Cynthia Bendickson, BSc, MSc, RPBio February
Transcript of Cynthia Bendickson, BSc, MSc, RPBio February
Cynthia Bendickson, BSc, MSc, RPBioFebruary 2017
CR CAGO(Campbell River Canada Goose Project)
Informal partnership:• CR Environmental Committee• DFO• City of Campbell River• Greenways Land Trust• Local biologists• Interested citizens
Canada Geese: Initial Information
Becoming major pest for airports, agriculture, urban parks, etc. in other parts of BC
Introduced Canada Geese
Introduced Canada Geese
• Groups working all over Southern BC on the issue
• CR CAGO have been meeting since February 2013
Native Canada Goose populations in North America
http://kerrybirding.blogspot.ca/2012/11/canada‐goose‐cashen‐estuary.html
North American Goose Populations
Why?
• Landscape‐scale habitat modification
• Introductions for hunting
Introduced vs. native populations
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/canada‐goose‐resident‐vs‐migratory/
Impacts of growing populations
Humans:• Crop damage• Public health impacts
• Airport safety• Property damage
Impacts of growing populations
Ecology:• Competition• Damage to rare habitats
• Impacts on food webs and nutrient cycling
Geese ? Salmon
Geese Salmon
Introduced Canada Geese
• Temperate‐breeding (not in the Arctic)• A Heinz 57 hybrid – large in size• Introduced from 1970s‐1990s on BC Coast to create more hunting opportunities
• Do not follow the same migration patterns as native geese populations• Only native goose breeding grounds on Vancouver Island
near Cape Scott
Introduced Canada Geese
• Population in the Campbell River Estuary: 1982‐4: 31 birds total over 18 months June 2012: over 1000 birds in one day
Photo monitoring evidence of major changes
Dawe et al., 2011
Geese grazing evidence
• Carex lyngbyei (sedge)• Zostera marina (eelgrass)• Enteromorpha sp. (seaweed)
Cropped Sedges on Baikie Is.
CR CAGO Further Study
• Needed further evidence of damage and more information on the population to determine the necessity of a management strategy
• Also need to build public support for any management actions
• Activities:o 2013: Regular counts – when are geese using the estuary?
o 2014: Exclosureso 2015: Banding
Management Options• Possible management actions could include:– Non‐lethal controls (habitat modification, bird scarers, etc.)
– Egg addling/oiling– Increasing bag limits for hunters in certain areas and at certain times of year, or organized hunts
– A cull
Canada Geese Counts in CR Estuary 2013‐2016
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24‐Apr‐…
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24‐Jul‐13
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24‐Sep
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24‐Dec‐…
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24‐Jul‐14
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24‐Sep
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24‐Sep
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24‐Oct‐…
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24‐Jun
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24‐Jul‐16
Total Number of Geese
Year Peak count
2013 1081
2014 1050
2015 1309
2016 1442
Exclosures
• Three constructed in Spring 2014• Veg monitoring carried out Summer 2014‐2016• Data not yet analyzed, but anecdotal evidence strong for major ecological impacts
Photo courtesy Shannon Anderson, DFO 2015
Exclosures
Exclosure monitoring• Transects within exclosures and in control plots –1m2 quadrats using the Braun‐Blanquet cover‐abundance scale for vegetation monitoring
• Adapted methodology from GMIES
Banding• Carried out in July 2015• 200 geese were rounded up and large neck bands attached, along with metal leg bands
• Allows the identification of individuals & population movements
• Sightings by everyone can be used (citizen science)
Banding – July 2015
Photo courtesy Tim Ennis
Banding
Banding ‐ Publicity
Banding Survey Methodology
• Biweekly annual survey:– Route surveyed biweekly August 2015‐Sept 2016
– Occasional surveys were carried out at Comox ferry terminal, Williams Beach, Kitty Coleman Park, and farm fields between Hwy 19A and ferry terminal in the Comox Valley
Banding Survey Methodology
• John Cooper (Cooper Beauchesne & Associates) forwarded regular reports from the Bird Banding office
• Comox and Cowichan Valley Swan counting groups also forwarded records, as did many individual bird watchers
Banding – Publicity Results
• Hunting groups very interested in project after publicity released:– Shelter Point hunt:
• 260 CAGO harvested (2015/2016)– Hidden Valley Conservation Club (Cedar area):
• 165 CAGO harvested (2015/2016), 98 CAGO harvested to date (2016/2017)
