User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
| Weather/Temperature | Date | Location | Time | Animals | Plants |
| Overcast, light drizzle, 8 degrees Celsius | 6-12-2019 | Lost Lake, Mundy Park,
Coquitlam, BC |
1400 – 1445 | Hooded mergansers | Red elderberry – Sambuca racemose |
| Raven – auditory | Western redcedar – Thuja plicata | ||||
| Douglas-fir – Pseudotsuga menziesii |
As I arrived at the Lake it was shrouded in mist, obscuring my view on the north side. As I continued to observe the plant life at the lake, the mist started to lift and that is when I noticed the hooded mergansers. The male was showcasing his display for the female. The female would start to come closer to the male then retreat. This was repeated many times, only interrupted by their diving underwater.Lost Lake is found on the eastern side of Mundy Park in Coquitlam, BC. It is a small lake in a dedicated forested (City park) surrounded by urbanization of residential housing and schools on all sides. Lost Lake is the smaller of the two lakes in Mundy Park, the larger being Mundy Lake. Lost Lake is special in that it is known to house a species-at-risk, Western Painted Turtle – Coastal Population and to provide possible habitat to other species-at-risk such as the red-legged frog and the pacific water shrew. It is a permanent body of water, that is usually still with an outflow on the southeast corner into Lost Creek that flows in a general southerly direction toward the Fraser River.
The vegetation surrounding the lake is mainly conifers with some deciduous shrubbery closer to Lost Creek. The majority of shrubs were devoid of leaves but some had leaves turning colour. The red elderberry had bright yellowed leaves, of the leaves still remaining on the shrub.
Lost Lake is inaccessible to park users on all sides except on the south side, where I stood, there is a viewing area with benches. There is also a trail that goes near the lake on the west side, that runs north – south, but it does not allow access to the lake. I observed many park users walking their dogs off-leash here and some of the dog owners were throwing balls off-trail for their dogs to go and find in the forest.
The lake is about 170 metres long running north to south and about 50 metres wide from east to west. I’ve been to this lake many times throughout the different seasons but this is the first time I’ve seen hooded mergansers using the lake.
- Why are hooded mergansers on the lake at this time of year when I have not observed them at any other time of year on the lake before?
- Is there noticeable degradation of the forested area by park users between Lost Lake and the nearby trails systems?
- Inventory – what is the species diversity of Lost Lake in Winter?
