Just returned from the annual mid-summer tour of the duck factory - from SE ND to Edmonton AB - and things are looking better than they have for the last few years. A lot of the wetlands that have been dry for the last 3 or 5 years (especially western Sask and eastern Alberta) have some water in them at last. Many pothole/sloughs/ponds had ducks and geese on them (it's 1000 miles, so that's a lot of birds). Some folks I talked to thought they might not be yet producing as many ducks as they did before, but it is a step in the right direction. Some of the big dry lakes are still dry, but its gonna take an awful lot to fill them up. I gotta say it was 100% better than last year.
For those who care about the implications, the crops (peas) up north look good compared to the disaster of last year - so this might impact the staging areas/timing for geese.
Note: the above isn't a statistically valid assessment made by a trained observer, but if you send me some crayons I can draw you a map...
M.
For those who care about the implications, the crops (peas) up north look good compared to the disaster of last year - so this might impact the staging areas/timing for geese.
Note: the above isn't a statistically valid assessment made by a trained observer, but if you send me some crayons I can draw you a map...
M.
