Written By
John Rayfield and Stephanie Catino, Division of Migratory Bird Management, USFWS
Preparing for the survey is always a daunting task. It takes several days to pack and ensure that you have all the clothing, equipment, and emergency supplies needed for a month in a very remote region of Northern Canada. More often than not, when you look out the window during the survey, or even on the ferry ride to the survey area, there are no roads, cabins, or any other signs of human existence.
This year in our crew area we got off to a great start with ideal surveying weather, cooler temperatures, and excellent flying conditions. Last year, we experienced many days with temperatures reaching 90°F in a plane without air conditioning, so the cooler weather was a welcome change. We maintained a good pace until we reached the northeastern portion of the survey area, where many lakes were still completely frozen. Our fueling location had received six inches of snow the day before our arrival, so we decided to pause operations for a few days to allow the lakes time to thaw before continuing.
When we returned north after giving the landscape time to warm up, we resumed surveying under perfect flying conditions. Conditions in Ontario were better than last year, with more basins holding water and less wildfire smoke lingering in the area.
We then crossed into northern Quebec and continued to enjoy excellent surveying weather. Although we encountered some mechanical issues with the aircraft, we were still able to complete our mission in a relatively efficient timeframe. Habitat conditions in northern Quebec were generally excellent, with ample water levels in the lakes and healthy numbers of the usual taiga species, including black ducks, mergansers, goldeneyes, scoters, and Canada geese.
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