Wetland Habitat Goal

ANNUAL HABITAT WORK PLAN

2013

MONTEZUMA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge had an exceptional preseason banding program breaking the refuge banding record for wood ducks with 408.

Approved by: Refuge Manager Date

I. Introduction

The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located at the north end of Cayuga Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of central New York State. The refuge encompasses 9,809 acres and lies within New York’s 23rd and 24th U.S. Congressional Districts in Seneca, Cayuga, and Wayne Counties—35 miles west of Syracuse, 40 miles north of Ithaca, and 45 miles east of Rochester, NY. The refuge headquarters is located on US Route 20 and NY Route 5 near the Menard Memorial Bridge over the Seneca River. The New York State Barge Canal System, NY State Route 5, US Route 20, NY State Route 89, NY State Route 31 and the New York State Thruway pass through the interior of the refuge. Since the early 1990's, more than 3,100 acres of lands have been added to the refuge. Many of these parcels are scattered tracts within the original boundaries of the historic Montezuma marshes.

Although established primarily for migratory waterfowl, Montezuma NWR provides habitats for a diversity of wildlife. The mix of wooded wetlands and uplands, emergent marshes, and mixed successional stages of vegetation all contribute to the species diversity of the wildlife community found at Montezuma. The Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC), of which the refuge is a part, was recognized for supporting one of the largest migratory concentrations of waterfowl in the Northeast and as a significant stopover site for migrating shorebirds in upstate New York. The MWC was New York’s flagship project in the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture after the adoption of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The National Audubon Society identified the MWC as New York’s first Important Bird Area (IBA).

The refuge is managed for a variety of habitats to fulfill the needs of wildlife of greatest conservation concern. At present, Montezuma NWR has 15 manageable impoundments totaling more than 4,200 acres of freshwater wetland habitat. The remainder of the refuge’s acreage consists of forests, grasslands, and early successional habitats ranging from old fields to young forests. Active habitat management is necessary to provide the best possible habitat for native wildlife species. In most impoundments, water levels are manipulated to provide high quality mudflat, emergent marsh, and open water wetland habitats primarily for waterfowl, shorebirds, marshbirds, and bald eagles. Water levels are managed within and between years in an attempt to mimic natural wetland hydro-periods or to provide the best possible habitat for priority wildlife species.

II. 2012 Weather Overview

The 2011-2012 winter months were exceptionally warm and dry, with a snowfall deficit of >20”, compared to the 54 year average. Through the winter, Cayuga Lake’s water level was managed lower than average in attempts to control hydrilla, a highly invasive aquatic plant, found at the south end of the lake in August 2011. The low lake levels and lack of precipitation resulted in exposed mudflats at the north end of Cayuga Lake. These flats made available high quality food resources that harbored large amounts of wintering swans, geese, and ducks. Although large amounts of American black ducks were using Cayuga Lake through the winter, the exposed mudflats made it difficult to target the birds for the post-hunt season banding effort. Lack of winter precipitation had little effect on refuge pools and by late spring lake levels had risen to

2 allow management to raise the water level in the Main Pool by using the Cayuga Lake Connector Ditch. Warm, dry conditions continued through spring and summer. Fall conditions were near normal and brought much needed rain, although the refuge still had a rainfall deficit of >3” for the year, compared to the 54 year average (Table 1).

Table 1. Weather recorded from the NOAA Online Weather Data in Auburn, NY (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/) approximately 10 miles East of MNWR. Averages are recorded in P:\LINDA\Annual_Habitat_Work_Plans\AVE_Weather.xls. 31-Yr 54-Yr 54-Yr 2012 Temperature Average Average Temperature (1981-2012) 2012 2012 Snowfall Precipitation Average Snowfall Precipitation Inches Inches Month High Low High Low Inches Inches (1959-2012) (1959-2012) January 36.1 20.0 31.5 15.8 20.1 4.8 18.7 1.5 February 39.5 24.5 33.7 16.1 12.0 1.0 15.0 1.3 March 56.3 34.3 43.7 24.2 5.8 2.6 9.9 2.4 April 53.8 32.5 56.6 35.2 3.6 2.5 2.4 3.0 May 74.0 50.2 69.1 45.4 0.0 3.0 0.1 3.1 June 77.8 56.1 76.9 55.2 0.0 2.2 0.0 3.3 July 85.2 61.2 81.2 60.2 0.0 3.0 0.0 3.3 August 81.7 58.6 79.5 58.8 0.0 3.8 0.0 3.4 September 73.3 50.7 72.4 51.4 0.0 3.8 0.0 3.5 October 60.4 43.5 59.1 40.5 0.0 4.8 0.1 3.2 November 45.3 30.2 48.5 32.0 2.3 2.4 4.2 3.2 December 40.0 27.7 36.2 21.9 30.6 7.5 15.8 2.2 Avg. Temp./Total Snowfall/Precip. 60.9 41.2 58.5 38.1 74.4 35.6 66.2 33.2

III. Habitat Management Goals, Objectives, and Strategies

Monitoring Strategies for All Habitat Types

In 2012, bats were monitored in all habitat types across the southern half of the refuge to determine the distribution of each bat species present. The refuge also is looking to confirm the presence of the federally endangered Indiana bat. This bat was detected within the Montezuma Wetlands Complex on Howland’s Island within the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area and likely also occurs on the refuge. To conduct these surveys, active and passive sonar recording devices were deployed during maternity, volant, and migratory periods. Software to

3 analyze the data will be purchased in fiscal year 2013 and then bat species distributions will be determined.

In 2012, the refuge began a pilot citizen science project to monitor the presence, phenology and distribution of anuran species across the refuge per the Frog Watch USA protocol (http://www.aza.org/frogwatch). In 2013, anuran call count surveys will be conducted twice a week at points spread across the refuge. Results from 2012 can be viewed in P:\FrogWatch\Results_FrogWatch_2012.

Goal 1 Provide, enhance, and restore where possible, freshwater emergent marsh, open water wetland, and mudflat habitats to benefit native wildlife and plant communities, particularly migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and breeding marshbird.

Objective 1.1 Emergent (Hemi) Marsh – Migrating Waterfowl (Dabbling Ducks, especially Pintail and American Black Duck) Annually provide a minimum of 2,000 acres of spring (March through April) and fall (September through November) waterfowl migration and staging habitat consisting of shallow flooded wetlands (less than 12 inches deep) with a target of at least 25 percent cover of annual and 25 percent cover of perennial vegetation dominated by native species with high waterfowl food value.

Objective 1.2 Emergent Marsh – Breeding Marshbirds Over the life of the plan, annually provide a minimum of 2,000 acres of habitat for breeding marshbirds consisting of 50 percent well-interspersed emergent vegetation and 50 percent open water, stable water levels throughout the breeding season, and abundant nest substrates.

Objective 1.3 Shallow Water Mudflats – Migrating Shorebirds Provide a minimum of 100 acres of shallow water wetlands (less than 4 inches deep) and mudflats with sparse (less than 15 percent) vegetation from April through November to benefit migrating shorebirds.

Goal 1 Strategies

Actual water levels for 2012 are listed in Appendix A. Table 2 summarizes planned actions for 2013 in the refuge’s 15 emergent marsh impoundments to meet the three objectives listed above. A biological calendar was created to further detail management actions on the refuge (Appendix B).

