroll down to view bird and plant lists.

Swishwash shoreline.	Aster douglasii is common on the island.	The island supports cattail marsh, tidal saltmarsh, and dryland areas.
Much of the island is submerged by tides.	Bidens amplissma is present on the island.	Tidal marsh is undercut by the river.

CHECKLIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS

The following plant checklist is compiled from Ceska et al. 1999 (c), and Klinkenberg et al. 2002 (k).

Species	Notes
Agrostis gigantea	c (1999)
Agrostis stolonifera	c (1999), k (2002)
Aira caryophyllea	c (1999)
Alnus rubra	c (1999), k (2002)
Angelica lucida	c (1999)
Atriplex patula	c (1999), k (2002
Betula pendula	c (1999), k (2002)
Bidens amplissima	k (2002)
Bromus sterilis	c (1999)
Bromus tectorum	c (1999), k (2002)
Calystegia sepium	c (1999), k (2002)
Carex lyngbyei	c (1999), k (2002)
Carex macrocephala	c (1999), k (2002)
Cerastium holosteoides	c (1999)
Cirsium arvense	c (1999)
Cytisus scoparius	c (1999), k (2002)
Dactylis glomerata	c (1999)
Deschampsia beringensis	c (1999)
Distichlis spicata	c (1999)
Eleocharis acicularis	c (1999)
Eleocharis palustris	c (1999)
Elymus glaucus	c (1999)
Elymus repens	c (1999), k (2002)
Epilobium angustifoium	c (1999), k (2002)
Epilobium brachycarpum	c (1999)
Equisetum arvense	c (1999), k (2002)
Erigeron acris	c (1999)
Festuca pratensis	c (1999)
Festuca rubra	c (1999)
Galium aparine	c (1999)
Glaux maritima	c (1999)
Holcus lanatus	c (1999)
Hypochaeris radicata	c (1999)
Isolepis cernua	c (1999)
Iris pseudacorus	c (1999), k (2002)
Juncus arcticus	c (1999)
Juncus bufonius	c (1999), k (2002)
Lathyrus littoralis	c (1999)
Lathyrus japonicus	c (1999)
Lathyrus palustris	c (1999)
Leymus mollis	c (1999)
Lilaeopsis occidentalis	c (1999)
Lonicera involucrata	c (1999)
Lotus uliginosus	c (1999)
Lysimachia thyrsiflora	c (1999)
Lythrum salicaria	c (1999), k (2002)
Mahonia aquilifolium	c (1999), k (2002)
Malus fusca	c (1999), k(2002)
Medicago sativa	c (1999)
Melilotus alba	c (1999)
Mentha arvensis	c (1999), k 2002
Phalaris arundinacea	c (1999), k (2002)
Plantago lanceolata	c (1999)
Plantago major	c (1999) , k (2002)
Poa pratensis	c (1999)
Polygonum amphibium	c (1999)
Polygonum hydropiper	c (1999), k (2002)
Polystichum munitum	c (1999)
Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa	c (1999), k (2002)
Potentilla egedii	c (1999), k (2002)
Rosa nutkana	c (1999), k (2002)
Rubus discolor	c (1999), k (2002)
Rubus laciniatus	c (1999), k (2002)
Rubus spectabilis	c (1999), k (2002)
Rumex acetosella	c (1999)
Rumex crispus	c (1999), k (2002)
Rumex occidentalis	c (1999)
Salix hookeriana	c (1999)
Salix sitchensis	c (1999)
Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens	c (1999)
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	c (1999)
Scutellaria galericulata	c (1999), k (2002)
Senecio vulgaris	c (1999)
Sidalcea hendersonii	c (1999)
Sium suave	c (1999), k (2002)
Solanum dulcamara	c (1999)
Solidago canadensis	c (1999), k (2002)
Sonchus arvensis	c (1999), k (2002)
Sorbus aucuparia	c (1999), k (2002)
Spiraea douglassii	c (1999), k 2002)
Symphyotrichum subspicatum	k (2002)
Taraxacum officinalis	c (1999)
Trifolium wormskioldii	c (1999)
Triglochin maritimum	c (1999)
Typha latifolia	c (1999), k (20002)
Veronica beccabunga	c (1999)
Vicia americana	c (1999)
Vicia gigantea	c (1999)
Vulpia myuros	c (1999)
Zannichellia palustris	c (1999)

