How Fish Came to Crater Lake
Taken from Crater Lake
“Were fish present in Crater Lake when it was discovered in 1853,” is a question frequently asked by visitors to the park, but apparently it is a query that will never be answered to the satisfaction of everyone.
John Wesley Hillman, discoverer of the lake, did not descend to the water, and thus made no observations concerning the existence of life within it. However, in 1865 a group of soldiers from Fort Klamath on a hunting expedition reportedly saw on the shores of the lake a hawk-like bird clutching a fish in its talons. Subsequent visitors to the lake between the years 1866 and 1888 failed to find any evidence that fish were present; so the belief has grown that Crater Lake was barren until rainbow trout were planted by Judge William G. Steel in 1888.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to speculate concerning the possible means by which fish might have gotten to Crater Lake providing we choose to accept the report as given by the soldiers that fish were present in the lake in 1865.
First, trout and allied species have been carried short distance by ospreys and other predacious birds. The author has seen a cutthroat trout survive such a forced trip of one-quarter mile in Yellowstone Park. However, distances from streams on the slopes of Mt. Mazama over the rim of the crater and down to the lake are so great that it is quite unlikely that such a transfer occurred.
It has also been proved that aquatic birds, such as gulls and pelicans, have occasionally carried fertilized fish eggs on their feet from one waterway to another; but in the case of Crater Lake such a transfer of trout eggs is only a remote possibility because the eggs of this group of fish are usually buried by the female several inches in the sand and gravel in the preparation of the redds or nests.
A third possibility is the presence of underground channels through which fish could have made their way from the headwaters of adjacent streams into the lake. It is possible that such direct channels do exist, but the likelihood of trout traversing such a waterway is very doubtful.
If fish were able to migrate through such underwater channels, it is likely that there would have been an interchange of fish between Emerald Lake, a small body of water on Wizard Island, and Crater Lake; for only a short distance separates the two lakes. The fact that the chemical composition and the water levels are identical and the fact that the rocks which separate the two bodies of water are large and piled in a haphazard fashion indicates that an exchange of water exists.
Throughout the world aborigines have frequently transferred fish to water situations which were more convenient for their angling activities. Indians certainly were present in the vicinity of Crater Lake for many years before the first white explorers and settlers came into the area, but it has never been proved that the Indians of Western North America ever engaged in the transplanting of fishes.
In addition to those methods enumerated there are several other ways by which fish have been carried from one waterway to another, such as waterspouts, tidal waves, etc., but the chances of such a transfer in the case of Crater Lake are again extremely remote.
On the other hand, we can choose to believe the more likely supposition that fish were absent in Crater Lake until artificially placed there by man in 1888. Because this transplant was made under unusual circumstances, conditions which illustrate the endurance and perseverance of the western pioneers, the facts will bear repeating.
Believing that fish life would add to the attractiveness of Crater Lake, Judge Steel persuaded a friend who lived on the Rogue River, forty-five miles from Crater Lake, to supply him with fingerling rainbow bout. Several hundred were placed into a large bucket, covered with cloth, and stowed in a wagon. It eventually became necessary for the Judge to carry the bucket the forty-odd miles to the lake, for the rough road caused the water to slosh out of the pail. At creeks enroute he refilled the container with fresh water and during the night was very careful to protect the fish from harm.
Upon arriving at the crater rim Judge Steel was greatly disappointed to find that most of the small trout were dead. In an effort to save the remainder which showed signs of life, the Judge carried the bucket down the precipitous slope of the crater wall and released 37 trout into the lake. These fish apparently prospered, for tourists who came to the lake during the following years reported that rainbow trout were present in the lake, trout which they believed were the same offspring of the individuals Judge Steel had planted.
Since 1888 over a million have been planted in Crater Lake. Very few of these have been taken, but they and their progeny have added pleasure to many fishermen who have visited the park.
Ornithological Notes of Interest – 1950
Nutcrackers and Camprobbers
The summer of 1950 has produced an unusually rich array of observations which contribute to a more thorough understanding of the avifauna of Crater Lake National Park.
It has been presumed that the important factor determining the numbers of Farallon cormorants, Phalacrocorax auritus albociliatus Ridgway, on the lake is the status of the fish population. Cormorants reached their greatest abundance during 1939 when as many as 50 were seen at one time on the Phantom Ship.
