A Good Year for Ducks

Duck Populations Soar to Record High

Duck populations have soared to “record highs” this year, based on numbers provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a report by Ducks Unlimited.

Why? Heavy rain across the upper Midwest and Canada this spring produced extensive ponds and wetlands that are necessary for the breeding of ducks that migrate southward toward the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere.

The breeding population of the most common duck species this year is estimated at 45.6 million birds, an 11 percent increase from the previous year's estimate and the largest total estimate since surveys began in 1955, according to Ducks Unlimited.

It's nice to get some good news about Bay critters; there hasn't been enough of that this year.  Maybe I'll get some decent duck pictures this winter.