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We flew the waterfowl survey on Wednesday, December 7th, just as ice was forming from the arrival of the “Siberian Express” from the northwest. Extreme cold weather usually means mallards, and this front was no exception. Illinois River mallards were up 8% from last week, even though they were 17% below average. While mallards were up along the Illinois, we lost over 80,000 ducks in the IRV. The cold weather pushed out those non-mallard dabblers that have been hanging around for a month or so. As a result, total ducks along the Illinois were down 27% from last week and totaled 219,415 ducks. Something similar occurred along the Mississippi River when we lost some of those pintail, gadwall, and teal; however, mallards were up a whopping 100,000 birds. Mallards in the CMRV were up 45% from last week and 27% above average. We also found a huge raft of canvasbacks (77,200 ducks) south of Nauvoo along Pool 19. As we were flying up the Mississippi River from Nauvoo to New Boston, IL, we dodged countless numbers of diving ducks heading south, presumably to the southern reach of Pool 19 below Montrose, IA. All those diver hunters will be heading to their layout boats on Pool 19.

I snapped this picture of mallards and other ducks roosting at Ted Shanks Conservation Area below Saverton, MO. Shanks has bountiful “duck grub” this year with an abundance of moist-soil vegetation, natural foods, and a few areas of row crop agriculture. If you can zoom in on the photo, you will see: mallards, gadwall, American wigeon, American green-winged teal, northern pintail, and northern shoveler. Duck hunters always ask me how their Battleship mallard decoys look from the air. This photo shows you what mallards look like from above. I guess you can be the judge!

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We completed the waterfowl survey on Tuesday, November 29th following the arrival of new ducks into Illinois over Thanksgiving. Duck numbers (301,955) on the Illinois River were up 6% from last week and 38% above average for the last of November. Most of the increase was due to the arrival of some mallards which now stand at 127,915 birds; however, mallard numbers were below (24%) normal on the Illinois River. An even larger movement of mallards landed in the central Mississippi River region which were up 94% from last week and totaled 222,095 mallards. This mallard estimate was right at the 10-yr average. Total duck abundance for the Mississippi was 623,160; up 33% from last week and 50% above average for late November.

I was asked several times after the survey numbers were posted why hunter success was down. Specifically, one question was “How can duck hunting be slow if we have almost a million ducks between the two river systems”? I replied that our mallard numbers were currently average for the central Mississippi, but still 24% below average on the Illinois. We all know Mallards are “King” when it comes to duck hunting in Illinois, and mallards drive the harvest rate and duck hunter satisfaction in Illinois. So when mallard numbers are average or below, hunter success and satisfaction will be down. Further, I believe most of the other ducks have been here for at least a couple of weeks and many for about a month. The majority of the ducks have figured out where to avoid gunning pressure. Additionally, our mallards have started feeding late in the afternoon and into the night. I have heard multiple reports of mallards moving from refuges to the duck clubs at sunset to avoid hunting pressure. One of my colleagues joked that we have turned them into bats, forcing the ducks to feed at night to get a reprieve from the duck hunters. Hopefully, the weather system coming across the prairies this weekend (Dec. 2nd) will bring us more of those “prized” greenheads. Time will tell I guess.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

A major weather system tracked across the Midwest over the weekend of November 18th , and many of us were expecting a big push of ducks. But from what many hunters witnessed in the duck blind, we only had a small movement of ducks into the Illinois River valley on Saturday morning, or the mallards arrived and left very quickly as gunning declined drastically by Monday morning. Indeed, Doppler radar indicated emigration events on both Saturday (November 19th) and Sunday (November 20th) evenings along the middle Illinois River. Darn the bad luck! These observations were corroborated by the waterfowl survey that was flown on Monday, November 21st. Duck abundance (283,585) on the Illinois River actually declined 15% from the previous week, and even mallard numbers were down 14% from what we counted on November 14th . Illinois River mallards (114,300) were 19% below average for the week of Thanksgiving. In contrast, many reports of new ducks were heard from the lower portion of the central Mississippi River. We estimated total ducks (468,735) increased 27% from the November 14th survey and were 40% above the 10-yr average along the Mississippi River. Mallards more than doubled along the central Mississippi where they were up 52% from last week. We even had a bunch of canvasbacks (27,500) show up on Pool 19. Other diving ducks observed on Pool 19 included common goldeneye and bufflehead. The difference between the two rivers can be attributed to the devastating flood that occurred in August along the Illinois River. That flood wiped out most of the duck food in the Illinois Valley, and it has been apparent in our duck numbers this fall. For some of us, it has been the worst duck season in recent memory.

