Web Tagging

When we find a nest with hatching ducklings or when we catch ducklings by driving them into a net or with a dip net we will "web-tag" them. A web tag is a small monel metal tag with a four digit number that is attached through the webbing of a ducklings foot. We do this because ducklings under a certain age cannot be banded yet. We gain valuable data about these ducks movements and for our research survival relative to avian influenza infection. It's pretty awesome to get to handle these unbelievable cute duckings, but it can be stressful because of trying not to injure them. It's also a bit unnerving and messy when you web tag a hatching ducking just breaking out of the egg. When a ducking begins to hatch it it referred to as "pipping". Let me tell you, pipping ain't easy.

Moose in Camp

We have moose in camp regularly. Despite their huge size, they often slip by unnoticed in our sleep and all we see of them is their poop in the morning. It is pretty cool when we have a moose, always cows so far, come through camp. One knocked down Tom's clothesline. Another moose woke Brandt up in his tent, when he looked outside the moose was right up against his tent platform facing away, he reported that all he could see was a giant moose vagina filling his entire field of view. We've had at least two different momma moose in camp one with a single calf and another with twins. The twins were licking our solar panel support beams. I've named the most regular moose, a calf-less female, Jolene. She's a real beauty despite not having auburn hair nor eyes of emerald green.

Nest Trapping

After we discover a nest and determine that it is of sufficient age and depending on if we have a fecal sample etc, we will put a trap on the nest. This is called a "Weller" trap after that famous waterfowl biologist who invested the trap. The trap consists of a welded wire cylinder with a top that sits over the nest, the hen trips a treadle entering the nest that depresses a trigger rod holding up a trap door. The trap is staked down. This way the hen can incubate the eggs until she is processed and released.

Upon capturing the hen we band the bird, do an oral and cloaca swab for avian influenza, weigh her,and measure the wing chord, tarsus and head.

This was the first time I was able to handle a northern shoveler as we didn't have any hens to use during decoy trapping. Apparently it is very difficult to keep shovelers in captivity and especially hard to keep the hens healthy as use as decoy birds. Shovelers have a difficult diet to replicate. They use that amazing bill to sift through mud and water for small organisms. Check out that amazing bill!

What quality is that poop? The glamour of nest searching

The next phase of our work here is nest searching. Avian influenza can be detected in the fresh feces of ducks. We are looking for epithelial cells that are shed when the birds defecate, not the feces itself. Ducks often poop on their eggs when they flush. This can be a deterrent to predators from eating the eggs.

When we find a nest, we record, the number of eggs, the GPS coordinates, the flush type (hen absent, human, rope or dog)the egg age and if there is poop and what quality is the fecal sample and whether it was on the eggs or the vegetation. One person records while the other crew member calls out the information, so often one of us will say, "What quality is that poop?". Egg age is determined by candling the egg. The egg is placed against the end of a foam tube and rotated while being held towards the sun. We have a chart that we use but eventually memorize that correlates what we see to the age of the egg. We can predict to the day when hatch will occur.

We nest search by dragging a 60 foot rope with cans tied at intervals through nesting habitat to flush the hens. Brant also had brought his awesome yellow lab, Delta, to find nests. She is obviously the best nest searcher, it it amazing to see here work. Quartering back and forth the grass and willows Delta sniffs out nests and indicates in her body language that Brandt can read where the nest is.

Delta loves to nest search, she gets so excited when it's time to go out. When we are doing nest checks or something else that doesn't involve Delta, she'll still jump on the boat, hoping to go out in the field with us. On morning while gearing up to go out, I head a bird sing that I didn't recognize. I went over to behind the cabin to look for the bird and Delta followed me. Delta could see I was in search mode and started hunting across the trail and looking back at me, she was so excited. It was funny that she was trying to help me find the bird but actually causing more noise and distraction. She was so unbelievably cute.I never did find the bird in question, I believe it may have been a gray jay.