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Current Report |
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Southwest Washington
Wildlife Reports
July
23
Game Management Division
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New tests for Avian flu demonstrated here with a Canada goose. |
Avian Influenza Training: Wildlife Management Staff from District 9 & 10 attended a short update session on bird flu monitoring for this fall. Data requirements have changed and funding has been reduced from federal agencies for the 2007-08 hunting season. Region V will still collect samples from cackling Canada geese at hunter check stations. We sampled over 350 geese last year with no positive test for the highly pathenogenic H5N1 strain for bird flu. New tests were discussed and demonstrated.
Band-Tailed Pigeon Surveys: Surveys of band-tailed pigeons arriving at mineral sites continue in Region 5. Band-tails use mineral sites extensively during the summer months. Mineral springs are important for mineral intake by adult pigeons, especially during the nesting season. Large concentrations of birds congregate at these sites especially during the summer months. In the Pacific Northwest, mineral sites most likely provide high sodium and to a lesser degree calcium in the diet as a supplement to the bird’s food requirements. Long-term trends in the use of such sites serve as indicators of overall population. These surveys are part of a coordinated effort to monitor band-tailed pigeon populations in the Northwest. The survey protocol for band-tail mineral sites prescribes a single visit to each location during the period encompassing July 10-20. Surveyors count all arriving and departing pigeons beginning 30 minutes prior to sunrise and concluding at noon.
Biologist Holman completed the band-tailed pigeon mineral site survey at the Kalama River site. A total of 120 pigeons arrived at the mineral spring during the course of the seven-hour survey. The results at the Kalama River are somewhat lower than those of past years. Biologist Anderson completed band-tailed pigeon mineral spring surveys on the Wind River this week. Approximately 200 pigeons were seen at this site, which is considered within the normal range for this survey.
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