During that summer large numbers of salmon were infested with a fungus, Saprolegnia,and were easily caught by the cormorants. There were abundant populations of small salmon in the 1940 and 1941 seasons end cormorants were common. From 1946 through 1949 the fish population was relatively low and few cormorants were seen. During the summer of 1950 rather extensive schools of small salmon could be observed. On the other hand, up to the 25th of August only a single cormorant had been observed. That was on July 25, near Wizard Island. The explanation of the failure of cormorants to appear in numbers in response to the increased fish population may lie in the apparently reduced numbers of cormorants on Upper Klamath Lake since it seems very likely that Crater Lake cormorants are actually visitors from Upper Klamath Lake. This may be an equally important factor in determining the number of cormorants on Crater Lake.
Several other interesting observations have been made on the lake. On August 16, Duane S. Fitzgerald, pilot of the launch, observed a great blue heron, Ardea herodias treganzai Court, on the shore of Chaski Bay. This is the second record for Crater Lake, the only previous record being that of the author of one on Wizard Island on August 26, 1949. On August 16 Fitzgerald observed 10 mallards, Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchosLinnaeus, in Chaski Bay; the flock included several green-headed males. Only two previous records for the lake are known to the author: C. H. Merriam collected two on Wizard Island in August-September, 1396, and the author saw four in Eagle Cove on August 3, 1946. The summer of 1950 also produced the first definite records of the lesser scaup Aythya affinis (Eaton), on the lake. Two were seen by Denis J. Illige on Fumarole Bay on August 9; two were seen by Rollow S. Robinson and Duane S. Fitzgerald in Chaski Bay on August 12 and 13. Spotted sandpipers, Actitis maculariaLinnaeus, have again been observed on the shores of Fumarole and Cloudcap bays. California gulls, Larus californicus Lawrence, have again appeared in substantial numbers. The author’s first observation was two on July 2. Throughout August, from 25 to 40 have been observed perched on the rocks on the west side of Skell Channel. On August 13, Rollo S. Robinson saw a water ouzel, Cinclus mexicanus unicolor Bonaparte, at the Boat Landing. The appearance of water ouzels during the last part of July or the first part of August along the south shore of the lake occurs practically every year and perhaps may be best interpreted as an extension of the upward movement of water ouzels that begins in July.
A pair of nesting duck hawks, Falco peregrinus anatum Bonaparte, was discovered on Llao Rock by Denis J. Illige and the author on July 21. On July 23 young could be heard calling on the northeast face of the rock. Because of the inaccessibility of the site they could not be seen.
On July 29 Dr. William H. Baker and the author flushed a female and covey of plumed quail, Oreortyx picta picta (Douglas), in the rather dense forest of sugar pine, Douglas fir, and white fir on the north wall of Red Blanket Canyon. There were at least 11 chicks some of which could fly and some of which could not. This is the first definite record of breeding by this species in the park. This species is common at lower elevations in the Rogue River Valley but is rare in the park.
Field work in June in the southern part of the park produced some interesting results. In the ponderosa forest with intermingled clumps of chaparral, mostly Ceanothus velutinusDouglas, in the “Panhandle” and along the South Boundary between Sun and Annie creeks, substantial numbers of territorial males of the Calaveras warbler, Vermivora ruficapilla Ridgway x van Rossem; Warner Mountains fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca fulva Swarth; and Wright’s flycatcher, Empidonax wrightii Baird, were observed, establishing these as common breeding species in these areas.
Perhaps the most important ornithological development was the discovery of a breeding group of horned larks, Eremophila alpestris Linnaeus, on the northwest slope of Llao Rock near the summit. On July 21, Denis J. Illige and I saw about ten including a juvenal bird scarcely able to fly and being fed by an adult. On July 23 only a single bird was seen and none could be found on July 27. This record is somewhat remarkable because of its elevation (7700 ft.). However the habitat, other than the 40° slope involved, was a reasonably normal one for horned-larks. Most of the area is open with a predominant cover of sedge, mostly Carex brewerii Boott. There are some areas in which sedge is absent and the principal species present are flowering plants such asLupinus lyallii Gray, Phacelia leucophylla Torrey, Agoseris glauca Nuttall, andPolygonum newberryi Small. This area should be investigated in subsequent years beginning earlier in the season.