With the arrival of some diving ducks this week, I decided to write about the Forbes Biological Station’s banding program. Have you ever wondered where ducks go when they leave central Illinois? My colleagues, Chris Hine and Heath Hagy, described the recovery locations of spring banded lesser scaup in a popular article printed last winter and I’ll borrow from them. Since 2012, we have banded >7,500 lesser scaup during spring migration at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, Emiquon Preserve, and Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. From these marked birds, we have had 164 recoveries (mostly hunter harvested birds) extending from the Northwest Territories to the Gulf of Mexico. Our spring banded lesser scaup were harvested in Louisiana (24%), Illinois (20%), North Dakota (7%), and several other states. The harvest distribution of these birds illustrated the need to manage our waterfowl populations at the flyway and continental scales. If you would like a copy of the lesser scaup article, visit the following link.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We completed the latest waterfowl survey on Monday, November 14th . The field reports of new migrants arriving on November 8-9 th were verified in this week’s numbers. We estimated 333,095 ducks in the Illinois River valley which was 15% above average and up 56% from the previous week. A big chunk of that increase was due to an influx of mallards in both the upper and lower Illinois River where mallards increased 196% from the previous week. Likewise, total ducks (368,455) along the central Mississippi River valley (CMRV) were up 44% from the previous week and 12% above average for the middle of November. Mallard numbers along the CMRV climbed 83% from the previous week, and a decent sized raft of lesser scaup (12,000) was found between Nauvoo and Fort Madison. With the weather pattern forming in the prairies, I expect the arrival of new ducks beginning on November 18th . However, the central Illinois forecast of northwest winds and low temperatures in the mid-20’s on Saturday will likely drive out many of those non-mallard dabblers that have been hanging around for several weeks now. I guess next week’s survey will verify that prediction.

This week I decided to write about our canine companions. Those retrievers that make our lives easier and more enjoyable come in many breeds including the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly Coated Retriever, Flat Coated Retriever, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and even the Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner can make good duck dogs. Don’t discount the mixed breeds either as I have a friend that used a Rottweiler-Boxer mix, and he was a fine dog. We all know that a good dog will find countless more birds in dense vegetation than his owner; however, my quick search of the literature didn’t reveal much information on the percentage of downed ducks that our dogs find for us. One study from northern Illinois suggested pheasant hunters without dogs lost about 22% of their downed birds, while hunters using dogs lost only 9% of their shot birds. Some studies indicated crippling losses in ducks was between 33-50%; however, an experienced hunter with a well-trained retriever reduced that number to <16%. My preference is the Labrador Retriever, specifically the yellow lab. I remember an old duck hunter from Springfield, IL, that liked to tell me I had an imitation “black dog” referring to the black labs. He was a Chesapeake fancier and gave high praise to his beloved Chessie. No matter what breed you prefer, a good dog is a pleasure to watch and hunt with. Here’s a toast to our dogs!

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

The weather was perfect for a waterfowl survey on Monday, November 7th. We estimated 213,465 total ducks in the Illinois River valley (IRV) which was up 7% from the previous week; however, do to above average temperatures across the Midwest, we are running well below average (41% low) for the second week of November. The central Mississippi River valley (CMRV; 253,375 ducks) is doing much better in relation to the 10-yr average (4% low), and duck abundance was up 28% from the previous week. However, this increase was likely due to the middle zone duck season opener in Missouri on November 5th . Ducks were dispersed around the duck clubs in St. Charles County prior to opening day and were forced into the refuges after the season started.

