Translucent Yellow Gelatinous Organic Mass in Elbow River

Last November I photographed this translucent yellow gelatinous organic mass on the floor of a shallow portion of the Elbow River. I walk by this location several times a week and the mass seemed to suddenly appear. The mass was several feet high.

Several days later the mass had deflated and was lying on the floor of the river. This implies the interior of the mass was filled with a gas.

The growth was located in a section of the Elbow River that is shallow and located between the mainland and a gravel bar about about 8 to 10 meters offshore. Until the flood in June 2013, the gravel bar was an island with a beaver lodge. The flood deposited enough dirt and gravel to connect the west end of the island to the mainland. This created a shallow blind inlet at the eastern end of the island. Since the river flows from west to east, the water movement in this newly created inlet is slow. The growth was close to the sun exposed southern shore of the river. Since the river is shallow, the temperature of the water in this location is higher. Slow water movement and a higher temperature likely favoured the growth of this organic mass.

By mid-March the snow had melted on this portion of the Elbow. Over the intervening four winter months the mass totally disappeared.

I spent research time on the Internet but was not able to identify the cause of the growth. Since the Elbow River provides the water supply for Calgary, I wondered about the toxic potential for this unusual growth. I sent the above photos to a provincial water expert to request assistance to identify the organic growth. I received a reply but no answers.

I will monitor the location this year to see if the mass redevelops. 

Tracking Meadow Voles

Meadow Vole - Microtus pennsylvanicus

Meadow Voles have the largest range of any North American vole and can be found in every province and in the Arctic.

Meadow voles do not hibernate and are active all year round.

The photo below shows the bounding gait of a Meadow Vole in the snow. The tail is responsible for the center line between the prints. 





































Winter nests are usually created in grassy areas on the ground and under a layer of snow. Burrows are connected to grassy runways which allow the vole access to feeding sites.

The photo below shows a snow tunnel created by a vole on an ice surface over a shallow portion of the Elbow River. The tunnel started by the land edge where tussocks of marsh grass served as the burrow. The vole likely abandoned this runway when continued ice implied that a feeding site was not close.


Below is a photo of a typical Meadow Vole runway through yard grass. The runways were created during the winter under the snow and are conspicuous once the snow melts in the spring.


In the photo below, the runway from the upper left leads to a nesting area towards the right.


Summer nests are similarly built as shallow burrows, often under debris, and are connected to a network of runways through the grass. 

Breeding starts in early spring while the burrows are still covered in snow and continues until autumn. Females are sexually mature as early as 25 days of age. Gestation last 21 days. The average litter is 4 to 6 infant voles. There are two to four litters a year in the wild. In captivity a female who mates immediately after every litter might give birth up to 17 times a year. Theoretically, with enough food and without any predation, illness, or injury, a pair of Meadow Voles could produce a million descendants in one year!!

Reference
Naughton D. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. University of Toronto Press. 2012. 

Sun on Ice

River Reflections

Tracking Canada Geese

Canada Geese - Branta canadensis 

The Elbow River is a winter home to these hardy birds.

Below are goose tracks in the snow by the side of the Elbow River. 

Geese are prolific poopers. The photo below shows a small collection of the typical cylindrical poops.

The geese frequent the side of the river but often prefer to congregate on small islands (gravel bars), which offer better security.

References
Sibley  DA. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 2000.