4 Table 2. Summary of planned management in each impoundment for 2013 and the habitat objective each action is intended to meet. 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.2 Shallow Shallow Emergent Emergent Emergent Water Water Marsh – Marsh – Unit Acres Management Action Marsh – Mudflats – Mudflats – Spring Fall Breeding Spring Fall Migrating Migrating Marshbirds Migrating Migrating Waterfowl Waterfowl Shorebirds Shorebirds Main Pool 1,657 Spring slow drawdown. X X Tschache Pool 1,160 Full pool. X X X Sandhill Crane Unit 448 Full pool. X Knox Marsellus Summer slow Marsh 236 drawdown. Fall flood. X X X May’s Point Pool 199 Full pool. X X X Kipp Island South 126 Low pool. X X Puddler Summer slow Marsh 98 drawdown. Fall flood. X X X North Spring Pool 91 No Action X X Kipp Island North 89 Low pool. X X Millennium Marsh 69 Low pool. X X X Spring slow drawdown. Visitor Summer disk.*+ Center Shallow flood late Wetland 26 summer. X X X X Spring slow drawdown. Summer disk and grade.* + Shallow flood Eaton late summer depending Marsh 18 on road work. X X X X Spring slow drawdown. Summer disk. + Shallow flood late summer Benning depending on road Marsh 18 work. X X X X Box Elder Bog 10 Full pool. X X Spring slow drawdown. Larue’s Summer disk. + Shallow Lagoon 8 flood late summer. X X X X Spring slow drawdown. Display Once wetland plants Pool 2 germinate, raise water. X *Watch for flowering rush – do not disk or bulldoze where flowering rush is growing. +Do not disk until after breeding marshbird young have fledged if any are present.

Monitoring and Management Strategies for Goal 1 in All Units

In 2012, refuge staff and Montezuma Alliance for the Restoration of Species and Habitats (MARSH) volunteers began collecting bathymetry data in refuge impoundments to map bottom profiles and determine water depths across marshes. This work will continue in 2013, and water gauges will be reset or established based on elevation data collected in 2012 and spring 2013.

Volunteers Larue St. Clair and Jackie Bakker and Ducks Unlimited Contractor Jamie O’Brien conducted waterbird surveys once per week from February 3 through December 7, in 13 refuge impoundments per the Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring (IWMM) protocol (2012, http://iwmmprogram.ning.com). Vegetation surveys were conducted once in the spring and twice in the fall per the IWMM protocol. This work will continue in 2013.

Black tern breeding colony surveys will be conducted in all refuge impoundments with suitable habitat per the protocol used by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.

In 2012, breeding marshbird callback surveys were conducted to determine species presence. The protocol by Conway (2009) was used but points were selected based on habitat quality and ease of access.

Muskrat and beaver trapping will be permitted in all refuge impoundments except the Main Pool to protect the dikes from muskrat damage, to protect water control structures and stop logs from beaver damage, and to extend the life of the hemi-marsh stage of the wetlands.

Main Pool (1,657 acres)

2012 Management Results: The Main Pool was held at full pool in 2012.

Restoration work continued in the Dry Marsh, reaching 85% completion of “Phase I.” (See U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2008, for more information.) (This percentage indicates the amount of open pool habitat created of the total 33-acre project.) The process of removing the muck soil is slow and is heavily influenced by soil saturation conditions. To increase efficiency, the refuge purchased a Morooka crawler carrier so muck soils could be removed during wet conditions.

Additional management in and around the Main Pool focused on invasive species control. Montezuma Alliance for the Restoration of Species and Habitat (MARSH) volunteers spent five workdays removing common frogbit from an area in the northeast portion of the impoundment in an effort to keep the infestation from spreading to other uninfested parts of the pool. Refuge staff sprayed more than eight acres of flowering rush with Clearcast (active ingredient: imazamox) along the east interior edge of the pool.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The Main Pool was dominated by cattails with common reed, beggarticks, river bulrush, and sedges mixed throughout. The hemi-marsh provided excellent food and cover for migratory waterbirds.

6 The results of the IWMM surveys were submitted to program staff and also can be found in: P:\LINDA\IWMM\IWMM_MontezumaData_JOBrien_13\MNWR 12. Phenomenal numbers of waterfowl took advantage of the abundant food and cover in the Main Pool. However, during spring and fall migration counts were low due to the dense vegetation making it difficult to observe the birds. Results of a detectability survey conducted on November 6 indicate that only 20% of the ducks present were actually being counted. Table 3 shows high counts of waterfowl species for both spring (March and April) and fall (August through November) migration and includes adjusted numbers for fall migration based on the detectability survey.

Table 3. High counts of waterfowl species in the Main Pool in 2012. Only species with counts greater than 100 are included. Adjusted numbers based on the November 6 detectability survey are included in parentheses. Spring migration Fall migration Species Peak date Peak Number Peak date Peak Number Canada Goose* 28-Feb 274 4-Dec 8,477 (N/A) Canvasback* 12-Mar 5,460 6-Nov 6 (30) Mallard* 10-Mar 125 27-Nov 17 (85) Northern Pintail* 10-Mar 416 6-Nov 135 (675) Ring-necked Duck 3-Mar 620 26-Oct 2,630 (13,150) Scaup spp.* 3-Mar 5 18-Oct 500 (2,500) *Species of conservation concern.

Few shorebirds utilized the Main Pool due to full pool conditions, however the dry marsh restoration area did provide mudflats that were utilized by five species of peeps including a western sandpiper.

Virginia rail, American bittern, sora, pied-billed grebe, and common gallinule were detected during marshbird callback surveys. Black tern surveys were conducted with no species detected.

Winter raptor surveys were conducted once a week at the north (from the dry marsh) and south (from the tower) ends of the Main Pool from November 2012-April 2013. Short-eared owl, northern harrier, Cooper’s, red-tailed and rough-legged hawk, and bald eagle were detected using the impoundment. The Main Pool provided ample foraging habitat for northern harrier with at least eight birds observed on multiple nights in December 2012 (Figure 1).

7 Northern Harrier

Figure 1. The number of short-eared owls and northern harriers observed per survey at sites across the Montezuma Wetlands Complex from November 28, 2012 to April 4, 2013. Colored bars represent averages, and lines represent one standard deviation.

Duck traps were set near the photo blind that produced many mallards during preseason banding. Highlights from preseason banding included 257 mallards and 408 wood ducks banded. Trumpeter swans fledged three cygnets from a nest on the Main Pool.

2013 Management Strategy: Water will be held in the Main Pool in March and April to provide habitat for waterfowl during spring migration and then the marsh will be drained in May to provide habitat for northbound shorebirds. (The spring shorebird migration peaked in 2012 on June 1.) Draining the Main Pool will facilitate continued restoration activities in the Dry Marsh. The Main Pool will be kept dry through the growing season to promote the growth of annual moist soil vegetation such as smartweeds. Breeding bird surveys will be conducted in the interior of the Main Pool to determine the presence of obligate grassland breeding birds. Flood up will begin in August to provide habitat for southbound waterfowl. Muskrat trapping will be prohibited in the Main Pool (Trapping Units C, D and E) during the 2013-14 season to allow muskrats to repopulate the marsh.

Tschache Pool (1,160 acres)

2012 Management Results: Tschache Pool was drawn down in 2011 to allow germination of annual and perennial emergent vegetation. The water level was below full pool through the first half of the year due to the lack of precipitation but fall rains provided enough water to provide access to waterfowl hunters for the first split of the western New York duck hunting season.

8 2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The lower water level resulted in an ideal hemi-marsh with open water interspersed with large patches of cattail, soft-stem bulrush, hard-stem bulrush, swamp loosestrife, and bur-reed.

Marshbird callback surveys were conducted at three points in Tschache Pool with American and least bittern, pied-billed grebe, and American coot detected.