The current weather pattern is at least part of the problem with our duck numbers along both rivers. The species distribution usually starts to change by the second week of November when we shift from the non-mallard dabblers (northern pintail, gadwall, American wigeon, American green-winged teal, and northern shoveler) to mallards. In fact, our mallard numbers this week were 67% and 38% below average along the IRV and CMRV, respectively. In many years, Veteran’s Day weekend brings some gusty winds and colder temperatures, and this year’s forecast may bring some north winds and freezing lows. Some of you might even remember the Armistice Day blizzard on November 11, 1940. We could sure use some “ducky” weather, but we don’t need a repeat of 1940.

Since my flight, I have heard reports of new migrants along both rivers. Migrant mallards and some snow geese were noticed in the Louisiana, MO, area earlier in the week, and I am hearing more gunshots this morning from my office as I write this blog. Good luck hunting and enjoy the Veteran’s Day Holiday. To all the active duty military and veterans out there, Thank You for your service!

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

Gusty winds near 25 mph on Halloween morning delayed our weekly waterfowl flight until Tuesday, November 1st. Duck numbers were still climbing along the Illinois River valley (IRV; up 16% from last week) and central Mississippi River valley (CMRV; up 31% from last week). Duck abundance was “eerily” similar between the two rivers and seemed fitting for this week of Halloween. I estimated 198,825 ducks in the IRV which was 19% below the 10-yr average. Duck numbers along the CMRV were 21% above the 10-yr average where I estimated 197,980 birds. Sixty-six percent of the ducks along the Mississippi were located in the confluence region with the Illinois River near Grafton.

I think we had a couple different events happening in the last week. Reports from the field indicated some of the northern pintails may have departed the Havana area on Wednesday October 26th. This report coincided with a 14% reduction of pintails in the IRV and 42% reduction in pintails along the CMRV from last week. I also heard gunning picked up a little on Sunday, October 30th along the middle Illinois River and below Quincy on the Mississippi. This little spurt in hunting success may have been due to a flight of immigrants from the north. In fact, I noticed many more mallards, gadwall, and ring-necked ducks this week, and the first rafts of lesser scaup, or bluebills, were noted in the Nauvoo area of Pool 19. Our duck hunters are hoping for a break in this weather pattern soon so that more ducks from the prairies will arrive on a cold north wind.

I hope you enjoy this photo from Hennepin and Hopper lakes. We were cutting a hard-banked turn right on top of these birds so the shot is looking straight down from above. Note the northern pintails sitting in their normal systematic pattern on the mudflats. If you can zoom in on the photo, you will see Canada geese, American white pelican, American coot, northern shoveler, and the tiny brown ducks are American green-winged teal. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

The weather was right for a waterfowl survey of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers on Monday, October 24th, following the Central Zone duck season opener in Illinois. Duck numbers (171,990) were up 71% along the Illinois River from the previous week; however, I think the majority of this increase was attributed to the shuffle of ducks out of the private clubs and into the refuges due to hunting pressure. There were some new immigrants into the Illinois River valley as noted by the increase in ring-necked ducks; nevertheless, we were still 12% below the 10-yr average for the last week of October. On the central Mississippi River, I estimated 151,435 total ducks which was 10% above the 10-yr average, but only 7% up from the previous week. The Mississippi likely didn’t see the big increase in duck numbers with the Central Zone opener because duck hunting in Missouri doesn’t open until October 29th in the North Zone and November 5th in the Middle Zone; therefore, the ducks were still scattered in the private clubs along the lower Mississippi River above St. Louis, MO. Those white-fronted geese that showed up last week, must have continued their way south, because we only saw a handful of specks this week.

