Late spring habitat conditions report

[h2ofwlr]

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/habit ... tions-2016

[lanyard]

Given the variability in weather and ground/pond conditions they should look at two reports:

Nesting conditions: weather, available grass lands, risk of flooding

Rearing conditions: water availability, wetland concentrations, conditions conducive to invertebrate hatches and submergent/emergent vegetation

Water/drought reports are great, but as we very often see, they have little effect on what is seen in duck populations the following fall, i.e. now setting fall regulations in spring.

Just a wish, thanks for the link.

[h2ofwlr]

I disagree. When we have dry conditions in the PPR and Canada the hatch is lower and thus the fall flight numbers will be down.

Case in point:
Delta Waterfowl Forecasts a Reduced Fall Duck Flight
http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/news/arti ... uck-flight

[lanyard]

The key: when the mallards and pintails over fly the dry Prairie to the boreal wetlands... do they still breed?

Do they"fly back" also, therefore missing the spring counts in the south?

I spend a lot of time NW of Alexandria and this spring has been bumper in MN compared to the last several years.

The fallacy of surveys are the areas not surveyed. It's DA bemoaning low spring counts only to have the DNR say, "the late where caused a late asterisk and we missed them...."

Sat through plenty of "higher than long term average" seasons not shooting diddly and spent days shooing birds out of the decoys in 3&30.

I take point counts and breeding pair counts as religiously as the guy that says, "go up a mile or two, turn left when you see the cow...."

I believe in the science, don't get me wrong, but I've never found it more accurate than a 7 day forecast.

[Nershi]

The key: when the mallards and pintails over fly the dry Prairie to the boreal wetlands... do they still breed?

Exactly. Last year I think a majority of the breeding was done in the boreal. We did great in the upper reaches of the prairie in SK in early November and the farmers said the ducks were just arriving. Hunter reports reflected their comments.

I don't pay attention to waterfowl forecasts or counts anymore. They don't seem anywhere close to accurate.

[Quack]

The key: when the mallards and pintails over fly the dry Prairie to the boreal wetlands... do they still breed?

Some do, some don't. Those that do have smaller broods, not to mention the "prairie birds" that fly over the prairie to the boreal make it a little crowded for the boreal birds that always breed there. Bottom line is that the boreal isn't nearly as productive as the prairie.

However, when the prairie is too dry for breeding it makes sense that more birds will come through MN too. At least it did 30 years ago. Might not be true anymore given all the giant wetlands/lakes in the Dakotas that are still dandy migration habitat...

[lanyard]

Quack, you silly rabbit. The birds that nest in MN rather than the Prairie Coteau become "local birds" and are subject to MN claims/laws/counting methods.

Best welfare in the flyway:-)

[Quack]

Their female offspring most likely become "MN Locals" ... philopatry

[lanyard]

^^^^^ *presses the "like"button*