Status of Waterfowl Conditions
| 2009 Habitat Conditions |
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Habitat conditions during the 2009 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey were characterized as near normal with adequate moisture across the southern areas of the prairie breeding grounds, greatly improving wetlands in the Dakotas and eastern Montana. Adequate moisture and good habitat conditions characterized much of the eastern survey area, while drier conditions prevailed in the Canadian traditional survey area, with the exception of southern Manitoba. Extremely late spring conditions represented most northern survey areas. Eastern Survey AreaFrom Maine through most of the Maritimes, an above average snowfall was experienced and average spring temperatures were recorded, resulting in fully charged wetlands with little flooding, which is in contrast to flooding in 2008. Despite below average snowfall and winter temperatures for Newfoundland and Labrador, habitat conditions are rated as fair to excellent, with poorer conditions found at higher elevation habitat. Through New York and much of Quebec and Ontario, generally good to excellent waterfowl habitat exists but a series of major storms during mid May in southwest Ontario could hamper production from flooding. The Nickel and Clay belts of east-central Ontario and points farther west were supporting good habitat at the time of the survey following average winter and spring precipitation. Good habitat conditions remained moving farther north but deteriorated approaching the James and Hudson Bay lowlands due to deep snows and a very late spring, while lowland habitats on the Quebec side were much drier than normal. Traditional Survey AreaThe traditional survey area offers a contrast in waterfowl habitat for 2009. Major improvements from 2008 occurred in the Dakotas and Montana. Above normal precipitation and an adequate frost seal have dramatically recovered wetlands to good to excellent condition that were ranked as poor in 2008. This is especially true over much of North Dakota, eastern Montana and western and northern South Dakota. While wetlands conditions in this region are very positive for waterfowl production, it is important to note that over 1.2 million acres of CRP lands will be expired by the end of 2009. Fair to poor wetland conditions exist mostly in western Montana and southeastern South Dakota. Conditions in Canada are similar. Southern Manitoba experienced an improvement in wetland conditions, with much of the area rated as good to excellent. The southern grasslands of Saskatchewan improved considerably as well due to above average precipitation that occurred in fall 2008. Much of the remaining prairie and parkland portions of Saskatchewan had below average precipitation, in some cases <40 percent of normal, resulting in mostly poor to fair wetland conditions with good habitats only available where holdover moisture from two years ago persisted. Alberta remains the driest province. Wetland conditions in 2009 did improve to good in western and northern areas of the province but much of the surveyed area south of the boreal forest remains poor to fair. A late, cold spring defines the two northern crew areas. The smaller habitats that have thawed, such as beaver ponds, in northern Alberta and into the Northwest Territories are rated as good. All larger lakes remained frozen across a large region of the north, delaying nesting for species such as scaup, mergansers, and scoters. Habitats across northern Saskatchewan and portions of northern Manitoba were ranked as poor to fair as a result of ice cover, which cause delayed nesting, and greatly reduced water levels in open habitats. Habitats did improve, however, moving east across northern Manitoba. The majority of Alaska is rated as good. Goose Breeding ConditionsA late spring is the general trend as well across much of the important goose breeding areas of North America. Breeding areas for Atlantic, Mississippi Valley, and Eastern Prairie Canada goose populations are estimated to be up to three weeks late and production is expected to be poor. Snow and Ross’ goose colonies along Hudson Bay will likely produce few young as well. Spring phenology is near normal on Bylot Island, the core nesting area for greater snow geese. Farther west across the high arctic, another late spring and anticipated poor gosling production are expected in areas important to snow, Ross’, small Canada geese and white-fronted geese. Satellite imagery indicates an earlier than normal snowmelt west of Queen Maud Gulf, an important area for white-fronted geese and Eastern Population tundra swans. Average conditions persist in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta, the nesting center for cackling Canada geese, Pacific white-fronted geese, Western Population tundra swans, and Pacific black brant. Favorable goose and swan production is predicted from Alaska’s North Slope due to earlier than normal spring conditions. Due to the remoteness of most goose nesting areas, please consider these reports very preliminary, with the potential to change. |
