[Bristol-Birds] More Canada Geese enroute to Saltville (from Iowa ?)
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 15:17:30 -0400
Bristol Area Birders:
The town fathers of Saltville, Virginia can learn a little something if they
want to look at data on file by the Bristol Bird Club: the "managed hunts" the
town conducted last year will have little lingering effect on their Canada
Goose problems.
We can show them that Canada Geese will not find it difficult at all to
repopulate the town's well field (salt ponds) but goose reinforcement may be on
its way. No. Not just birds from the surrounding counties but possibly birds
from Iowa and Michigan.
Four banded Canada Geese, identified from band numbers read through a spotting
scope near South Holston Dam Sunday, July 17, have been determined to be birds
banded by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and relased during 2004
in southern Iowa. Michigan was trying to get rid of problem birds in their
state.
The band numbers were recorded by Chris O'Bryan and Wallace Coffey at the Weir
Dam, located just below South Holston Dam, along the South Fork Holston River
in Sullivan Co., TN.
According to an Iowa Wildlife Department waterfowl biologist, located at the
state's Clear Lake waterfowl research station, the birds were released in Iowa
as part of a cooperative program with the Michigan DNR. He said they are not
considered as "normal wild birds" and are looked upon by wildlife researchers
as experimental birds.
During a three to four year period ending last year, Michigan was capturing
2000 to 3000 birds each year and delivering them by truck to Iowa for release.
Michigan biologists were banding the birds to see if they would imprint on the
Iowa release area and not return to Michigan. It is a study dealing with the
overflowing urban goose population. Iowa, not having large metro areas, has a
capacity to take birds. While that project was discontinued last year, about
400 Canada Geese were captured by the state of Minnesota and released in Iowa
this year.
The birds seen at South Holston were known to be at least one year of age or
more (after-hatching-year) when released June 17, 2004 at Lake Rathbun near
Madison Creek, in southern Iowa. The sex of the birds were not known.
When last seen at the South Holston Weir Dam, the four banded geese were
approximately 650 miles ESE of their Iowa release area (measured by GPS).
They were keeping company with a flock of about 25-30 Canada Geese and were
grazing and resting on the recreation area walkways near picnic tables. None
of the birds were alarmed by the close presence of humans.
Thanks to state ornithologist Mike Roedel of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency at Nashville and Mary Gustafson, Bird Banding Laboratory, USGS, Laurel
MD, for timely help with the recovery data for the geese.
Members of the Bristol Bird Club have kept a database of Canada Geese which
have been found in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia dating back to 1985.
We have nearly 1,000 sightings on record.
Let's go birding.....
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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