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Re: BBC's Mid-Winter Bird Count: Total count

From:

Les Roslund

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Sun, 30 Jan 2005 18:56:13 -0500

Kevin Graff's Bird Count report included mention of a certain water site as
being 'marked death' for waterfowl. This caught my attention since the
Mallards have kept an opening in the ice near my home over here on Leeds
Creek even through the very coldest of our nights. We have had temperatures
as low as 11 degrees.  In the past three days there have been two duck
deaths at that site.  The first was a Mallard Hen and the second one (last
night) was a Ring-necked Duck drake.  The Mallard carcass was up onto the
ice about three feet from the water's edge.  The Ring-neck's carcass was on
its back on the ice and just barely out of the water. Neither of these birds
were victims of being frozen in the ice, so what is the likely cause of
death?  (Eagles cleaned up both carcasses quite promptly each morning.)

For the Mallard, with the death occurring while hunting season was still
going on, that bird could have been carrying shot of some kind, leaving it
especially weakened.  But for the Ring-neck, the bird looked in great health
during the day yesterday.  I doubt that it had been a gunner's target - but
it was just as dead this morning.  Does anyone want to comment on or venture
a guess as to the causes of these deaths?

The open hole has been maintained by the work of up to 175 Mallards, and
they have been working hard on those coldest nights to keep it open.  The
700 Canada Geese are around, but I have concluded that the Mallards do most
of the work.  By morning, all of the waterfowl seem to be quite fatigued,
and they have rested quietly around the opening for several hours or more
after the light of dawn arrives.  The hole is oval with length of about 70
feet and width of 40 feet.

Les Roslund
Talbot County
Easton, MD