List of Species in Cape LaCroix Creek

Here is a list of the species found in Cape LaCroix Creek this fall.  I will have an official report finished by Friday.

Topminnows (Fundulus) were the most abundant species.  Although I captured and released individuals without prominent black spots, all of my specimens were F. olivaceus.  Therefore I can only with certainty that the blackspotted topminnow is found in the creek.  Further downstream I have seen gar (Lepisosteus) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) neither of which were present in my study area.  A different assemblage of fish is likely found in the deeper, lower gradient portions of the creek.  However, depth and an uneven bottom rendered sieving impractical here.  Other methods of sampling would be necessary to determine the fish fauna of the entire creek.

Cyprinidae
Semotilus atromaculatus  creek chub
Notropis boops  bigeye shiner
Lythrurus umbratilus  redfin shiner
Luxilus chrysocephalus  striped shiner
Pimephales notatus  bluntnose minnow
Campostoma oligolepis  common stoneroller

Centrarchidae
Micropterus salmoides  largemouth bass
Micropterus punctulatus  spotted bass
Lepomis macrochirus  bluegill
Lepomis megalotis   longear sunfish (pictured)

Fundulidae
Fundulus olivaceous  blackspotted topminnow

Atherinidae
Labidesthes sicculus  brook silverside

Poecilidae
Gambusia affinis  mosquitofish 

Percidae
Etheostoma spectabile  orangethroat darter

New updates coming soon

It's been quite a while since I've updated this blog.  Finals week has arrived and as soon as I finish both of my exams on Tuesday, I will identifying the fish I captured in Cape LaCroix Creek.  Details will be soon to follow.

Second Day of Seining

Almost exactly one month after my first day of seining I went out a second time to collect and identify the fish species in Cape LaCroix Creek.  The water was cooler but this time I had chest waders so it wasn't a problem.  Between my own research and ichthyology field trips, I can resoundingly pronounce them a worthwhile investment.

Andrew and I seined from seven in the morning until around ten o'clock.  Initially my plan was to count the number of seines and divide by the total number of individuals of each species.  This would give me the number of individuals per seine and would help to determine the overall abundance of each fish species.  However, there was at least one major flaw in this methodology.  When we seined and saw a large fish (or fishes) swim into the net, we immediately pulled it up.  This would count as one seine but we didn't cover the same length of stream as the standard seines.  Thus, the results would be skewed because each trial would not be the same.

With this in mind I have decided to focus my research on the composition of species in Cape LaCroix Creek, with abundance tentatively determined.  Although I counted the number of individuals for each species this time, I did not do so on last month's trip, so the exact abundance of each species will be largely speculative.  There is also an obvious bias in using mesh seines, as very small fish can slip through the netting and faster fish can out-swim (or outsmart) the net as well.  Considering these two things I will avoid any statistical attempt to determine the abundance of fish in the creek.  However, I see nothing wrong with unofficially estimating abundance based on observation (and in today's case, total number of individuals).

I may or may not seine one more time, but the most difficult aspect of this research remains to be done.  Identification of the cyprinids is incredibly meticulous and keying them out is going to take some time.  This would present another difficulty in determining abundance.  Since my permit only allows me to capture fifty specimens, I had to release most of the fishes that I captured.  Minnow identification in the field is very difficult (especially for someone with very little experience), so I may well have released some specimens that would have been different species.

Since I am in ichthyology and identification of Missouri fishes is a class requirement, I am waiting to key my research specimens until I gain some experience in class.  Therefore I will probably begin identification come November.  The specimens will have to wait in formalin until then.  There are a few species I can already identify with confidence, though.  Longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) is very common in the stream, much more so than the bluegill (L. macrochirus).  Among the Macrochirus basses, the spotted bass (M. punctulatus) looked to be much more common than the largemouth (M. salmoides).  Identification was based on jaw size and tail color (in juveniles), although positive ID will be made in the lab.  Topminnows (Fundulus; pictured) were abundant, for certain blackspotted (F. olivaceus) and likely blackstripe (F. notatus).  Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) were especially common under beds of Ludwigia and other emergent vegetation.  Brook silversides (Labidesthes sicculus) were present but not abundant.  There was also a species of shiner, two Etheostoma darters, a likely bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus), stonerollers (Campostoma spp.), and several unknown cyprinids.  Positive identification will take place in the lab.

