In the News

The Chronicle
December 21, 2005

The Lloyd Center for the Environment conducted its nineteenth annual Waterfowl Census on Sunday, December 4th.

Lloyd Center staff, along with numerous volunteers, visited a number of the coastal estuaries and salt ponds with the goal of identifying and counting the numbers of ducks, geese, swans and any other species present. The twenty-eight areas surveyed included waterways from Apponagansett Bay in Dartmouth, Massachusetts to the Sakonnet River in Tiverton, Rhode Island.

Each birder was provided by the Lloyd Center with a map of the area that he or she was responsible for covering. Most of the birders began their counts in the wee hours of the morning, although the storm did delay some birders’ starting times. All information was reported back to the Lloyd Center that same day for tabulation. The percentage of the site that is frozen was also reported. The presence of ice in the inland ponds and marshes push the birds into the coastal estuaries and salt pond. In general, if the estuaries are iced over, than all but the largest local freshwater habitats are frozen over as well. Most of the geese and ducks are usually seen in areas such as the Westport River, Slocum River and Allens Pond, where the daily tidal flows keep at least partially ice-free and flowing.

In past years, as many as 6,994 individual birds have been counted in one day. Typically, American Black Ducks and Canada Geese make-up most of the birds counted, with Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers, Mallards, Mute Swans, and Common Goldeneyes making up most of the other species found. Scientists often categorize water birds into “divers,” such as Buffleheads, Mergansers and Goldeneyes, who get their food by diving underwater, and “dabblers,” such as Mallards and Black Ducks, that tend to surface feed. Geese and Swans are put in a separate category.

This year’s count yielded 141 less birds than last year’s December count, with 4,656 birds. The snowy conditions for this survey, and the very high tide, may have biased the data somewhat since birds tend to be more dispersed in some estuaries at highest tides. (Last year’s survey was done at low tide.) In addition, this year’s delayed onset of the extended autumn cold, that usually freezes freshwater ponds, is a potential explanation for the lower numbers of birds in the estuaries. Two Great Egrets were sighted at Briggs Marsh, a very late sighting for these summer waders, and an indicator of the unseasonably warm autumn.

Key trends for more common species included low numbers for Canada Geese and American Black Ducks, and slightly lower numbers of Bufflehead. A very large flock of Mallards (610) was seen at Nonquit Pond, which accounted for the increase in Mallards by almost 500 birds. Notable increases were observed for Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Green-winged Teals, and American Coots. Most individuals for these species occurred at Briggs Marsh, which yielded the most waterfowl of any site (1,128 birds). American Coots (473) comprised the bulk of this high number at Briggs Marsh. Tunipus Pond had most of the Ruddy Ducks (224), whereas no Ruddy Ducks were observed at all in last season’s December count. The first survey was conducted in the winter of 1987-1988, when American Black Ducks were counted in the southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal waterways.

A second census will take place in January 29 to compare early and late-winter distribution, which varies because of migratory patterns, the weather, and the availability of open water in the wetlands. Numbers tend to be higher in the January count.

This story appeared in the Chronicle on 12/21/05.