• Goose shooting leases paid to private landowners: $8,000 (2015/2016), $9,500 (2016/2017)
• Groups are limited by lack of access to private land for hunting
Banding Survey Methodology
• Weekly Moult Survey:– Carried out May 25‐Aug 17, 2016 in the CR estuary
– Two surveyors on shore with scopes and one surveyor in kayak with binoculars surveyed simultaneously
Banding Survey Methodology• Remote areas survey:
– During spring/summer 2016, many of the remote lakes and marine areas surrounding Campbell River were surveyed for the presence/absence of CAGO
– A route along the Island Highway (19A) from Deep Bay to Royston was also surveyed May 2016
Banding Results to date
• Vancouver Island sightings (S to N): Saanich, Patricia Bay, Mill Bay, Chemainus, Duncan, Cassidy, South Wellington, Cedar, Nanaimo, Lantzville, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Comox, Black Creek, Oyster River, Quinsam Coal mine, Buttle Lake, Campbell River
Snapshot numbers # %
# collared 200
# re‐sighted 180 90%
# harvested by hunters 17 9%
# otherwise deceased 5 3%
# sighted in US 29 15%
# returned to CR in Summer 2016 51 26%
Furthest distance migration:Cave Junction, OR
885km
Banding Results to date
26%
37%
8%
12%
17%
RESIGHTED CAGO (N=180)Moult Migrant (returned 2016)Moult Migrant (no return in 2016)LocalDeceasedNo data after 31/Aug/2015
Banding Results to date• Small, local resident population in CR & area (~150‐200 birds)
– Overwinter at Norm Woods, Hudson’s Farm, CR Estuary and Black Creek farms; breed at Quinsam Coal & into Strathcona Park, possibly also into suitable marine areas in Discovery Passage
• Main population in the CR estuary during the summer is a moult‐migration. The population of these moult migrants appears to be increasing from 2013‐2016.
• Most of the birds who came to CR to moult in 2015 did not return in 2016 (~75%). Whether these birds stayed in their homes ranges to nest or were harvested by hunters (or otherwise deceased) is unknown due to lack of data.
• The moult‐migrants are dispersing south over all of Vancouver Island and Puget Sound. A few are carrying on down the West Coast of North America.
• No birds banded in CR have been sighted north of CR.
Banding Results: Remote Areas Survey
• Remote areas survey:– Two banded geese (007F & 173F) were
found in these areas: at Buttle Lake and on a Quinsam Coal tailings pond
– However, 6 successful nests were found – most in areas with anthropogenic influence – recreation/campsites, fish hatcheries, old mill sites, homesteads. The common attractant was the presence of grassy areas. Nesting geese were also found at the confluence of Thelwood Creek with Buttle Lake – a large, semi‐natural sedge flat.
– Moulting and nesting birds were found north of CR at Elk Bay and Browns Bay –possible overspill from CR estuary
105F – Moult Migrant (no return in 2016)
071F – Moult Migrant (returned Summer 2016)
007F (James Bond) – Local resident
173F – Local (moved to Comox Fall 2016)
140F & 198F – Moult Migrants (returned Summer 2016) ‐ 12 Jun 2016 only
CR CAGO Next Steps
• Report out to local community• Recommend organized hunt at Norm Wood
Environmental Centre to City of CR to reduce local population
• Support First Nations harvesting if requested
• Investigate funding for regional action/coordinator to connect organized hunts to farmers and other land owners/managers with favourable geese habitat on Vancouver Island
• Connect with Environment & Climate Change Canada re: very remote surveys –e.g. heads of mainland inlets (Bute, Knight, Loughborough, Toba) to assess potential impacts – connect with First Nations re: hunting opportunities?
• Tissue sample from 007F – safe to eat?
Project Support• Campbell River Environmental Committee • City of Campbell River• Fisheries and Oceans Canada• Nature Conservancy of Canada• Campbell River Fish and Game Association• Pacific Salmon Foundation• Canadian Wildlife Service • Greenways Land Trust• Wei Wai Kum First Nation• Guardians of the Mid‐Island Estuaries• Cooper Beauchesne & Associates
ReferencesDawe, N.K., R. Buechert, D.E.C. Trethewey. 1995. Bird Use of the Campbell River Estuary. Vancouver Island. British Columbia. 1982‐1984. Technical Report Series No 233, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region, British Columbia.
Dawe, N.K., W.S. Boyd, R. Buechert, and A.C. Stewart. 2011. Recent, significant changes to the native marsh vegetation of the Little Qualicum River estuary, British Columbia; a case of too many Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)? British Columbia Birds. Journal of the British Columbia Field Ornithologists. Volume 21, 2011. [online] URL: http://bcfo.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/bcbvol21j.pdf
Thank you for your time!
Questions?