Migration Alert: Strong Duck and Goose Reports Coming Out of Delaware and New Jersey

Black ducks, sea ducks, and Canada geese are pouring into New Jersey, reports Austin Damminger, assistant biologist with New Jersey Fish and Wildlife.

"Migration is looking good so far," Damminger reports. He recently completed coastal surveys and explains that he found many flocks of black ducks numbering in the high hundreds, with some concentrations even breaking the 1,000 mark. Scoters are building in numbers, and early migration reports showed big numbers of sea ducks coming through New Jersey. Damminger reports that inland hunters were seeing increasing numbers of Canada geese, mallards, and wood ducks during the week leading up to Thanksgiving and even more birds piled in that weekend.

In nearby Delaware, black duck numbers are also impressive. Taylor Deemer, DU's director of development for Delaware and Maryland, says that the migration is certainly picking up, aided by recent cold fronts moving through the region.

"During Delaware's second split early last week, I observed my first flock of snow geese for the year flying high overhead from the north," Deemer says. "This is later than I have typically observed them in the past, but it's a welcome indication of migrations taking place." Deemer also reports seeing high-flying tundra swans.

The eastern Delaware marshes are gaining increasing numbers of black ducks and mallards along with teal. "There are good numbers of all three species around, but I expect their numbers will increase significantly as we move into the third split in mid-December," Deemer says. Migrating Canada goose numbers are also increasing but Deemer estimates that only a quarter to a third of the expected birds have arrived.

He, too, reports an influx of scoters, with watermen and boat captains who work Delaware Bay noting that large flocks materialized seemingly overnight following a mid-October cold snap.

James Joachimowski, impoundment/habitat biologist for the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, also notes that tautog fisherman are seeing plenty of ducks, mainly black scoters, as they travel the bay.

"The second split of the Delaware duck season ended December 1, with hunters still talking about good numbers of green-winged teal and black ducks providing action during hunts on tidal areas and coastal impoundments in the eastern portion of the state," Joachimowski says. During Delaware's limited four-day first split of the Canada Goose season, which lasted through Thanksgiving weekend, hunters saw some success, but according to Joachimowski, the overall consensus was that numbers were on lower side. He's still awaiting the arrival of the traditional huge flocks of snow geese, but notes that hunters took a few tundra swans last week in Kent and Sussex Counties.

Coastal impoundments on state wildlife areas are now holding the usual variety of ducks, including shovelers, pintails, black ducks, ruddies, and green-winged teal, plus a few mallards. Joachimowski says that gadwall and wigeon numbers are currently low, but he expects them to build throughout December, especially with the colder conditions.

Still, Delaware and much of the Mid-Atlantic are still dealing with the effects of the record-setting drought in late summer and early fall. Joachimowski calls the lack of fresh water on the landscape "staggering." "While we've received some rainfall in the last few weeks, it has hardly made a scratch in the deficit that our vernal pools and freshwater wetlands are currently in."

Consequently, hunters noticing birds in Delaware may be at two extremes. Those in areas with fresh water are reporting larger than average numbers. Observations in areas that are currently dry, including those that rely on seasonal wetlands, can be scarce. Any rainfall received in December will likely influence late-season hunter success, Joachimowski adds.