Seining Again

This Sunday will be exactly one month since my first time seining at Cape LaCroix Creek.  That excursion focused on capturing a wide variety of species in order to determine what was in the stream.  This time I will focus on abundance and note how many individuals I capture for each species.  The fish will then be released unless I am unsure of identification because my license only allows me to collect 50 specimens (and I am near that amount already).

A Day in the Field

This past Friday I began my research of the fish fauna of Cape LaCroix Creek.  My friend Andrew and I gathered the seine, formalin, and other materials and ventured out to the creek in the middle of the morning.

The weather was overcast and quite humid.  The forecast called for rain but we didn't receive any until the early afternoon.  Our first stop was a deep, rocky part of the creek near Shawnee Park, relatively close to where the stream empties into the Mississippi River.  Seining here proved to be nearly impossible as we both found ourselves treading for water at times.  We did observe several silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) that leaped from the water when they discovered our presence.  According to Pflieger's Fishes of Missouri this highly invasive species has not been seen at many localities in the state, but the book is now fifteen years old and recent propagation has likely led to greater abundance than it indicates.

We had much greater luck when we moved to shallower waters, in particular those with heavy weed growth.  Water primrose (Ludwigia spp.) was abundant in the creek, as were several other small aquatic plants whose identity currently eludes me.  I intend to try to identify the aquatic flora of Cape LaCroix as well, but that will have to wait for another day.  There was abundance of terrestrial plants along the shoreline as well, including mist flower (Conoclinium coelestinum), monkey flower (Mimulus ringens), cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum; pictured).  In fact, the plant life is diverse enough that I intend to speak with the city of Cape Girardeau to see if I need a permit to collect along the creek.  I think a floral survey of the area would be a great asset as well.

Topminnows (Fundulus spp.) were the most abundant species in the creek, with several specimens captured in every seine attempt.  Although I need to further examine the specimens, I believe we caught both blackstripe (F. notatus) and blackspotted topminnow (F. olivaceus) Other common species included mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), an unknown cyprinid with a definitive golden hue above the lateral line, several catostomids (suckers), two darters, longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis), bluegill (L. macrochirus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus), and two unmarked, unknown cyprinids just over a decimeter in length.  Exact identification is pending and will involve meticulous keying in the lab.

Even though it was only one day, I believe that our sample is a good overall indication of the fish fauna of Cape LaCroix Creek.  I have at least two more trips planned, one near the source of the creek and one just before the concrete channel in the center of Cape Girardeau.  During most of the summer this channel remains too dry for most fish to cross, isolating individuals away from the Mississippi River.  I am curious as to whether different fish are present east of the concrete.  I would hypothesize that larger species (such as the silver carp we observed) enter the creek via the river but do not swim through the shallow impounded channel, and are therefore limited to the deeper, easternmost portion of the stream.

Licensed to Begin

Yesterday I received my official permit to begin collecting fishes in Cape LaCroix Creek.  My first collection day will be this Friday.  I can take no more than 50 specimens so I will be releasing all individuals that I can identify in the field.

Updates will soon follow.

Concluding Research and a New Project

It's been a while since I have posted on this site.

My first field season of research on lark sparrow breeding biology is nearing completion.  I visited Sand Prairie today and neither saw nor heard any of the birds.  I will be visiting again but I think it is safe to say that outside of possible behavioral observation, my data for this summer is complete.