Tschache Pool held the most black terns in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex this year. On a June 14 survey, 35 terns were counted with nine confirmed nests containing 12 eggs. There were likely at least 17 nests in the pool.

Waterfowl hunters had a successful year on Tschache Pool taking large numbers of gadwall, northern shoveler, and ring-necked duck compared to the 2006-2010 hunts. The overall number of birds taken per hunt visit was similar to the previous three years.

High counts of waterfowl from IWMM surveys are summarized in Table 4. A detectability survey was conducted on November 9. Surveyed bird numbers were less during the flush count than the initial survey because birds must have flushed without being seen between the two counts. In the future, the flush count will occur immediately following the initial count with observers stationed during the initial count to record any birds that leave the unit.

Table 4. High counts of waterfowl species in Tschache Pool in 2012. Only species with counts greater than 100 are included. Spring migration Fall migration Species Peak date Peak Number Peak date Peak Number American Coot 13-Apr 171 9-Nov 320 American Wigeon 3-Mar 1,580 5-Oct 2,112 Canada Goose* 3-Mar 4,000 19-Oct 866 Double-crested Cormorant 27-Jul 18 21-Sep 170 Gadwall 3-Mar 340 12-Oct 273 Great Blue Heron 27-Jul 97 30-Aug 105 Green-winged Teal* 13-Apr 708 9-Nov 429 Mallard* 3-Mar 244 9-Nov 550 Northern Pintail* 10-Mar 824 26-Oct 2,776 Northern Shoveler 13-Apr 617 2-Nov 54 Pied-billed Grebe* 20-Jul 36 31-Aug 108 Ring-billed Gull 10-Mar 260 16-Nov 88 Ring-necked Duck 3-Mar 2,130 26-Oct 300 Snow Goose 10-Mar 280 None Observed Wood Duck* 1-Jul 162 31-Aug 121 *Species of conservation concern.

Bald eagles used Tschache Pool extensively and there were two active nests in the vicinity. A total of 29 bald eagles were counted using the impoundment on September 21.

Uncommon sightings observed on Tschache Pool included a common loon, a Eurasian wigeon, many high counts of green herons (>40 individuals), and a Bonaparte's Gull. Tschache Pool also was occupied by a pair of sandhill cranes who fledged two colts.

Expansive spreading of common frogbit occurred from 2010 to 2012 (Map 1). In 2012, MARSH volunteers spent nine workdays removing more than 4,000 pounds of the invasive plant. It was determined that removing frogbit by hand, on large populations, was not an effective method of control. The group continued to work the edges of the infestation to try to keep the population contained.

Map 1. Locations where common frogbit was removed from the refuge from 2009 to 2012.

11 2013 Management Strategy: Water will be kept in Tschache Pool to provide habitat for migrating waterfowl and breeding marsh birds, including back terns. In the interior of the unit, the spread of common frogbit will be monitored and mapped by the MARSH group. If small patches or individual plants are found in otherwise uninfested areas, they will be removed.

Sandhill Crane Unit (448 acres)

2012 Management Results: The Sandhill Crane Unit water level was held as high as possible to limit woody plant growth and provide habitat for migrating and nesting waterbirds for the second year in a row. A new water control structure was placed in the ditch on the outside of the west dike of the unit. This structure will help divert water to flood the unit.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Dominant vegetation in the Sandhill Crane Unit included cattails, eastern cottonwood, common reed and willows. Eastern cottonwoods in the unit have been increasingly showing signs of stress (yellow leaves, die back in early summer), indicating that holding the water high is an effective method for reducing the spread of this species. The structure and composition of plants were ideal for nesting marshbirds, and this is likely our best unit for secretive marshbirds. American bitterns, Virginia rails, pied-billed grebes, common gallinules, and American coots were detected in the unit this year.

During the black tern breeding colony survey, eleven adult black terns were observed, indicating five probable nests. Because of the size of the unit, it is likely that more birds or nests were present and not detected.

A black-crowned night-heron rookery, a species of moderate concern in Bird Conservation Region 13, was once again located in the unit. While it is unknown if the rookery fledged young, many juvenile herons were seen in the unit throughout the summer.

A pair of trumpeter swans fledged five cygnets from a nest on the southwest end of the impoundment.

Winter raptor surveys were conducted with the following species observed using the impoundment: bald eagle, northern harrier, rough-legged and red-tailed hawk, and short-eared owl. Short-eared owls frequented this area throughout the winter, using the extensive lowlands from Carncross Rd. in the north to the south side of Knox-Marsellus and Puddler Marshes (Figure 1).

2013 Management Strategy: The water level will be kept high to reduce the cover of woody vegetation and decrease the rate of spread of common reed in the interior of the Sandhill Crane Unit. Some trees will persist in the unit to provide habitat for species of conservation concern, like the black-crowned night-heron. This unit will provide good habitat for breeding marshbirds. The spread of common frogbit will be monitored and mapped by the MARSH group. If small patches or individual plants are found in otherwise uninfested areas, they will be removed.

12 Knox Marsellus Marsh (236 acres)

2012 Management Results: Knox Marsellus Marsh was held at full pool to provide habitat for spring migrating waterfowl and bald eagles, then slowly drained to provide summer/fall habitat for migrating shorebirds.

Canada thistle growing on the dike was mowed in early and late summer, and a nearby patch of Japanese knotweed was cut in early summer and then sprayed with glyphosate herbicide in September.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Early in the spring, Knox Marsellus Marsh provided habitat for large numbers of spring migrating waterfowl, especially northern pintail. The summer drawdown exposed large mudflats for migrating shorebirds which were heavily used, especially in July when hundreds of birds were counted per survey. Species present include American avocet, dunlin, ruddy turnstone, killdeer, dowitcher, greater and lesser yellowlegs, Baird’s, least, white-rumped, semipalmated, stilt, pectoral, spotted, and solitary sandpiper, American golden-plover, black-bellied and semipalmated plover, Hudsonian godwit, sanderling, Wilson’s snipe, and Wilson’s and red-necked phalarope.

As the unit dried, annual emergent vegetation grew with preferred waterfowl food plants, including smartweeds, beggartick, bur-reed and barnyard grass, covering 55% of the impoundment by the end of September. As the marsh flooded with rains in November and December, the habitat became phenomenal for migrating waterfowl with many very high counts of mallard, northern pintail, tundra swan, and Canada and snow goose (Table 5).

Table 5. High counts of waterbirds in Knox-Marsellus Marsh in 2012. Only species with high counts greater than 100 are included. Spring migration Fall migration Species Peak date Peak Number Peak date Peak Number Canada Goose* 10-Mar 1,980 13-Nov 18,000 Canvasback* 12-Mar 660 None Observed Double-crested Cormorant 20-Apr 62 28-Sep 520 Great Blue Heron 31-Jul 134 20-Nov 350 Green-winged Teal* 17-Jul 66 20-Nov 350 Least Sandpiper* 31-Jul 167 3-Aug 66 Mallard* 20-Jul 114 8-Nov 914 Northern Pintail* 10-Mar 1,040 8-Nov 882 Redhead* 30-Mar 181 None Observed Snow Goose 3-Mar 500 7-Dec 40,000 Tundra Swan* 3-Mar 500 4-Dec 2,500 Yellowlegs spp. * 31-Jul 125 3-Aug 182 *Species of conservation concern.

13 No marsh bird callback surveys were conducted on Knox Marsellus in 2012 however, sora and pied-billed grebe were observed during IWMM surveys.

No black terns were detected nesting in Knox Marsellus Marsh however, terns were observed foraging in the unit and traveling to the Sandhill Crane Unit.

