Chico CA Snow Goose Festival

Snow Geese

The Chico Snow Goose Festival celebrates the annual winter waterfowl migration in California's North Sacramento Valley.

Millions of geese, ducks, swans and other birds visit the Sacramento Valley from as far away as the Arctic regions of Alaska, Canada, and Siberia, making the valley the most important wintering area along the great Pacific Flyway.

Geese, swans, ducks, and sandhill cranes have been spending their winters in the Sacramento Valley for thousands of years.

Waterfowl and shorebirds migrate south on all the U.S. flyways, but on other routes cold weather keeps them on the move. In the Sacramento Valley, mild winters allow the birds to stay in one area, creating a viewing opportunity nowhere else available.

The Festival features dozens of field trips and workshops that range out into six counties. The field trips spread out into the rice fields, wildlife refuges, and river walks where mild winter weather, abundant food and lots of water draw the avian arrivals.

Local wildlife naturalists lrad field trips to educate participants about waterfowl and other migratory birds. In rice fields and on refuges, birding experts describe how to pick out a swan from a goose from a duck. Other field trip leaders will focus on sand hill cranes and their dancing behavior.

Some trips are scheduled around fly-offs when thousands of snow geese take off as they move to a new feeding. Observers are likely to find ducks and geese as trip leaders have scouted out the best viewing sites.

The Festival also celebrates plant and animal life in the North Sacramento Valley. There are programs on wildlife and habitats in addition to rice fields and refuges.

Some field trips explore habitats including vernal pools, grasslands, nature preserves and even hiking in scenic Sutter Buttes.

Festival workshops explore nature photography, beginning birding, birds of your backyard, watchable wildlife, wood ducks, decoy duck carving, and other wildlife-related activities. Also featured are wildlife art exhibits and nature displays.

A Friends of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge webcam provides views of a seasonal wetlands pond with migrating waterfowl and raptors. 

For more information, or visit the Snow Goose Festival website at www.snowgoosefestival.org.

2015-16 Kentucky Waterfowl Forecasts

Kentucky duck numbers are expected to be strong during the 2015-16 winter season, according to Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

“This year, we’ve had the highest counts of ducks as a whole by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service,” said John Brunjes, migratory bird coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “It is the highest counts ever with 49,522,000 ducks as well as 11,643,000 mallards, also a new record.”

Green-winged teal populations are at their all-time high with just over 4 million birds and numbers of gadwall numbers are also exceptionally high with 3,834,000 birds.

Cold weather could push northern duck populations into Kentucky. “The migration maps show many ducks in the upper Plains and upper Midwest,” Brunjes explained.

Popular areas for viewing waterfowl in Kentucky include Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, numerous state parks, and private refuges.

Chesapeake Bay Waterfowl

Mallard Drake

Many of North America's best known waterfowl can be found on the Chesapeake Bay. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, the estuary is an important stopover and wintering area for waterfowl.

During spring, mallards, black ducks, green-wing teal, and Canada geese nest in saltwater marshes of Chesapeake Bay. Farther up the watershed, wood ducks raise their young.

In summer, some waterfowl become secretive and move into backwater hideaways where abundant vegetation conceals their presence. In contrast, mallards and Canada geese often remain in areas where human activity occurs.

As days shorten and nights become cooler, flocks of migratory Canada geese appear in the skies over the watershed. By late fall, surf scoters and long-tailed ducks appear on the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

By mid winter, waterfowl populations increase as residents and early season migrants are joined by Atlantic brant, snow geese, and tundra swans.

Despite cold temperatures, many of the watershed's creeks and rivers become feeding areas for common mergansers, red-breasted mergansers, and hooded mergansers.

In spring as temperatures begin to rise and daylight increases, many species begin to move out of the Chesapeake Bay as the migrate towards their summer breeding grounds.

Some waterfowl remain on the estuary year round. The marshes, swamps, and other secluded habitats of the Chesapeake Bay watershed provide important nesting and nursey areas for black ducks, wood ducks, teal, Canada Geese, and other waterfowl.

North American Snow Goose Populations

Snow Geese

Populations of snow geese, blue geese, and Ross’s geese in North America, collectively referred to as “light geese,” have grown to record levels over the past three decades, according to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

USFWS biologists theorize that the overabundance of light geese is harming arctic tundra breeding habitat, which could have negative impacts on light geese and other bird species that depend on these areas.

Since 2009 hunters have had the opportunity to pursue snow geese during the spring as a result of a special management action referred to as a “Conservation Order” allowed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The measure was adopted at the recommendation of federal and state wildlife scientists in response to concerns about a growing number of snow geese across North America.

Eight states in the Atlantic Flyway (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Vermont) will hold a Spring Snow Goose Conservation Order in 2014.

source: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Best Areas to View Snow Geese in New Jersey

Snow Geese

The following is a summary of the best areas in New Jersey to view snow geese:

Northern Jersey

In Northern Jersey, snow geese often winter at Merrill Creek Reservoir. These flocks typically exceed 15,000 birds in January and can build to over 75,000 birds in late winter. Merrill Creek Reservoir flocks may cover a wide area during daily feeding forays. Feeding snow geese are usually found from Belvidere to Washington to Clinton to Flemington.

Central New Jersey

Snow goose flocks typically total 5-10 thousand birds in central New Jersey. Flocks in this region are seen feeding in fields in an area from Cranbury to Roosevelt to Wrightstown to Burlington.

Delaware Bay

Delaware Bay tidal marshes and nearby inland farm fields attract the highest numbers of snow geese in New Jersey. During the Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey in early January, researchers may estimate 100,000 light geese in these areas.