REFERENCES: Carter, Mike 2002. Swishwash Island Preserve Stewardship Plan (Draft, September, 2002).  Nature Conservancy of Canada. Ceska, Adolf et al., 1999.  Observations  July 8th, 1999 by Conservation Data Centre Team.  Participants Adolf Ceksa, Oluna Ceska, Syd Cannings, Rob Cannings, Joan Kerik, Andrew MacDonald, Olivia Lee, Christine DeGure). Klinkenberg, R. et al.,  2002.  Field Notes.  Swishwash field trip, September 14, 2002.  Participants Michael Beck, Mike Carter, Bev Gordon, Brian Klinkenberg, Rose Klinkenberg, Dick Loomer.   BIRDS OF SWISHWASH ISLAND    Bird information for Swishwash Island was collected in December, 1999, September 15, 2002, December 7, 2002.  No breeding bird survey has been done, and breeding information is not presented below.  Nomenclature follows the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, Seventh Edition, as published in The Auk 117: 847-858 (2000); 119:897-906 (2002). Please refer to the original survey notes for this list (see below) for detailed information and observations.   Observers: M = Macdonald et al., 1999               B = Beck et al., 2002               P =  Price et al. 2002   Common Name  Latin Name Observer   Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica M Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis M Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus B, M, P Great Blue Heron  Ardea herodias B, M, P Snow Goose Chen caerulescens M, P Canada Goose Branta canadensis B, M Gadwall Anas strepera  B, P American Wigeon  Anas americana  P Mallard  Anas platyrhynchos B, M,P Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata  P Pintail Anas acuta M, P Green-winged Teal  Anas crecca B, M,P Cinnamon Teal  Anas cyanoptera B Bufflehead  Bucephala albeola  P Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata M Black Scoter Melanitta nigra M Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis M Bufflehead Bucephala albeola M Osprey  Pandion haliaeetus B Bald Eagle  Haliaeetus leucocephalus B, M, P Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus M, P Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii  M Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis B, M, P Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus  M, P Virginia Rail  Rallus limicola  P Killdeer  Charadrius vociferus B Dunlin  Calidris alpina  P Common Snipe  Gallinago gallinago     3  P Greater Yellowlegs  Tringa melanoleuca B Spotted Sandpiper  Actitis macularia B Long-billed Dowitcher  Limnodromus scolopaceus B Mew Gull  Larus canus B, M, P Ring-billed Gull  Larus delawarensis B California Gull Larus californicus M Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens B, M, P Rock Dove Columba livia B, P Barn Owl Tyto alba B Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus M Northern Flicker  Colaptes auratus B, P Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor M, P Northwestern Crow  Corvus caurinus B, P Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica B Black-capped Chickadee  Parus atricapillus B, M Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes M Marsh Wren  Cistothorus palustris B, P Ruby-crowned Kinglet  Regulus calendula  P American Robin  Turdus migratorius B, P European Starling Sturnus vulgaris B, P Cedar Waxwing  Bombycilla cedrorum B Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus B, P American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea M Savannah Sparrow  Passerculus sandwichensis B Song Sparrow  Melospiza melodia B, M, P Lincoln's Sparrow  Melospiza lincolnii B Red-winged Blackbird  Agelaius phoeniceus B, M, P House Finch  Carpodacus mexicanus B, M, P American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis  P Red Crossbill  Loxia curvirostra B Pine Siskin Carduelis M Sources of Information Carter, Mike 2002.  Swishwash Island Preserve Stewardship Plan (Draft).  Nature Conservancy of Canada. Beck, Michael 2002.  Field Notes.  Swishwash Island Bird Survey, September 14, 2002.  Observations with Bev Gordon, Mike Carter, Dick Loomer, Brian Klinkenberg, Rose Klinkenberg. Macdonald, Andrew, et al.  Bird species observations on Swishwash Island,  December 6, 1999.  Observations with Murray MacDonald, Andrew Harcombe, Jan Garnett. Price, Michael, et al.  Swishwash Island Partial and Preliminary Survey (1), December 7, 2002.  Observations with Michael Beck, Michael Carter, David Blevins, Tim Ennis, Dick Loomer, Scott Morison, Chris Sears . Beck et al. 2002 (September 15, 2002) Macdonald et al. 1997 Price et al. 2002 (December 7, 2002)   Please cite these pages as Klinkenberg, Brian, and Rose Klinkenberg. 2002.  Biodiversity of Richmond:  Swishwash Island Nature Reserve.  Department of Geography, University of British Columbia. Page last updated January 2011.     Contact us for further information