Special Report – DUCK NUMBERS UP! – July 5, 2006 – The numbers are in, and for most species the news is good. Overall, waterfowl populations rose 14% from the 2005 survey and remain 9% above the 1955-2005 average. Pond counts also improved in key areas of prairie Canada this year, rising 13% from last year to 4.2 Million ponds. The same 13% increase was seen in total ponds over the US and Canada. The report does include some cautionary notes, indicating a drying cycle for many areas of the US breeding grounds that began shortly after the surveys were completed.
There are some troubling numbers within the survey, however. Wigeon and scaup numbers have continued to decline and remain significantly below their long term averages (LTA). Pintail also remain below their LTA but saw an increase of 32% from the 2005 survey. Continue reading