Migratory Waterfowl Report 2008

Migratory Waterfowl in the Cowichan Valley

Written for the Cowichan Community Land Trust SocietyBy Monika PakstasAugust 14, 2008

i Acknowledgements

(Cover drawing source: Brua, 2002, Birds of North America Online)

Acknowledgements go out to all the people who helped with collecting information and thewriting of this report.Dave AldcroftBob Isbister Derrick MarvenJohn ScullMadeline SouthernErin WardAll the people that I talked to on the phone and emailed,andAll CCLT Land Stewards that we visited for their valuable insights.

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ii Executive Summary

This project was started by the Cowichan Community Land Trust. The aim of this reportwas to bring together all available information about migratory waterfowl and issues of concern in the Cowichan Valley. The areas included are from Cowichan Bay to theChemainus Estuary, and contain a wide variety of habitat types for waterfowl.The waterfowl species that inhabit these areas and were studied in this report includeswans, geese, dabbling and diving ducks, loons, and grebes. The Christmas Bird Countdata and the BC Coastal Waterbird Surveys data were examined in an attempt to spot anysignificant trends in bird populations. The data are not meant for scientific studies but areindicative of general trends.It was found that the species that seem to be most noticeably in decline are grebes, manyof the diving ducks and Pacific Loons. These are all birds that prefer marine (as opposedto freshwater) environments, and this should have impacts on how the rest of the projectcontinues. The species that are increasing most significantly are Trumpeter Swans andCanada Geese, both of which have posed problems to landowners and farmers.It would be useful to do a field project where both major estuaries and all wetlands inbetween are included in bird population counts. There is little data available for theChemainus Estuary compared to the Cowichan Estuary. As a whole the Cowichan Valleyis an internationally and in some cases globally significant place for migratory waterfowl,and it is unrealistic to select only certain areas for management purposes.There are many ways to encourage waterfowl and wetland conservation in the CowichanValley, mainly through public communication in the form of a workshop. If field work takesplace it would be useful to involve as many local people as possible. Waterfowlconservation can also be included in other projects such as the Stewardship SupportProject by the CCLT.The main issues to be addressed are improving habitat quality, further assessment of specific populations, and helping farmers and landowners to deal with problems involvinglarge numbers of birds. Other smaller or larger issues will likely come out of this once thework begins.

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iii Table of Contentsi Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………...1ii Executive Summary………………………………………………..………………....2iii Table of Contents………………………………………….………………………..…31.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..…….....4

1.1 The Cowichan Community Land Trust Society and the Project..….…...41.2 Migratory Birds and Wetlands…………………………………………..…..41.3 Reasons for Concern/Importance of Wetlands……………………….…..51.4 Study Area……………………………………………………………….……6

2.0 The Estuaries and Wetland Habitats…………………………………………..…..8

2.1 Cowichan/Koksilah Estuary, Rivers and Creeks……………………..……82.2 Somenos Lake, Marsh and Creeks………………………………………..102.3 Quamichan Lake and Creeks………………………………………………132.4 Chemainus Estuary, Rivers and Creeks…………………………………..142.5 Overall Summary of Major Issues………………………………………….16

3.0Management…………………………………………………………………………..21

3.1International…………………………………………………………………..213.2National/Federal……………………………………………………………..223.3Provincial……………………………………………………………………..223.4Regional………………………………………………………………………23

4.0Birds……………………………………………………………………………………25

4.1Swans…………………………………………………………………………254.2Geese…………………………………………………………………………304.3Dabbling Ducks………………………………………………………………354.4Diving Ducks………………………………………………………………….434.5Loons and Grebes……………………………………………………………644.6Summary………………………………………………………………………72

5.0Field Work……………………………………………………………………………..726.0Management for the Cowichan Valley………………………………………….....74

6.1 Bird Management for Farmers and Landowners……………………….….746.2 Habitat Protection……………………………………………………………..756.3 Public Communication………………………………………………………..756.4 Notes on Non-Migratory Birds……………………………………………….766.5 Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………..76

7.0Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………….78Annotated Bibliography……………………………………………………………………79

Background Information……………………………………………………………………...79Migratory Waterfowl and Related Issues…………………………………………………...81Management and Future Research…………………………………………………………91

References…………………………………………………………………………………….99

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