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25th Annual Cape Cod Waterfowl Census
During the first weekend of November of 1983,
Blair Nikula and members of the Cape Cod Bird Club initiated a
census of the lakes and ponds on Cape Cod.
Participants were instructed to identify and count all the
waterfowl (loons, grebes, geese, ducks, and coot) present on each
pond.
Covering 202 ponds, participants tallied 3,957
individuals of 22 species of waterfowl.
The census continued the following year but was moved to the
first weekend in December. Many
ducks and geese do not arrive on Cape Cod until inland bodies of
water freeze and the later date would more closely coincide with
peak waterfowl numbers locally. Covering 213 ponds 23 species of
waterfowl were counted with 8,950 individuals being recorded.
Now in its 25th year the Cape Cod
Waterfowl Census is an excellent example of one way in which
birders, regardless of their expertise, can gather useful data and
make a meaningful contribution to our knowledge of the Massachusetts
avifauna. Waterfowl are relatively conspicuous, generally easy to
identify, and thus readily censused with only a modest effort.
If you would like to participate please
contact Blair Nikula at 508-432-6348.
Blair has posted the results of the 2007 Cape Cod
Waterfowl Survey conducted by the Cape Cod Bird Club during the first
weekend of December on the Cape Cod Birds web site at:
http://www.capecodbirds.org/waterfowl.htm
From this page you can download summaries (pdf files) of every survey from 1995 through 2007.
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