Other noteworthy high counts included black-crowned night heron (15), great egret (24), Caspian tern (80), and sandhill crane (43).

2013 Management Strategy: Knox Marsellus Marsh will be managed similarly to last year. If resources allow, common reed growing in the interior of the unit will be sprayed with glyphosate.

Puddler Marsh (98 acres)

2012 Management Results: Through the spring, the water level in Puddler Marsh was held at full pool to provide habitat for migrating waterfowl and foraging bald eagles. A drawdown was conducted throughout the summer and early fall to provide mudflats for migrating shorebirds and encourage germination of annual wetland plants. Canada thistle growing on the dike was mowed in early and late summer. Common reed was treated with glyphosate along the exterior of the impoundment.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Preferred waterfowl food plants, especially Pennsylvania smartweed, dominated the unit as a result of the spring/summer drawdown which attracted spectacular numbers of dabbling ducks in the fall. Many shorebirds were observed including American avocet, American golden-plover, black-bellied and semipalmated plover, dunlin, greater and lesser yellowlegs, killdeer, least, pectoral, semipalmated, spotted, white- rumped and stilt sandpiper, ruddy turnstone and Hudsonian godwit. High counts for Puddler Marsh are recorded in Table 7.

Table 7. High counts of waterbird species in Puddler Marsh in 2012. Only species with high counts greater than 100 are included. Spring migration Fall migration Species Peak Peak date Peak Number Peak date Number Canada Goose* 3-Mar 320 26-Oct 1,250 Caspian Tern 13-Jul 103 Multiple Dates 2 Green-winged Teal* 20-Apr 428 2-Nov 290 Killdeer 6-Jul 102 5-Oct 5 Mallard* 3-Mar 1,048 8-Nov 2,829 Northern Pintail* 3-Mar 2,300 8-Nov 2,710 Ring-billed Gull 8-Jun 40 25-Sep 162 Snow Goose 3-Mar 300 26-Oct 250 Tundra Swan* 3-Mar 410 7-Dec 43 Yellowlegs spp.* 6-Jul 150 18-Sep 35 *Species of conservation concern.

Black terns were observed foraging within the marsh but no breeding activity was evident at Puddler this year.

Some additional highlights for Puddler Marsh include:  Multiple high counts of five short-eared owls roosting and foraging along the dike and nearby fallow field (Figure 1),  One Bonaparte’s gull during the summer,  At least 16 unique great egrets,  One common tern,  At least 12 unique sandhill cranes through the fall, and  A family of North American river otters.

2013 Management Strategy: Puddler Marsh will be managed similarly to last year to provide spring and fall migrating waterfowl habitat and mudflats for southbound shorebirds.

Kipp Island North (89 acres) and South (126 acres) (formerly Jackson North and South)

2012 Management Results: Spring runoff flooded these agricultural fields to provide ample foraging habitat for migrating dabbling ducks, geese, and swans. In 2012, this property was planted in soybeans under a refuge cooperative farming agreement for the last time. After the growing season, 20 acres were disked and native wetland seeds, collected by MARSH volunteers in the fall 2012, were sown on exposed soil.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Surveys for spring migrating waterfowl were conducted at these Jackson sites because the fields were flooded (Table 8). As the growing season progressed, the fields were drained and soybeans were planted. As a result of poor waterfowl habitat, no weekly waterbird surveys were conducted through the summer.

Table 8. High counts of waterbirds in Kipp Island North and South from spring waterfowl surveys. Surveys were only conducted three days in the spring to target the peak of migration. All species observed are recorded. Spring migration Fall migration Species Peak date Peak Number Peak date Peak Number American Black Duck* 10-Mar 54 Not Surveyed American Wigeon 10-Mar 20 Not Surveyed Canada goose* 3-Mar 1,012 Not Surveyed Green-winged Teal* 10-Mar 3 Not Surveyed Mallard* 10-Mar 542 Not Surveyed Northern Pintail* 10-Mar 304 Not Surveyed *Species of conservation concern

2013 Management Strategy: A dike will be constructed on the north side of Kipp Island South, adjacent to the Thruway with a new water control structure to separate the property into two manageable impoundments, although water will need to flow through Jackson North to flood or

15 drain Kipp Island South. Spring runoff will be held in the unit to provided habitat to migrating waterfowl. A student from SUNY ESF will monitor the areas where wetland plant seeds were sown as well as control plots to determine if germination occurs.

May’s Point Pool (199 acres)

2012 Management Results: May’s Point Pool was held at full pool in the early spring to support northbound waterfowl then drawn down to encourage germination of annual and perennial plants as the unit was largely open water.

Native wetland seed, collected by MARSH volunteers in fall 2011 and including American water plantain, bur-reed, and arrowhead, was sown in a small portion of the marsh (<1 acre).

Because of the inability to move across the soft muck soils, no common frogbit control occurred. Canada thistle growing on the dike was mowed in the summer and pale swallow-wort was sprayed with triclopyr in June.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Good numbers of northern pintail and mallard were observed using the pool throughout spring migration (Table 9). As the marsh’s water level was lowered, shorebird habitat increased, peaking in late May. Many species were detected including semipalmated plover, Baird’s, least, semipalmated, spotted, and white-rumped sandpiper, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, greater and lesser yellowlegs, dunlin, and killdeer.

An ocular estimate of wetland seed germination from the planting resulted in no plants found. However, as a result of the drawdown, the marsh was carpeted with beggartick, smartweed and yellow-nut sedge.

The marsh was dry for most of the fall waterfowl migration, but as it began to fill late in the season when the ducks that were still in the area took advantage of the rich food resource in this unit.

Table 9. High counts of waterbird species in May’s Point Pool in 2012. Only species with high counts greater than 100 are included. Spring migration Fall migration Species Peak Peak date Peak Number Peak date Number Canada Goose* 10-Mar 111 27-Nov 142 Green-winged Teal* 20-Mar 36 13-Nov 850 Mallard* 10-Mar 105 27-Nov 115 Northern Pintail* 10-Mar 400 None Observed *Species of conservation concern

No marshbird callback surveys were conducted in May’s Point Pool due to the draw down.

16 2013 Management Strategy: Water will be held in May’s Point Pool to provide habitat for migrating waterfowl and breeding marsh birds. Seeded areas will be evaluated for desired plants. The unit will be mapped and monitored for frogbit by the MARSH group.

Millennium Marsh (69 acres)

2012 Management Results: Millennium Marsh was drawn down in late spring to facilitate control of common reed and willow. Once dry, the unit was mowed and disked to set back cattail stands. Chemical treatment of common reed was conducted in early fall and willow saplings were mowed to set back succession. Native wetland seed was sown on 10 acres of exposed soil.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Due to low/no water and very dense vegetation, Millennium Marsh was not surveyed weekly for waterbirds. Marshbird callback surveys were conducted at the southeast dike of the impoundment; no focal species were identified.

2013 Management Strategy: Water levels will be manipulated to encourage the germination of sown wetland seeds. Common reed, willow, and cattail will be treated as time and resources permit.

Visitor Center Wetland (26 acres)

2012 Management Results: Due to the dry winter conditions, water was pumped into the unit in early spring to provide mudflat habitat for northbound waterfowl and shorebirds. The unit was dried out in the summer to aid in chemical treatment of common reed (treated with glyphosate) and flowering rush (treated with imazamox). Photos were taken at monitoring points for 2 flowering rush. Once treatment was complete, /3 of the unit were mowed and disked then flooded to provide shorebird habitat for southbound birds.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: This unit provided much watchable wildlife with its close proximity to the Wildlife Drive and Visitor Center. Approximately 25% of the plants in this marsh were preferred waterfowl food plants (primarily curlytop knotweed), and waterfowl and shorebird species observed include American black duck, American wigeon, blue- and green-winged teal, Canada goose, gadwall, mallard, northern pintail, shoveler, wood duck, dunlin, yellowlegs, killdeer, and least, pectoral spotted, and semipalmated sandpiper.