I hate to be a “Debbie Downer” but hunting reports from the field were poor for the Central Zone opener with a preponderance of dismal from the Illinois River. Some hunters in the vicinity of Bath reported their worst opener in 20 years, and many of the big duck clubs along the Illinois River reported fewer than 1 duck per hunter. Opening day hunting success at Anderson Lake and Rice Lake was 1.2 ducks/hunter which was down from the 2.2 ducks/hunter on opening day in 2015. This year’s harvest was primarily wood ducks and teal. Hunter success (1.6 ducks/hunter) at the Mississippi River Area (MRA) near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers was a little better than the middle Illinois River; and again, American green-winged teal and wood ducks dominated the harvest. Only 44 mallards were harvested in the entire MRA on opening day. I don’t think it will get much better until this weather pattern breaks and we get a push of birds from the prairies. Until then, be safe and enjoy the mild weather.

Since we’re not having any luck duck hunting, we might as well dream of the big flocks of mallards that should be arriving in November. Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We last flew the waterfowl survey of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers on Tuesday, October 18th following the strong winds that howled all day on Monday. Waterfowl numbers on the Illinois River were up 96% from the previous week at 100,730 ducks; however, we remained 9% below the 10-yr average. Similarly, total duck abundance (140,975) was up 107% along the Mississippi River from the October 10th inventory and was a whopping 134% above the 10-yr average. The majority of those birds were counted at Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (Swan and Gilbert lakes) at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers near Grafton. Our early season migrants were comprised of non-mallard dabbling ducks including: northern pintail, northern shoveler, gadwall, American wigeon, and American green-winged teal. Due to the relatively mild weather, there were still substantial numbers of blue-winged teal along both rivers.

My scouting reports from the duck marshes indicated there was a movement of birds into both river systems on Sunday morning, October 16th . This immigration of waterfowl was noted on the aerial inventory by the increased numbers of northern pintail and our first sightings of greater white-fronted geese, or specklebellies. “Specks” as the hunters call them, resemble Canada geese at a distance; however, their flight behavior and squeaky voice more closely mimics the lesser snow goose.

Harvest reports from the north zone opener and central zone youth hunt indicated spotty hunting success. I had one hunter from Senachwine Lake report a slow opening day but that harvest picked up on Sunday. Many others reported harvesting mostly wood ducks and teal, especially blue-winged teal. Other reports indicated a decrease in the number of birds at Emiquon on Thursday morning October 20th, and I checked the radar on Thursday evening to find a mass of waterbirds departing the Havana area about an hour after sunset.

To get to this page yourself, Google “nexrad rap ucar” and click the first link that comes up. The radar images are in UTC time which is 5 hrs ahead of central daylight time (CDT) and 6 hrs ahead of CST. So if you want to see the radar from an hour after sunset from the night before, select the end date as today, the end time as 1:00 AM (0100 UTC), and a loop duration of 3 hours. This will give you radar images from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Once you have configured the settings, click the ILX radar icon near Lincoln, IL to see birds departing the middle Illinois River below Peoria. The image from Thursday evening was likely American coots leaving the Emiquon complex and heading southeasterly over Springfield, IL.

Be safe and enjoy the central zone waterfowl opener this weekend, October 22nd. Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We resumed our flights of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers this week just prior to the onset of the North Zone Waterfowl Season opener in Illinois. Flooding still persisted along the Illinois River, and recently the central Mississippi River lost some important waterfowl habitat due to extensive flooding from the Quad Cities to Grafton. Port Louisa lost most of its duck food and Keithsburg, Henderson Creek, and Batchtown refuges were hit pretty hard by the flooding as well. Swan Lake, however, at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi looks phenomenal, and duck abundance was great there as I estimated 56,220 ducks on October 10th. Duck abundance (68,125) along the Mississippi River was over 10 times greater than the 10-yr average with the majority of these ducks at Swan Lake. Duck abundance along the Illinois River is climbing, and I estimated 51,335 ducks along the Illinois River this week; however, this estimate was 25% below average for the second week of October. Good Luck hunting this weekend during the North Zone opener and Central Zone Youth Hunt!