Delaware Bay flocks feed, roost and loaf in the tidal marshes yet often make inland field feeding flights primarily into Salem and Cumberland Counties. At times, flocks range as far inland as Mullica Hill, Turnersville and Franklinville.

Southern New Jersey
Snow geese can be found in and around Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville. Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey counts from early January are typically about 5,000 birds in this region.

source: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife

Connecticut Urban Waterfowl

Researchers found high numbers of mallards and other puddle ducks in urban sanctuaries during Connecticut’s annual Midwinter Waterfowl Survey. The presence of wild waterfowl in urban areas is often associated with supplemental feeding activities, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“The Department discourages citizens from feeding waterfowl for a number of reasons, including increased risk of disease transmission, potential for poor nutrition, and a clouding of the real issue facing waterfowl and wildlife in general in Connecticut – loss of suitable habitat,” said Rick Jacobson, Director for the DEEP Wildlife Division.

DEEP conducted the annual Midwinter Waterfowl Survey on January 8 and 9, 2014. The survey is conducted throughout the Atlantic Flyway, and is used as an index of long-term wintering waterfowl trends.

The Connecticut survey is conducted from a helicopter and a census is obtained from the coast, the three major river systems, and selected inland lakes and reservoirs.

A brochure entitled, “Do Not Feed Waterfowl” outlines potential hazards of feeding waterfowl. The document is available on the DEEP website at: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/wildlife/pdf_files/game/NoFeedWF.pdf.

source: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

CWA Goose Lake Watershed Land Aquisition

At its November 2013 meeting, the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved an array of grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout the state.

Among the new projects is a $2.3 million grant to the California Waterfowl Association to acquire approximately 1,670 acres of land for the purpose of protecting wetlands and associated upland habitat areas in the Goose Lake watershed.

Located in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Goose Lake watershed supports numerous migratory birds and threatened and endangered species. Goose Lake watershed serves as an important stopover along the Pacific Flyway.

For more information about the WCB, please visit www.wcb.ca.gov.

source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

USFWS Report - 2013 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations

Although many species of North American ducks declined in numbers from 2012, populations are in good condition, according to a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) study.

The preliminary estimate of total duck populations provided in the 2013 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations report was 45.6 million birds.

The report provides estimated survey data from north-central United States, south-central and northern Canada, and Alaska. The total duck estimate excludes scoters, eiders, long-tailed ducks, mergansers and wood ducks.

Report Highlights:

mallard estimated abundance is 10.4 million birds

Blue-winged teal estimated abundance is 7.7 million

Green-winged teal estimated abundance is 3.1 million

Northern pintail estimated abundance is 3.3 million

Estimated abundance of American wigeon is 2.6 million

Combined lesser and greater scaup estimated abundance is 4.2 million

Canvasback estimated abundance is 787,000

The surveys are conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Services’ Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, sampling more than 2 million square miles of waterfowl habitat across Alaska, the north-central and northeastern United States and south-central, eastern and northern Canada. Information is not included from surveys conducted by state or provincial agencies.

The annual survey guides the Service’s waterfowl conservation programs under authority of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Service works in partnership with state biologists from the four flyways – the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific – to establish regulatory frameworks for waterfowl hunting season lengths, dates and bag limits.

For more information about the surveyed areas, the survey methodology and the estimates, the Trends Report in Duck Breeding Populations, 1955-2013 report can be downloaded from the Service's Web site at www.fws.gov/migratorybirds.

source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Abundance of Geese Expected Along Atlantic Flyway

light geese

An abundance of geese and other waterfowl are expected to migrate along the Atlantic Flyway this season.

According to Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the number of breeding Atlantic Population Canada geese were significantly higher during the spring of 2011, increasing from approximately 154,000 pairs in 2010, to 194,800 pairs this season.

Although the number of pairs increased, a cold spring on the Ungava Peninsula contributed to a slightly reduced nesting effort, with fewer eggs laid compared to a normal nesting year.

Light geese are also expected to be abundant. Greater and lesser snow geese and Ross's geese are collectively referred to as "light geese". These birds have become so abundant that they are causing harm to wetland habitats throughout their range.

Birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts that wish to support wild populations of waterfowl can purchase a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp).

Federal Duck Stamps are available at most U.S. Post Offices, National Wildlife Refuges, and some DNR sport license agents. Federal Duck Stamps can also be purchased by calling toll-free 1-800-DUCK499, 1-800-STAMP24 or order online at www.duckstamp.com.

Maryland 2011 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey

Results of the 2011 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey have been released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Each winter, pilots and biologists from the two agencies count ducks, geese and swans along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay shoreline and Atlantic coast. In January 2011, survey teams observed 640,700 waterfowl which is lower than the number of waterfowl observed in January 2010 (787,100).

Experts attribute the decline to the observance of fewer Canada geese and snow geese along bay shoreline habitats. Large numbers of geese likely went undetected at inland locations, which are not covered by the survey.

Canada goose populations remained high, partly due to additional numbers of geese that were pushed south by the cold temperatures and heavy snow cover in areas north of Maryland.

Overall, greater numbers of ducks were counted in 2011 (199,300) than last winter (173,700), mainly attributed to higher numbers of mallards (55,600) and canvasbacks (43,600). In addition, exceptional numbers of gadwalls were observed on the submerged aquatic vegetation beds on the Susquehanna Flats.

The Midwinter Waterfowl Survey has been conducted annually throughout the United States since the early 1950s.

source: MD DNR