Duck traps set on the west dike of the Visitor Center Wetland played a crucial role in helping biologists exceed the refuge banding record for wood ducks.

2013 Management Strategy: The Visitor Center Wetland will be maintained with shallow water and mudflats for northbound shorebirds. This may require pumping water from the Main Pool to keep it moist through the spring shorebird migration. If necessary, common reed will be sprayed with a glyphosate herbicide during the growing season. Flowering rush will be treated with both imazamox and glyphosate. As long as marshbirds are not nesting in this unit, vegetation will be mowed, disked thoroughly, and later flooded to create mudflat habitat for southbound shorebirds in late June, July, or as soon as the unit is dry enough and at least two weeks after treating common reed and flowering rush. Whenever the unit becomes too dry for shorebirds, additional

17 water will be pumped in. Portions of the unit with preferred waterfowl food plants will not be disked, and water will be kept high enough to provide some waterfowl habitat during fall migration.

Eaton Marsh (Formerly Shorebird Flats (18 acres)

2012 Management Results: Shorebird Flats was drawn down in the spring to provide moist soil during the shorebird migration and to facilitate work on the Wildlife Drive, which was raised to aid in the dry marsh restoration. This allowed more muck soil deposition on the east side of the road and also a better vantage point of Shorebird Flats. The unit was disked in late August and then flooded, via a pump from the Main Pool, throughout the fall, to provide waterfowl habitat.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Like the Visitor Center Wetland, this unit provides quality watchable wildlife for refuge visitors due to its location along the Wildlife Drive. Many species of waterbirds were present throughout the year. Noteworthy single counts included 156 brant and 1,000 Canada geese.

Informal marshbird callback surveys were conducted along the Shorebird Flats dike with both American bittern and sora responding. American bitterns were often observed along the dike roads, and a brood of soras was observed within the unit.

Often throughout the year, a merlin and a peregrine falcon were observed adjacent to this unit.

2013 Management Strategy: Shorebird Flats will be shallowly flooded in early spring to provide waterfowl and shorebird habitat. As long as marshbirds are not nesting in this unit, vegetation may be mowed, disked thoroughly, and later flooded to create mudflat habitat for southbound shorebirds in late June, July, or as soon as the unit is dry enough. The north end of this unit may be graded when the unit is dry, allowing the entire unit to be shallowly flooded. Whenever the unit becomes too dry for shorebirds, additional water will be pumped in. Water may be kept high enough to provide some waterfowl habitat during fall migration.

Benning Marsh (18 acres)

2012 Management Results: Benning Marsh was held at full pool to provide habitat for spring migrating waterfowl then slowly drained in May for migrating shorebirds. The unit was disked in July, and then five acres of exposed mudflats were seeded with native wetland seed collected by MARSH volunteers in fall 2012. The unit was shallowly flooded throughout the fall migration to provide habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Many species of waterfowl and shorebirds used Benning Marsh in 2012. The exposed mudflats supported the following high counts: dunlin (90), Wilson’s snipe (32), yellowlegs (72), and semipalmated plover (65). Waterfowl highlights include 58 gadwall and over 600 Canada geese.

A trap on the west side of Benning Marsh was very productive for ducks during the preseason banding program.

18 2013 Management Strategy: Benning Marsh will be shallowly flooded in early spring to provide waterfowl and shorebird habitat. As long as marshbirds are not nesting in this unit, vegetation may be mowed, disked thoroughly, and later flooded to create mudflat habitat for southbound shorebirds in late June, July, or as soon as the unit is dry enough. The area that was seeded will not be disked and will be monitored to determine if germination occurred.

Box Elder Bog (10 acres)

2012 Management Results: Box Elder Bog is part of the Riparian Forest Corridor Habitat Management Unit, thus the intention is to reforest this emergent marsh impoundment. The unit was drained with the intention of controlling invasive common reed and reed canary grass, but no treatments were conducted.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The majority of this 10-acre impoundment was dominated by reed canary grass which limited the growth of woody vegetation. A large patch of bur-reed was identified within the unit and seed was collected.

2013 Management Strategy: Box Elder Bog will be held at full pool until native species can be seeded and planted to promote its reforestation. The surrounding area is dominated by reed canary grass with common buckthorn growing adjacent to the Clyde River. Invasives need to be controlled and native species planted in the entire area to increase the likelihood of success.

Larue’s Lagoon (Formerly Lesser Yellowlegs Unit (8 acres))

2012 Management Results: The Larue’s Lagoon was held at full pool for spring migrating waterfowl and then drained throughout the month of May to allow grading of the interior and dike reconstruction. Work was completed in late summer, which allowed the unit to be flooded to create mudflats. Flowering rush within the unit was sprayed with imazamox herbicide.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The spring drawdown promoted the germination of smartweeds and other annual plants. Flooding the unit in early fall provided ample seed for foraging mallards, American black ducks, and green-winged teal. Canada geese particularly selected this marsh with high counts of 700 and 1,500 during spring and fall migration, respectively.

2013 Management Strategy: The Larue’s Lagoon will be managed similarly to Benning Marsh.

Display Pool (2 acres)

2012 Management Results: Water was held in the Display Pool throughout the year to provide habitat for waterfowl and wading birds.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: A great blue heron and Wilson’s snipe regularly foraged in this small unit along the Entrance Road, providing wildlife observation and photography opportunities to visitors as they enter the refuge.

2013 Management Strategy: Water will be held in the Display Pool to provide viewing opportunities to visitors as they enter the refuge. Seeds will be collected from native wetland plants by MARSH volunteers in the late summer and fall to be sown in the Display Pool this fall or next spring. This pool provides an easily accessible wetland for education and interpretation of native wetland plants and waterfowl foods. In addition, this impoundment’s water level can be raised or dropped easily because it is connected to the Main Pool.

Goal 2: Restore and maintain forested wetlands, riparian forests along the Seneca and Clyde Rivers, and upland forests to benefit priority native species, including songbirds, bats, and important plant communities.

Goal 2 Strategies

Monitoring Strategies for Goal 2 in All Units

The refuge established driving transects in 2011 along roads within the refuge acquisition boundary to monitor the deer population size. The distance sampling protocol used was refined by the refuge in 2012 with the help of the NYSDEC. Deer population surveys will continue in 2013.

The refuge is working with the NYSDEC to form a task force to determine ways to increase the doe harvest on the refuge to minimize deer browse impacts. Refuge staff recorded biological information on hunter harvested deer (e.g., age, number antler points, etc.) within the refuge in preparation for potential changes to the deer hunt program. Deer will continue to be checked in 2013.

The standardized protocol developed by Knutson et al. (2008) with randomly established points located at least 300m apart and 50m from the habitat edge was used for all breeding bird surveys conducted in forested units in 2012. These surveys will continue at active reforestation sites only (i.e., fields where trees have been planted) in 2013. Surveys will not be conducted at other forest units due to budget constraints in 2013.

Jackson Property – East, Upland West, North Central, South Central, Riparian West Former Agricultural Fields (57 acres)

2012 Management Results: In the spring, twelve acres along the canal were taken out of a cooperative farming agreement and seeded with a native herbaceous mix (referred to as Riparian West field). In November, MARSH volunteers and refuge staff planted six of the twelve acres with 300, 3-5’ tall native trees and shrubs. Species planted include American sycamore, swamp white oak, white oak, common hackberry, silky dogwood, spice bush, and winterberry.