Overall I would consider it a successful first field season.  I located 10 nests, 8 of which held eggs at one point, and 4 of which held young.  Only 1 nest successfully fledged.  I was able to observe a plethora of behavioral activity as well as note a definite pattern of habitat preference in nest selection.  I was only able to obtain several vocalizations from two spring males, largely because my work schedule did not permit me to arrive at Sand Prairie for the dawn chorus.  Next spring I will do my best to adjust my hours and place a strong emphasis on recording vocalizations.  I have over 500 hours of flash card memory, so I am in good shape!  Over the course of the fall I will also gain experience using a plant press.  Due to a multitude of factors I decided to collect and press plant samples next year.

My next task will be to compile the data and begin to write my thesis.  In the meantime I will be conducting another research project unrelated to my thesis.  Under the guidance of Dr. Michael Taylor and with the assistance of fellow graduate student Andrew Braun, this research will be a general survey of the fish species found in Cape LaCroix Creek.  Since I first moved to Cape Girardeau I have been fascinated by this creek.  It runs through the center of the city and in my opinion looks both controlled and polluted, but there is abundant fish life, and aquatic insect life as well.  As a volunteer for a nearby nature center I helped conduct a stream survey in the creek and found both mayfly and caddisfly larvae, evidence of a healthy creek.  I have identified longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) and shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) from the shore, in addition to a myriad of unknown species.  I am enrolled in ichthyology this semester as well, which is fitting.

I will post updates of this research as it takes place.  I mailed my application for a collector's permit tonight, so I probably will not begin until early September.  Because I have not yet taken ichthyology, I will be assisting my friend Andrew Braun in his research first to learn the finer points of seining.  He is conducting a similar survey at a conservation area whose name escapes me.

That is all for now.

Quick Update

I haven't updated this blog in a long while, so this is just a quick update.

I completed the vegetation surveys around the nests and also for the random plots.  Nest #10 survived for at least two days, at which time I was able to obtain measurements to show the growth of the young.  Unfortunately it was empty after three more days, a likely victim of predation.  Nest success is indeed quite low for lark sparrows at Sand Prairie.

Starting tomorrow I will be visiting Sand Prairie for four straight days, hoping to record the vocalizations of singing birds.  I already have some songs of post-breeding males but not nearly as many as I would like.

More Nests

I haven't updated this blog in a while.  I have still been kept busy, however, conducting vegetation surveys and searching for nests.  I completed three more random plot surveys last week, but thanks to today's discoveries, it looks like I will be conducting a few more.

My main focus today was to record the songs of post-breeding males, a rather difficult task considering the inconsistency with which birds sing in the middle to late summer months.  Before hiking to check on nest #5, I decided to explore the dunes near the parking lot, where my friend Whitney and I had seen a lone sparrow egg sitting in the sand the week before.  The egg was still there, the shell intact but the contents within no longer present.  A clump of panic grass was nearby and I lifted it to reveal an abandon lark sparrow nest, nest #9.  I will be conducting a survey of the surrounding vegetation this Thursday.

Nest #5 still held two eggs.  Nevertheless I still fear that the nest has been abandoned, simply because of the amount of time they've been there.  Upon my return to the sand washes I observed a pair of birds copulating and decided to follow them to see if they were nesting.  Assuming the birds to be territorial (which all available evidence leads to), I had been seeing this pair for the past month and their last nesting attempt had failed.  One of the birds led me to its new nest, a soft green caterpillar in its beak ready to feed the newborn chicks.  They weighed less than 3 grams and were likely only 1-2 days old.  An egg also remained unhatched.  I am holding out hope that these birds survive and fledge.

Relaxing Morning

Visited Sand Prairie this morning before work with no specific goals in mind.  I hadn't been there in a couple of days and figured I would snoop around and see if I could find any new nests or observe any behavior.  I have ordered two new compact flash drives on which to record songs, and it looks like I should be able to obtain some data.  There were at least three birds still singing at 9AM this morning, following their usual habit of vocalizing from an elevated perch.  Many of them seem to enjoy short persimmons no higher than my waist, and many seem to favor a particular tree.

