Sounds like the 2024 breeding survey is complete. Highlights and links.
“The bad news: available nesting habitat for waterfowl has significantly decreased. The majority of surveyed habitat was best characterized as “poor.”
“While the rain showers served to provide at least temporary relief from wildfire ignition throughout the survey area, not enough precipitation has fallen to replenish those seasonal wetlands upon which many species of breeding waterfowl depend.”
“However, dry years such as this are essential for the long-term health and productivity of seasonal wetlands. I am optimistic that this abnormal year will serve to bolster the integrity of wetlands, and I look forward to seeing the habitat again in 2025“
https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-06/2024-wbphs-field-report-northern-alberta-northeastern-british-columbia-and-northwest“our crews noted substantial unoccupied wetland habitat which could indicate that birds had already moved through the region prior to the return of moisture. “
“While the return of water to some areas is good news, across the U.S. and Canadian prairies we continue to see ongoing conversion of grassland to cropland, continued loss of Conservation Reserve Program nesting cover, and wetland drainage.”
“Conditions are so dry in northern British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan as well as southern Northwest Territories that we are already looking ahead to the summer and developing alternate plans for some waterfowl banding stations that we typically operate there.”
https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/2024-waterfowl-breeding-population-and-habitat-surveys-field-reports