 Nuthatch |
Black-eyed pigmy nuthatches, Sitta pygmaea melanotis van Rossem, were unusually common in the park this summer. During June flocks containing as many as 20 were observed in the ponderosa pine in the “Panhandle.” Later, smaller numbers were observed in many parts of the park, including a single bird in the clump of white-bark pines on the summit of Llao Rock.
During June large flocks of Western evening grosbeaks,Hesperiphona vespertina brooksi Grinnell, and red crossbills,Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus, were observed in the “Panhandle” and along the South Boundary between Annie and Sun Creeks. Both species were feeding on ponderosa seeds. Later in the summer crossbills were observed occasionally at various places in the park, but rarely with more than five or six in a group.
Among the species whose population and distribution in the park fluctuate markedly from year to year is the lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena (Say). The summer of 1940 was a season of maximum population and maximum distribution; singing males were quite common at Park Headquarters, on Castle Crest, and in Munson Meadow, as well as in the more suitable habitats at lower elevations. During 1946 the author was unable to obtain a single record anywhere in the park; a few were observed during 1948. During the summer of 1950 a few singing males were noted at the headwaters of the East Fork of Annie Creek, and a few in Wheeler Creek Canyon near the East Entrance.
My ten-acre study plot in upper Munson Meadow had five pairs of Lincoln sparrows,Melospiza lincolnii alticola Miller and McCabe during the summer of 1950 compared to six during the summer of 1948. The approximate areas of the 1950 territories in acres were 1.2, 0.5, 0.25, 1.1, and 1.5. Because of the heavy snowfall the breeding season was late. Territorial defense did not develop until the first and second weeks of July, for the area was under snow until the first week of July. The lateness of the breeding season is best illustrated by citing Aldrich’s observation of juvenal Lincoln sparrows in the same area on July 12, 1937.
On August 11, 1950 the author observed a single western bluebird Sialia mexicana occidentalis Townsend, at 7800 feet on Dutton Ridge It was in a feeding flock of mountain bluebirds, Sialia currucoides (Bechstein). Doubtless this is another example of upward movement by this species as observed by Dixon in 1944 and 1945.
Although Cassin finches, Carpodacus cassinii Baird, appeared to be somewhat less common than usual, what appears to be our first definite observation of a nest was recorded. The author found this nest in a Shasta fir at Kerr Notch on July 28. At that time one young had left the nest and was being fed by the male. There were at least four more young in the nest.
The Red Crossbill Irruption of 1951
Unquestionably the most spectacular ornithological phenomenon of the summer of 1951 was the prodigious numbers of red crossbills, Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus.
These spectacular nomadic finches were reported continuously and in substantial numbers from all parts of the park. They were the repeated subject of questions and comments by large numbers of visitors most of whom have only the most casual interests in birds. At the Rim Village they could be observed repeatedly at distances of a very few feet as they pecked systematically, possibly for minerals, at the andesite blocks of the retaining wall. The same behavior was observed less frequently at fireplaces and at broken places on the pavement of the highways.
Crossbills were relatively abundant during the summer of 1950, but the numbers observed then were greatly eclipsed by the numbers recorded this season. My field notes yield a reasonably useful comparison in terms of the numbers of crossbills seen per hour in the field during several summers in the park.
| Year
|
Hours in the field
|
Number of Crossbills Seen per Hour |
| 1940 | 50 | 0.1 |
| 1941 | 50 | 0.1 |
| 1942-1945 | no records | |
| 1946 | 65 | 0.9 |
| 1947 | no records | |
| 1948 | 74 | 0.5 |
| 1949 | 42 | 1.0 |
| 1950 | 111 | 1.7 |
| 1951 | 110 | 5.5 |
Although no nests were found I am quite certain that breeding has occurred in the park during 1951. Pairs were seen repeatedly, singing was common, courtship display was observed several times, copulation was observed once, a juvenile bird was observed being fed, and the specimens obtained for the park collection were in breeding condition.
With respect to periods of abundance in the past it is interesting to note that Miller and Miller (ms. 1926) observed only a few in 1926. Superintendent E. C. Solinsky reported them as abundant in October 1930. Campbell (1934) saw none during the summer of 1934. According to Aldrich (1938, 1940) red crossbills were abundant during the summer of 1938 when there were good crops of cones on the white-bark pines and mountain hemlocks; they were less abundant again in 1939 and quite uncommon during 1940. During 1938 Aldrich (1940) observed a juvenile being fed by an adult.