I revisited nest #5 and was surprised to find a second egg in the nest once again.  Just over a week ago I visited the nest (which initially had 2 eggs) and there was only a single egg.  This would indicate that the sparrows laid another egg in spite of losing the first one to predation.

I also visited nest #8 and did not see any sign of the young sparrows.  I am hopeful that their departure from the nest was a success.

On Monday I will surveying three new random plots and will be collecting plants to press.

Another Nest

My only intention yesterday was to sample the vegetation around nest #6 and nest #7.  Both of the nests were in the usual location; beneath a sedge, bluestem, or panic grass surrounded by an open sandy area with little other vegetation.  After I completed this I decided to walk to the northeast part of the conservation area to observe the pair of lark sparrows there.

It was very windy but I eventually saw a sparrow sitting atop a small tree, an insect in its mouth.  It then became a waiting game as I stood patiently until the bird return to its nest.  I was pleased to find a nest with three well developed young birds.  I estimated them to be at least 9-10 days old.

I began to take measurements of the young when I was able to witness something quite incredible.  One of the young birds hopped out of the nest and scurried across the ground, concealing itself beneath the surrounding panic grass.  It began to chirp loudly and its parents would reply with a high-pitched note.  They were quite restless, flying every few seconds and landing within 3-4 meters of me with food in their mouths.  After I finished measurements, a second youngster also departed the nest, begging for food as it went.  I imagine they will remain by the nest to be fed by their parents over the next couple of days.

I will revisit the site on Thursday to sample vegetation and to see whether the young birds are still in the vicinity.  I will also be collecting plants then and using a plant press for the first time.

Disappoinment

I arrived at Sand Prairie today with my banding gear, only to find nest #7 completely devoid of any birds.  I don't believe they fledged because they still had quite a lot of development to go and the unhatched egg had also disappeared from the nest.

It feels like quite an unlucky streak, but in fact my results are not too unexpected.  Some previous studies of lark sparrow breeding biology revealed a nesting success rate of only eight percent, which is fewer than one in ten.  I would imagine predation is quite high in a habitat like Sand Prairie.

There is a male bird in the far northeastern portion of the refuge that continues to sing.  I will try to record his vocalizations within the next week.  I have also seen a pair in that area but saw no indication of any nests.  The sheer remoteness of the pair has limited my exposure to them, however, so they may well be nesting.  I will be checking on them quite frequently in the coming weeks.

My focus will now shift to vegetation surveys.  There are currently no successful nests for me to monitor, and outside of the aforementioned pair I have seen no definitive parental action.  I will keep my eyes peeled while I collect the plants, however.

Updates

Yesterday's visit to Sand Prairie was a bit of a disappointment.  Nest #6, which I had discovered only days earlier, was discovered by a predator and three of the young were gone, with the remaining individual already dead.  Also, nest #5 only had one egg remaining, and the female was not incubating.  On a positive note I did discover another nest, and this one had much older birds, at least 5-6 days.  Their eyes were open and feathers were beginning to develop.  There were two young and one unhatched egg.  I am hoping to band them this weekend barring another instance of predation.

I spoke with Dr. Bornstein, Southeast Missouri State's botany professor, and he suggested that I collect vegetation samples to strengthen the credibility of my research.  I am fully on board with this idea and will be learning to press plants in the coming weeks.  I am fortunate that a previous student, Josh Wibbenmeyer, has already conducted a floristic survey of Sand Prairie Conservation Area; his samples are available to me at the school herbarium.  This makes identification much easier for me.

Finally, I will be undertaking a independent research project this fall to survey the fish fauna of Cape LaCroix Creek.  I enjoy jogging along the creek and have seen a wide variety of species just in passing.  I will post updates from that research on here as well.

Today's Discoveries

It turns out I never made it to Sand Prairie yesterday as planned.  Instead I visited the conservation area today after my summer class.  My plans were to record the weight of the eggs in nest #5 and to survey the vegetation immediately surrounding the nest.

