Posted By:
Cliff-Brown
Field Editor
Talbot 10-15-2009 09:33
Cloudy, High Winds – 45-50 Degrees
Hearing more reports of ducks, especially some woodies in Talbot Co off Choptank. Off to scout first hand now !
Seems like a decent chance for good early season opener generally…hope the duck gods have smiled on us as well!!
Posted By:
Cliff-Brown
Field Editor
Maryland 10-13-2009 10:44
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
Am hearing reports of a pretty noticeable influx of ducks. Kent is seeing more woodies, Caroline and Dorchester…more of everything in certain areas….teal, woodies, mallards, blacks, gadwalls. This may not be a “nirvana” type surge in all
areas but it certanly feels like the weather up north and/or nature’s clock has indeed coincided to push some birds our way..now if they will keep coming and not get blown out the end of this week…..maybe some of us will have a good early seaosn!!!
Cliff Brown
Posted By:
rwigton@hotmail.com
Web Member
jug bay and merkel wr 10-09-2009 11:28
– – –
cliff, the raptor excuse drives me nuts!!! I can’t understand that!
Posted By:
Cliff-Brown
Field Editor
Kent 10-01-2009 10:16
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 50-60 Degrees
In Kent Co,
Observing the past few days that WD numbers are dropping , birds acting more skittish in a baited, trapping pond locale….they head in many different directions when leaving instead of returing to the initial “source” direction as before……but more mallards being seen..almost 50-50 mix now as compared to 90-10 in favor of WD.
Cliff Brown
Posted By:
Cliff-Brown
Field Editor
Maryland 09-28-2009 15:06
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings,
What follows are excerpts from a letter I wrote to USF&W commenting on their proposed plan for the Eastern Neck Refuge in Kent / QA Co.
I strongly encourage all waterfowlers to review the short file available on line and commment yourself. They are proposing a dramatic change in refuge complexion and mission priorities. Excuse the length of this but please read on and take some action. A short email to the contact person if nothing else.
Thanks much in your own best interests as this type of mission creep as it may spread elsewhere is yet another erosion in waterfowl support despite the fact that these assets were funded by “us” and created for waterfowl.
Please go to
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/
Eastern%20Neck/ccphome.html
To review the proposed plans online or to download a PDF file,.
Excerpts taken from C/Brown letter dated September 23.
quote
Eastern Neck has never reached its full potential as a diverse migratory waterfowl and shorebird refuge. Diverting a disproportionate level of resources for non-migratory waterfowl purposes does not seem appropriate until the basic mission is accomplished.
Plan B
Supported over Plan A or C but its too limited in scope for waterfowl as discussed herein. Active remediation and use of the current infrastructure is also not specifically addressed as there are current, serious deficiencies frustrating the effectiveness of the refuge.
Over the past few decades, the deteriorating environmental change in reduced SAV’s has diminished the effectiveness and appeal of the refuge overall and specifically for many other “dabbling” waterfowl species which are now largely absent. It is this habitat element that needs a more substantive design concept and resource allocation than that proposed.
The refuge does not serve a very wide diversity of puddle ducks. Mallards and black ducks are the primary visitors. Others are occasional visitors as the weekly fall surveys indicate. The nature and limited scope of the current “interior” wetlands causes this and it is the most significant deficiency that prevents Eastern Neck from playing a more important role in Atlantic Flyway migration support – both in the fall and spring. Relatively few pintails, green wing teal, blue wing teal, gadwalls, widgeon, shovellors, ring necks or wood ducks use the refuge and very few “mud-flat” oriented shorebirds use it as well. This can change as others are readily demonstrating elsewhere.
The existing high volume water well was designed to insure that the GTR’s had water when needed each fall (funded by Ducks Unlimited). Ironically, it has been largely idle for lack of fuel money and the effectiveness of the GTR’s have been substantially diminished. It is in need of valve repair, possibly more.
The recent DU wetland is a wonderful addition but Eastern Neck must have more emergent wetland “critical mass”, i.e. a larger area under seasonal and year round water (excluding buffer and dike acreage) for its interior wetlands to attract the numerous dabbling duck waterfowl species it presently does not serve. Kent and QA Counties are basically devoid of these type habitats
The plan to expand the MSUs to 50 acres by pursuing several new projects is great but this is too limited to transform the refuge into a much more effective migratory bird refuge for the types of birds that need it most in this region. A series of small, dispersed emergent wetlands does not accomplish the same impact as one 50 acre wetland supported by another 50 acres of smaller, proximate wetlands. A minimum 100-125 acre emergent wetland goal should be established. 1-2 relatively large wetlands should be developed in addition to expansion / maintenance of the MSU’s indicated and the GTR’s must be made functionally annually (if not covered as MSU’s).
Removing 173 acres from agriculture for additional forest seems excessive and strongly conveys that the purpose of the refuge has indeed shifted fundamentally from past priorities as the Draft Goals intimate. The justification for this has not been explained.
The concept that 372 acres in somewhat larger tracts in a non-hunted sanctuary is better than 545 acres in the current size mode is fundamentally flawed and contrary to actual bird use in undisturbed areas. A 32% reduction in food base for geese will mean fewer geese and/or shorter use periods on the refuge, its pretty simple math. In a hunting environment, no question larger tracts can help attract larger numbers of geese and help hold them as a pseudo rest sanctuary as they are less likely to be disturbed but they will use every conceivable food parcel available as the season progresses or move to find it!
Conclusion
I support Plan B with these modifications:
• Increase the emergent wetland component to 100-125 acres from 50 to enhance the refuge into a “full service” facility for all migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, consistent with the goal of providing more year round photo and recreational observation opportunities.
• Fix the GTR current dikes, drains and well ASAP and establish an operating plan to utilize these seasonal assets as intended when the well was provided.
• Do not remove / convert 173 acres to forest for raptors
• Retain a more meaningful “ag” base of operations after removal of primarily “ag” land for the expanded wetlands program.
• Consider removing small hedge rows and conversion of very small “ag” patches to optimize what is now marginal wildlife habitat and to lower maintenance cost inefficiencies associated with these small border areas.
unquote
Cliff Brown
Posted By:
Cliff-Brown
Field Editor
Maryland 09-28-2009 14:55
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings for the 2009-10 season! Could not get my login codes squared away but now up and running……
Poplar Island dredge wetland is holding large numbers (thousands) of teal and other dabblers just a week or so ago. Not sure where the other teal are but Hart Miller dredge wetland also had some. Northern kent has had a few as had the upper Choptank but folks who did find them ain’t talkin’ much about it so its hard to tell if we had many come thru….
Wood ducks aggregating. Brood survival “feels” good as suggested by DNR’s record banding year..more than 800..typically they might band 200-400. Hope thyey hang around for the late Oct season. Band recovery data I’m told, suggests that the 3 bird bag may have contributed an increasse harvest in SC
