The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks are currently conducting a research project that involves placing transmitters on mallards.
Last week I was in Bismarck, North Dakota for the Outdoor Writers of America Associations (OWAA) annual conference. The conference location gave Ducks Unlimited a great opportunity to expose the outdoor writing community to waterfowl, the Prairie Pothole Region and in particular the Missouri Coteau.
During the conference I made several trips with writers into the coteau to stress the importance of this region to nesting waterfowl as well as the incredible pressures currently placed on wetland and grassland habitat, in particular, native prairie grassland. Ducks Unlimited also conducted a formal bus tour for 15 additional writers (look for an upcoming blog about the bus tour).
This trip to the prairies also afforded me a chance to do a little tracking for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). As many of you know the AGFC has been conducting research on migrating mallards and have placed satellite radio transmitters on a number of mallard ducks each winter. Since AGFC staff were to be in Bismarck and a satellite transmitter toting mallard hen was just 23 miles away, AGFC waterfowl biologist Luke Naylor asked his communications staff attending the conference to see if they could locate this female.
My good friend and colleague Keith Stephens, Assistant Chief of Communications, asked me if I wanted to tag along. Having started the AGFC satellite mallard tracking program back in 2002 when I was at the AGFC he knew it was an offer I would not refuse. Besides he also wanted me to drive! Also joining the crew was the editor of the Arkansas Wildlife Magazine, Jeff Williams and AGFC communications staff Randy Zeller and Trey Reid.
With the GPS coordinates in hand we headed west on Interstate 94 in search of mallard hen #7630. Her most recent location indicated that she was using a creek and small wetland just southeast of the city of New Salem.
Satellite view of the location on June 22nd.
Duck Id: 76360
- Gender: F
- Band Number: 1757-68671
- Band Location: Tichnor, AR
- Band Date: 01/25/2008
- Last Transmit Date: 6/30/2008
As we drove west we noted how dry this area was and that it was mainly in agriculture, a mix of cattle ranching and cropland. We also pondered our chances of actually spotting this bird. Satellite telemetry location data can be particularly accurate, as close as 20 feet but the data we had was hours old. Would she still be there? And could we see here?
Wide angle view of the wetland where we found mallard hen 76360.
As we approached the corner of 41st avenue and 42nd street (no we were not in New York City!) a wetland appeared about 200 yards off the road. With the naked eye we could see a pair of mallards on the wetland. Could it be? We scrambled for binoculars and telephoto lenses. As I dialed in with my 400mm lens to my surprise I could see a lump/transmitter on the females back and then the antenna. Sure enough we had found the needle in a haystack.
Mallard hen 76360 and her mate.
The backpack and antenna are faintly visible.
We tried to get closer for a better picture but they spooked and took flight. The antenna is visible above her wings.
Check Out:
AGFC Satellite Mallard Program
The North American Grasslands Conservation Initiative
Track Ducks on the Internet