Pale swallow-wort was treated with a foliar spray of triclopyr by refuge staff, and a contractor was hired to control common buckthorn using cut stump treatments with glyphosate. The goal of these control efforts was to increase the likelihood of success of our reforestation efforts.

20 2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: In 2009 -2010, MARSH volunteers and refuge staff planted 1,401 trees, in four former agricultural fields, totaling 45 acres. These trees were monitored for mortality in May 2012, and at least 60% of the trees survived. It is important to note that, in 2011, approximately 70 trees were accidentally mowed down by a cooperative farmer, negatively affecting the rate of survival. The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys: northern flicker, rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, willow flycatcher and wood thrush.

2013 Management Strategy: Mortality surveys will continue for trees planted in 2009, 2010, and 2012 to determine the success of each planting. A protocol will be developed to monitor reforestation sites not only for the survivorship of planted trees but also to measure natural regeneration.

Russell Property

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys: song sparrow, willow flycatcher and wood thrush.

2013 Management Strategy: When resources become available, this unit will be restored by treating invasive plants.

Other Forest Units

As resources allow, areas of fallow cropland will be reforested, including the remaining six acres of Jackson Riparian West.

Objective 2.1 Bottomland Floodplain Forest Maintain and restore, as necessary, a minimum of 2,025 acres of mature forested wetlands and areas converting to mature bottomland floodplain forest dominated by native species to provide foraging and breeding habitat for migratory songbirds, cavity nesting waterfowl, amphibians, and bats.

Objective 2.1 Strategies

Unit 17 East (344 acres)

2012 Management Results: Due to a dry winter, water was not high enough to facilitate the collection of bathymetry data. In the spring, the US Forest Service (USFS) monitored a previously established deer browse transect on eastern red cedar saplings.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Of the three mature forested wetland units that are surveyed for breeding birds, Unit 17 East is the best for wood thrush, a focal species for this habitat type, with an average of 1.18 birds detected per survey point in 2012 (Figure 3). In addition to wood thrush, the following species of conservation concern were detected during a

21 breeding bird survey in 2012: Baltimore oriole, northern flicker, rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, willow flycatcher and song sparrow.

Figure 3. The abundance (average number of birds per point) of species of conservation concern detected at 11 breeding bird survey points in each of three forested units on the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Bars represent abundance for the years 2007 through 2012 combined.

2013 Management Strategy: The refuge has been considering how to effectively manage Unit 17 East and West. Funding was secured for fiscal year 2013 to replace one of the water control structures in this area (potentially, the Unit 17 outlet, the connector ditch outlet, or one of the Main Pool inlets). It will be a priority to determine bottom elevations throughout the unit to aid in restoration. USFS and refuge personnel will continue to monitor the deer browse transect on eastern red cedar saplings.

Unit 17 West (266 acres)

2012 Management Results: The northern outlet structure is rotten and restricted with beaver dams, so water level management is limited in Unit 17 West.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Unit 17 West provided great nesting and foraging habitat for wood ducks and great blue herons; a heron rookery was present. The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys: wood thrush,

22 Baltimore oriole, northern flicker, rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, and song sparrow (Figure 3).

2013 Management Strategy: See Unit 17 East.

Main Pool Forest (457 acres)

2012 Management Results: The Swamp Woods Natural Area was recognized by the NY Natural Heritage Program as a red maple-hardwood swamp that is “significant on a statewide level due to large size, good diversity, good species condition, and good microtopography.”

This area is influenced by the water level in the Main Pool and was wet as the Pool was held full.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys: Baltimore oriole, northern flicker rose-breasted grosbeak, song sparrow, and wood thrush (Figure 3).

2013 Management Strategy: This area is directly influenced by the water regime of the Main Pool, which will be drawn down in the spring and shallowly flooded in the late summer for the fall migration.

Beech-Maple Knoll (69 acres)

2012 Management Results: The Beech-Maple Knoll was designated a Research Natural Area in 1967 because it is a prime example of a mature, northern hardwood beech-maple forest cover type. The beech-maple association provides a unique habitat type not found elsewhere on the refuge. In late spring and fall, USFS and refuge staff and volunteers monitored a vegetation transect in this unit to determine potential impacts of deer browse.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: A lack of stems less than 2 inches DBH was found in this unit indicating high negative impacts caused by white-tailed deer.

2013 Management Strategy: The vegetation transect to monitor potential impacts of deer browse will be revisited in the spring and fall to monitor changes to the vegetative community over time.

Cerulean Forest (215 acres)

2012 Management Results: The New York Natural Heritage Program considers this forest unit to be a significant occurrence of a silver maple-ash swamp.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Dominant trees in this stand include bitternut and shagbark hickory and red maple. This forest stand represents a relatively intact native plant community with a very low invasive species load.

2013 Management Strategy: The unit will be monitored for invasive species which will be controlled based on best management practices and the resources at hand.

Other Areas

There are several areas throughout the refuge that also provide forested wetland habitats. These areas are not managed or monitored.

Objective 2.2 Riparian Forest Corridor Maintain and restore, as necessary, up to 1,197 acres of riparian forest corridor (at least 490 feet wide) along the Seneca and Clyde Rivers. These areas will be dominated by native species to achieve connectivity of forested habitats, to protect the water quality of the rivers, and to provide foraging and breeding habitat for migratory songbirds, cavity nesting waterfowl, bald eagles, amphibians, and bats.

Objective 2.2 Strategies

Seneca Trail Area (40 acres)

2012 Management Results: Refuge staff treated pale swallowwort with triclopyr throughout the summer, including follow-up applications. Also, all Japanese stiltgrass from the area was mowed or handpulled before seed heads were ripe.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Restoration of the Seneca Trail Area is a long-term project requiring a long-term perspective regarding vegetation and wildlife response. The swallow-wort response to repeated herbicide treatments has been slow in that it returns every year, but the density was much lower this year than in previous years. Herbicide application will continue in an effort to control the plant. Native trees planted in 2008, 2009, and 2011 continue to grow in areas where common buckthorn was removed. The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys: Baltimore oriole, osprey and song sparrow.

2013 Management Strategy: Invasive plant control as well as native tree and shrub plantings will continue in 2013 as resources allow.

May’s Clyde River Forest Corridor

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys: cerulean warbler, northern flicker and song sparrow.

2013 Management Strategy: When resources become available, this corridor will be restored by treating invasive plants, planting a native herbaceous seed mix, and planting native shrubs and trees.

24 Other Areas

There are several areas along both the Seneca and Clyde Rivers on the refuge that meet this objective. These areas currently are not actively managed.

Objective 2.3 Mature Upland Forest Promote the succession of native upland plant communities to mature forest on at least 507 acres to benefit migratory breeding birds including wood thrush and cerulean warbler.

Objective 2.3 Strategies

Lawrence Property (74 acres)

2012 Management Results: Bare root and potted trees were planted on the Lawrence Property in 2011. In 2012, bare root trees were treated with a repellant to reduce the effect of browse by deer and small mammals. Potted trees were secured with a five foot tall tree shelter at the time of the planting.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: As expected, species that rely on early successional habitats were detected during the breeding bird survey including song sparrow and savannah sparrow. At least 76.3% of potted trees planted were observed living in May 2012. We believe that approximately 90% of bare root trees planted in 2011 have died.

