Lousy Winter Makes For Better Bay Bird Watching

Severe weather pushes more waterfowl into region

Severe weather to the north of the region pushed a large number of ducks, geese and swans into the main portion of the Chesapeake Bay this winter, leading to a 22 percent jump in the results of Maryland’s 2014 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey.

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), pilots and biologists from both DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) counted more than 905,000 waterfowl during their aerial assessments of state waters this winter. The birds were easier to count this season than in winters past because a number of them were concentrated in the few ice-free, open waters of the Bay and its tributaries.

This total included 128,000 dabbling ducks and 190,300 diving ducks, representing a 76 and 94 percent jump from last winter, respectively. Indeed, the canvasback count was the highest it has been since the mid-1960s, and estimates for mallards and black ducks were the highest they have been since the mid-1970s. Survey teams also witnessed large numbers of Canada geese along the upper Bay: 512,000, 11 percent more than were witnessed in January 2013.

Lesser Scaup (female) in Flag Harbor

This doesn't agree with my own limited observations on my own 3 miles or so of beach.  The Tundra Swans were in low numbers, and even the the Buffleheads seemed fewer than we often see and fewer of the other species of "winter" ducks (Scaup, Goldeneye, Old Squaw) that we often see around the harbor mouth.  I'm willing to concede that our relatively exposed and rough expanse of beach may not be the most reflective of the entire Bay, however.