I was delighted to find a bird incubating nest #5, indicating that it is still in use.  There were still only two eggs.  Measurements were taken for the eggs and the vegetation was sampled in a square meter plot surrounding the nest.  I wanted to make sure I did both at one time to minimize the number of nest disturbances.  To my surprise it took me awhile to relocate the nest, but while I searched two adult birds flew in rough circles above me.  They called sporadically but did not land, at least not near me.  I assumed they were the pair that had constructed nest #5, but since I later startled the female off the nest, this must have been a different pair.  My adviser, Dr. Eddleman, suggested the possibility of polygyny, where multiple females nest within the territory of a single male bird.  I will have to look into this further.

I also spent a good while observing birds around the dunes.  This is where four out of the first five nests were constructed and where I have seen the vast majority of birds.  Not far from nest #1 is a persimmon that is a favored perch for a particular pair of sparrows, most likely the ones who built the nest.  I observed a bird with an insect in its beak and waited patiently for it to fly to its nest.  It did not move but was soon joined by a second bird with an empty beak.  The second bird eventually flew to the west, while the bird with the insect flew a good distance south.  Both seemed to leave what I thought was their territory.

Several minutes later I located a different bird only a few meters in front me with a green caterpillar in its beak.  The bird remained motionless for a while before crouching down and walking stealthily to a concealed nest.  This nest was located beneath a plant that still needs to be identified and contained 4 young birds.  Because I had already disturbed the nest I decided to take the weight, length, and tarsal measurements of 2 of the young.  One of the birds weighed 6.1 grams, while the the other weighed only 3.1 grams.  Based on Baepler's (1968) weight measurements, I would estimate these birds to be between 2-3 days old.  Since Baepler's study indicates an increase of roughly 2-3 grams per day, the smaller bird may well have hatched one day later than the heavier one.  The larger bird had a total length of 43mm, while the smaller bird was 36mm in length.  Tarsi length was 13.5mm and 11mm, respectively.

I was able to locate the vicinity of another nest but was never able to find the nest itself.  Both parents returned to the area with insects in their beaks but neither entered a nest.  Instead they either remained still or crept slowly among the bunches of grass.  Both this pair and the pairs before indicate a high degree of caution among lark sparrows when it comes to concealing their nest.

Because both of these nests are located among the dunes, my hypothesis is that they are re-nesting attempts by the same pairs that previously experienced nest predation.  In order to lessen the risk of predation I do not intend on returning to these nests for at least 2-3 days.

Update

After my summer class today I visited Sand Prairie Conservation Area.  My main goal was to check on nest #5, which I had discovered May 30 in an open area in the southeast corner of the reserve.  It was located beneath a splitbeard bluestem (Andropogon ternarius), one of two plant species the sparrows seem to favor.  It still had two eggs in the nest, half the average clutch size of 4 and unchanged from when I visited it a week earlier.  According to Baepler's (1968) study in Oklahoma, females were hesitant to leave the nest when incubating, loyal to the point that he could grab one with his hand.  It seems odd to me that I have only seen two birds incubating during my countless visits to the prairie, and both times they flew away from the nest.  There were four lark sparrows near nest #5 which indicates a possible second nest.  The two pairs did not appear to be antagonistic.

Nest #1 is most certainly abandoned.  The eggs were laid over three weeks ago and are now completely covered in sand.  On Jun. 8 I intend to observe the dunes from a distance for parental activity.  Considering my current luck with eggs, I am hoping for a nest with chicks.

Nest Update

Thus far I have located five lark sparrow nests at Sand Prairie Conservation Area.  Although I have seen eggs in four of them, none of them have successfully fledged.  Two experienced predation while a third appears to have abandon, as the eggs have not hatched in over three weeks and are now covered in sand.  I am still holding out hope for a nest that I found in the 40 hectare portion of the reserve.  There is also another pair of birds in suitable habitat in the unburned prairie that have likely built nest already.  I plan on visiting the area tomorrow evening and will note whether the adult birds are bringing food to any young.

Welcome

This is my official research page for my thesis research.  Check back for regular updates.