Nash Forest (211 acres)

2012 Management Results: A 16-acre portion of this unit was reforested in 2011, and trees were monitored for mortality in May 2012. The USFS continued to monitor deer impacts on vegetation.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Of the three vegetation transects established to monitor deer impacts (Nash Forest, Beech-Maple Knoll, and Clark’s Ridge), the Nash Forest was least impacted by deer browse. Indeed, this tract was identified during a forest health assessment conducted by the USFS as “a unique forest containing large diameter tulip poplar and sugar maple” (Dodds and Dubois 2011).

Of trees planted in this unit, 78.4% survived from the total planted in 2011.

2013 Management Strategy: Mortality surveys will be conducted for trees planted in 2011 to determine the success of each planting. A protocol will be developed to monitor reforestation sites not only for the survivorship of planted trees but also to measure natural regeneration. We will continue to monitor the vegetation transect to identify the extent of deer browse on this unit. Breeding bird survey points will be established in this unit.

Goal 3 Manage grassland and shrubland habitats primarily to benefit bird species of conservation concern.

Objective 3.1 Shrublands Provide a minimum of 396 acres of shrubland habitat dominated by native species consisting of an equal mix of shrubs and herbaceous vegetation with or without scattered trees to provide breeding habitat for shrubland-dependent birds, and to provide food sources for migrating songbirds.

Objective 3.1 Strategies

Monitoring Strategies for Objective 3.1 in All Units Listed

The standardized protocol developed by Knutson et al. (2008) with randomly established points located at least 300m apart was used for all breeding bird surveys conducted in shrubland units in 2012. Surveys will not be conducted in 2013 due to budget constraints.

Esker Brook Thicket (57 acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The Esker Brook Thicket was previously managed as three separate units; therefore different parts of the field are in different successional stages. The southern-most portion of the field is dominated by a mix of cool season grasses, forbs, and woody species; whereas the northern-most portion of the field consists of a dense stand of shrubs dominated by gray dogwood, Morrow’s honeysuckle, and glossy buckthorn. The following species of conservation concern were detected in this unit during a breeding bird survey: Baltimore oriole, rose-breasted grosbeak, willow flycatcher and wood thrush.

2013 Management Strategy: This thicket needs to be brush hogged to set back succession; however, no management will occur in this unit in 2013 due to budget constraints.

Clark’s Ridge Old Field (28 acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: The field includes a diverse mix of herbaceous cover and has a large stand of thick woody shrubs and trees.

The following species of conservation concern were detected in this unit during a breeding bird survey: Baltimore oriole, northern flicker, rose-breasted grosbeak, song sparrow and willow flycatcher.

26 2013 Management Strategy: It is not necessary to set back succession in the Clark’s Ridge Old Field in 2013. Invasive plant monitoring and control is needed due to the presence of pale swallow-wort but will not occur in 2013 due to budget constraints.

Waugh III (40 acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: This field includes a diverse mix of herbaceous and woody cover. Species of conservation concern detected during a breeding bird survey in this unit include: rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, willow flycatcher, and Baltimore oriole. A black-billed cuckoo was heard singing in a tree on a private property across the road from the unit.

2013 Management Strategy: It is not necessary to set back succession in this unit.

Noble (91acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: This unit includes a diverse mix of herbaceous and woody cover including patches of mature trees and dense mature shrubs. Species of conservation concern detected during a breeding bird survey in this unit include: field sparrow, song sparrow, willow flycatcher, and wood thrush.

2013 Management Strategy: See Esker Brook Thicket management strategy.

Winery Field and adjacent Wilgoose Shrubland Edges (39 acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: This unit is dominated by herbaceous cover including a high percentage of forbs. The following species of conservation concern were detected during breeding bird surveys in this unit: bobolink, field sparrow, northern flicker, song sparrow and willow flycatcher. Rose-breasted grosbeak and scarlet tanager were heard in the distance.

2013 Management Strategy: It is not necessary to set back succession in this unit.

Subheadquarters Fields (58 acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: This unit is a grassland dominated by warm season grasses, primarily switchgrass. Song sparrow and willow flycatcher were the only species of conservation concern detected during breeding bird surveys in this unit other than a rose-breasted grosbeak and a black-billed cuckoo that were heard in the distance.

2013 Management Strategy: It is not necessary to set back succession in this unit.

Objective 3.2 Grasslands Maintain a minimum of 287 acres of grassland habitat in patches greater than 50 acres primarily for grassland obligate nesting birds and wintering raptors.

Monitoring Strategies for Objective 3.2 in All Units

Whole area counts for wintering raptors were conducted weekly from November 2012 to April 2013 in all grassland units per the protocol developed by the NYSDEC.

Objective 3.2 Strategies

Wilgoose (134 acres)

2012 Management Results: Residual stands of common reed were mowed in early spring and chemical treatment of new growth took place in mid/late summer. Also, 32 acres of goldenrod were mowed in the late summer to reduce the cover of this forb. Breeding bird and wintering raptor surveys were conducted.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: This field contains a mix of warm and cool season grasses and forbs. Thistle was not mowed in this unit because individual patch sizes were small and spread out. Effects of the chemical treatment were evident on the periphery of the common reed stands.

Wilgoose is the refuge’s best unit for bobolink (Figure 4) with more than four birds detected per monitoring point in 2012. Bobolink was identified in the CCP as the focal breeding species for grasslands on the refuge. A good number of savannah sparrows was also detected. Other species of conservation concern detected using the grassland include song sparrow and willow flycatcher.

28 Bobolink Savannah Sparrow

Figure 4. The abundance (average number of birds per point) of species of bobolink and savannah sparrow detected at breeding bird survey points in three grassland units on the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Bars represent abundance for the years 2007 through 2012 combined.

Although three short-eared owls were detected in one evening at Wilgoose, in general this was not a good site for either short-eared owls or northern harriers, averaging less than one of each per survey (Figure 1). Cooper’s, red-tailed and rough-legged hawk, American kestrel, and peregrine falcon also were detected utilizing this unit throughout the winter.

2013 Management Strategy: If pale swallow-wort is observed in the unit, it will be sprayed with triclopyr in June. Canada thistle will be monitored and treatment will be conducted if necessary. Common reed will be sprayed with a glyphosate herbicide during the growing season. Wetlands in the unit will be monitored for purple loosestrife, and biological control beetles will be released if necessary and resources allow. Haying will occur on up to 50 acres after the nesting season to set back succession and decrease the cover of broad-leaf forbs.

Waugh I and II (66 acres)

2012 Management Results: Waugh I and II were mowed in the fall. The entire Waugh II field was mowed (35 acres) while Waugh I was meandered through with a mower, for less than 1 acre total mowed.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: Waugh II contains a mix of grasses and forbs, but the dominant plant is goldenrod. Waugh I contains a diverse mix of herbaceous and woody vegetation.

Waugh was the only grassland with Eastern meadowlark detected during breeding bird surveys in 2012. Other grassland obligate breeding birds detected were bobolink and savannah sparrow (Figure 4). Other species of conservation concern detected using the grassland include song sparrow and willow flycatcher.

Less than one short-eared owl and northern harrier were detected per survey at this unit during weekly winter raptor surveys (Figure 1).

2013 Management Strategy: Waugh II will be hayed after July 15 to suppress goldenrod and other broad-leaf forbs.

Avery Tract (55 acres)

2012 Management Results: No management action occurred within the unit in 2012.

2012 Vegetation and Wildlife Response: A dense mix of warm season grasses were present in the Avery grassland which provided good habitat for savannah sparrows and bobolinks. Avery is, by far, the best grassland on the refuge for breeding savannah sparrows (Figure 4). Other species of conservation concern detected using the grassland include song sparrow and willow flycatcher.