This week my topic is American green-winged teal. Green-wings are named for their green iridescent speculums that resemble the much larger northern pintail. Unlike their slightly larger cousins, the blue-wings that reach peak fall numbers in Illinois during mid-September, greenwings won’t peak until the first week of November, and many stopover until late December before heading south to their wintering grounds.

Green-wings are the smallest of our North American ducks, weighing about 325 grams (3/4 lb). Their breeding range occurs across Canada and the northwestern United States; however, their primary breeding areas occur in the boreal forest and deciduous parklands all the way up to northern Canada and northwestern Alaska. They winter across the United States and south all the way into Mexico. Core wintering areas include coastal Louisiana and Texas, the Playa Lakes Region of Texas, California’s Central Valley, the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and Mexico. Due to their small size and bill structure, they forage on mudflats and very shallow water and in agricultural fields. A study from Illinois during falls 1978-1982 found a plant seed diet (97%) dominated by sedges. We evaluated foods habits of green-wings during spring 2016 along the Illinois River and identified diets consisting of 75% plant materials and 25% invertebrates. Smartweeds were the number one food item; sedges, aquatic worms, rice cutgrass, and pigweed rounded out the top five foods. Interestingly, fingernail clams were the 7th ranked food item despite their low availability on the landscape. In early October, many male green-wings will still have their drab, brown, summer plumage. Yet by mid-November, most males will have molted into their breeding plumage sporting their reddish heads and green eye stripes. Greenwings generally rank in the top five species in Illinois’ waterfowl harvest and were the second most harvested duck in Illinois during fall 2014.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

Hunter reports indicated a push of migrant teal along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers the morning of Saturday, September 10th , following the weather system that passed through the prairies on Friday. This influx of birds was noted during the waterfowl count on Wednesday, September 14th .

Teal abundance nearly doubled (up 95%) along the Illinois River valley (IRV). I estimated 33,180 teal in the IRV which was 13% above normal for mid-September. Many of those birds were in the vicinity of Havana with sizable numbers at Chautauqua NWR, Emiquon Preserve, and the drainage and levee districts near Dickson Mounds Museum. Interestingly, a major movement of American coots arrived as well. I estimated 28,910 coots at Emiquon and another 6,500 at Hennepin & Hopper lakes this week. Teal abundance (10,280) along the central Mississippi River was up 22% from the previous week, and 48% above the 10-yr average. They were scattered around in many locations above Hamilton, IL on Pools 17-19. I found another 5,500 teal in the Grafton area. Some of the refuges and hunting areas were starting to pick up water including: Swan Lake, Batchtown, Dardenne, and Ted Shanks.

Last week I mentioned that the submerged aquatic vegetation looked great along the lower reaches of Pool 19. Biologists refer to this type of vegetation as SAV. It is one of the plant groups that make our wetlands so productive, and it was once abundant in the bottomland lakes of the Illinois River. Unfortunately, we have lost much of this vegetation in the IRV for a variety of reasons. Common plants that comprise the group are coontail, sago pondweed, wild celery, southern naiad, and brittle naiad to name a few. Species of SAV are major foods of gadwall, American wigeon, canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks, lesser scaup, and American coots. It is one of the reasons why Pool 19, Emiquon, Hennepin & Hopper, and even Lake Erie and the Chesapeake Bay are such important stopover locations for spring and fall migrating waterbirds. Because of the importance of these aquatic plants, the Forbes Biological Station, University of Illinois, and Western Illinois University are evaluating the true metabolizable energy content of several species of SAV in mallards, gadwall, and ring-necked ducks. Graduate student, Sarah McClain, has been tasked with determining how much energy ducks obtain from SAV. Her results will be useful for waterfowl and wetland conservation across the country.

Good luck teal hunting this weekend and stay tuned for more updates next week…