The “mineral pecking” behavior which was observed so frequently this summer was also observed repeatedly during the summer of 1938 (Aldrich, 1939) and less commonly during 1939 and 1940.
The specimens obtained during 1950 and 1951 indicate that the race involved in this irruption is bendirei Ridgway.
References Cited
Aldrich, Elmer C.
1938. Notes on the Sierra Crossbill. Crater Lake National Nature Notes,11(3): 27-29
1939. Notes on the salt-feeding habits of the Red Crossbill. Condor, 41(4): 172-173.
1940. Notes on the birds of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Condor, 42(2): 89-90.
Campbell, Berry
1934. Annotated list of the vertebrates of Crater Lake National Park. Mimeographed, National Park Service, Crater National Park, 22pp.
Miller, Loye, and Alden H. Miller
1926. Birds observed in Crater Lake National Park during the season July 1 – August 15, 1926. Manuscript in the files of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
Unusual Bird Records
POORWILL (Phalaenoptilus nuttalli)
On September 6, 1951, Dr. Donald C. Lowrie and I found a dead poorwill on the rim road on Dutton Ridge one mile east of Sun Notch at an elevation of 7250 feet.
Apparently this bird had been killed by a car sometime during the night, for it was quite fresh at 8:30 A.M. when we found it. The skin was damaged beyond salvation, but the wings and tail were saved and placed in the study-skin collection at park headquarters. The blackish area in the middle of the crown, the back of the neck extensively marked with black, and a dull blackish-gray back suggests that this bird was a dusky poorwill(Phalaenoptilus nuttalli californicus). So far as I could learn, Dr. Donald S. Farner collected the only specimen ever previously reported in the park.
LEWIS WOODPECKER (Asyndesmus lewis)
The Lewis woodpecker migrates through the park each fall. The following observations record the start of their fall migration for 1951: September 2, one juvenile at 7700 feet of elevation of Llao Rock; September 6, two adults at 7430 feet near Reflection Point, 20 within ten minutes at the same elevation near Sentinel Point, and four near 8000 feet at the base of Mt. Scott.
AMERICAN PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta rubescens)
Pipits pass through the park on their way south. I observed them at higher elevations near the rim as follows: on September 2, three at 8046 feet in a sedge meadow on Llao Rock; on September 6, one at 8938 feet on top of Mt. Scott and six on the pumice slide on the west slope of this mountain. On September 3 three individuals, perhaps the same I had seen the day before, were seen on the very summit of Llao Rock by Dr. R. Whitaker and Don Holloway of Washington State College, naturalist assistant Roy Lee Rogers, and the park naturalist.
CEDAR WAXWING (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Few cedar waxwings have been observed in the park. I saw a single bird on the rim near Sentinel Point on August 12.
BREWER BLACKBIRD (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Records for this bird within the park are rare although they are common near Fort Klamath. On September 6, Dr. Donald C. Lowrie and I saw two. One was seen at 8:30 A.M. hunting insects among the Newberry knotweeds one-half mile southeast of Sentinel Point. Another was seen at 1:30 P.M. on the pavement west of the Administration Building. A bird was seen at 7:00 P.M. in the same general area, but this was probably the same individual seen at noon.
SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)
I saw three savannah sparrows on the grassy summit of Llao Rock on September 2. This may be first record of these field-loving birds on this lofty summit, although the park naturalist informs me that he has seen them at lower elevations, namely in Copeland Meadows.
Special Numbers of Nature Notes
The Crater Lake Natural History Association is planning a series of special numbers to fill the demand for information on a variety of subjects in Crater Lake National Park and Oregon Caves National The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel in Crater Lake National Park,” is already in the hands of the lithoprinter. It has been written by former ranger naturalist Dr. Ralph R. Huestis of the zoology staff of the University of Oregon. Dr. Huestis was famous for his lodge talks which sparkled with wit, cleverness of expression, and dependable fact. This product of his pen, a subject with which he delighted so many park audiences, will please the reader in similar ample degree.
In this issue, a pen and ink sketch of quillwort has been reproduced from an original by Dr. Charles Yocom. Dr. Yocom was assigned the task of drawing 120 different plants of the park and the Caves area this summer. These will be parts of two small portfolios on popular and common flowers of these areas. Other brochures will deal with birds, trees, Indians of the region, and mammals. At the present time, nine have been prepared or projected for the coming three years.
Winter Scene on the Run
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