Avery was also not a hot spot for short-eared owls or northern harriers compared to emergent marsh units within the Complex.

2013 Management Strategy: Avery will be hayed after July 15 to decrease the density of warm season grasses and control broad-leaf forbs and woody vegetation.

Literature Cited

Conway, C. J. 2009. Standardized North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocols, version 2009-2. Wildlife Research Report #2009-02. U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Tucson, AZ.

30 Dodds, K. J. and G. D. Dubois. 2011. Forest Health Assessment – Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Unpublished Report. U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Durham Field Office, Durham, NH.

Knutson, M. G., N. P. Danz, T. W. Sutherland, and B. R. Gray. 2008. Landbird Monitoring Protocol for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest and Northeast Regions, Version 1. Biological Monitoring Team Technical Report BMT-2008-01. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, La Crosse, WI.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2008. Dry Marsh Wetland Restoration Final Plan, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Unpublished Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Seneca Falls, NY.

31 Appendix A. Proposed and actual water levels for 2012 and proposed levels for 2013, Montezuma NWR.

DD = Drawndown HP = Half Pool FP = Full Pool

Benning Marsh Box Elder Bog Display Pool Approximate Date 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed 1-Jan ICE ICE ICE 15-Jan 380.8 1-Feb 378.6 380.9 381.3 15-Feb 378.5 380.5 ICE 1-Mar 378.5 380.4 381.3 15-Mar 378.6 378.9 381.4 1-Apr 378.5 380.3 381.3 15-Apr 378.2 379.6 381.2 1-May 378.4 379.9 381.6 15-May 378.0 379.6 381.5 1-Jun 378.2 381.3 15-Jun 377.9 381.2 1-Jul 380.5 DD 15-Jul 381.6 1-Aug 379.3 382.0 15-Aug 378.7 381.9 1-Sep 379.3 381.7

15-Sep 378.6 DD 381.8 1-Oct 378.4 381.4 15-Oct 378.2 381.1 1-Nov 378.5 381.3 15-Nov 378.6 381.3 1-Dec 378.4 381.2 15-Dec

Based on old elevations, keep at 381 Knox Marsellus Larue's Lagoon Main Pool Approximate .2. Date 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed 1-Jan 381.3 ICE ICE 15-Jan 381.5 1-Feb 380.9 381.9 381.5 15-Feb 380.5 ICE 381.4 1-Mar 380.7 381.7 381.5 15-Mar 380.8 381.7 381.5 1-Apr 380.9 381.5 381.5 15-Apr 380.7 381.4 381.3 1-May 381.1 381.8 381.6 15-May 381.3 381.1 381.9 1-Jun 381.2 380.3 381.7 15-Jun 381.2 379.9 381.6 1-Jul 380.7 381.3 15-Jul 380.5 DD 381.2 1-Aug 380.0 381.6 15-Aug 379.9 379.5 381.8 1-Sep 379.6 381.1 382.0 15-Sep 379.4 381.0 382.2 1-Oct 379.3 381.5 382.3 15-Oct 379.4 381.4 382.5 1-Nov 379.6 381.5 382.1 15-Nov 379.7 381.5 382.2 1-Dec 379.6 381.4 381.6 15-Dec

May's Point Pool Millennium Marsh Puddler Marsh Approximate Date 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed 1-Jan 382.8 382.8 15-Jan 383.3 383.5 1-Feb 383.3 383.5 15-Feb 382.6 382.9 1-Mar 382.7 382.9 15-Mar 382.9 383.0 1-Apr 382.8 15-Apr 382.4 382.6 1-May 382.5 383.0 15-May 381.2 381.9 1-Jun 381.3

15-Jun 381.3 NO 1-Jul 381.3 GAUGE 15-Jul 381.3 1-Aug 381.3 DD 15-Aug 381.3 1-Sep 381.3 15-Sep 381.3 1-Oct 381.3 15-Oct 381.6 382.4 1-Nov 381.6 15-Nov 381.4 382.0 1-Dec 381.4 382.1 15-Dec

Sandhill Crane Unit Eaton Marsh* Tschache Pool Based on old elevations, Approximate keep at 384.0-384.4. Date 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed 1-Jan ICE 384.4 ICE 15-Jan ICE 384.9 1-Feb 381.1 384.5 384.8 15-Feb 381.1 383.4 384.2 1-Mar 381.2 383.3 384.5 15-Mar 381.1 383.2 384.6 1-Apr 381.1 383.1 384.5 15-Apr 380.9 383.7 384.3 1-May 380.9 383.6 384.6 15-May 380.9 383.7 384.6 1-Jun 380.8 383.4 384.2 15-Jun 380.7 383.3 384.2

1-Jul 380.5 383.0 384.0 15-Jul 380.4 383.6 383.7 1-Aug 380.3 383.4 383.7 15-Aug 380.1 383.0 383.6 1-Sep 380.1 383.3 383.3 15-Sep 379.6 383.7 383.2 1-Oct 379.8 383.6 383.2

15-Oct 379.5 383.7 383.2 1-Nov 379.9 383.9 383.5 15-Nov 380.1 383.9 383.7 1-Dec 380.0 383.8 383.8 15-Dec * Created in 2010.

Unit 17 East VC Wetland Approximate Date 2012 2012 2013 2012 2012 2013 Proposed Actual Proposed Proposed Actual Proposed 1-Jan 383.2 383.8 15-Jan 383.5 383.9 1-Feb 383.7 383.9 15-Feb 383.3 383.8 1-Mar 383.4 383.8 15-Mar 383.5 383.8 1-Apr 383.3 383.8 15-Apr 383.3 383.8 1-May 383.8 383.8 15-May 383.5 383.8

1-Jun 383.3 383.6 15-Jun 383.3 382.9 1-Jul 384.1 DD 15-Jul 383.9 DD 1-Aug 384.4 DD 15-Aug 384.4 383.0

1-Sep 384.4 383.7 15-Sep 384.4 384.1 1-Oct 384.4 383.8 15-Oct 384.2 383.2 1-Nov 384.8 383.9 15-Nov 383.7 383.9 1-Dec 383.3 383.8 15-Dec

36 Appendix B: Biological Program Calendar 2013 January  ABDU banding  Weekly winter raptor surveys  SEOW trapping  BAEA count February  ABDU banding  Weekly raptor surveys  Owl trapping and tracking  Spray reports due  FrogWatch start-up meetings  Analyze bat calls and prepare equipment for bat monitoring. March  Set benchmarks and water gauges  ABDU banding  Weekly winter raptor surveys  Finalize 2012 BBS data analysis  Treat buckthorn  Impoundment veg. surveys (start of waterfowl migration)  Spring migration waterfowl counts April  Weekly winter raptor surveys and submit data to DEC if needed/report for FWS  Sow remaining native wetland plant seeds  Woodcock singing ground surveys (4/25 through 5/10, two evenings)  Update guide by cell (SACR, Lesser Yellowlegs, SBF, May’s Point) May  Deer impact monitoring (~3 days)  Woodcock singing surveys (4/25 through 5/10, two evenings)  Impoundment veg. surveys (just before peak of shorebird migration)  Monitor/mow thistle?  Passive bat surveys  Tree survival monitoring (~2 days) and tree shelter maintenance  BBS in Lawrence, Jackson, Seneca Trail, May’s Point Corridor, Nash (5/25 – 6/10) (1 morning)  Mow goldenrod in Wilgoose (cooperative farmer)  Develop reforestation monitoring protocol  Produce bathymetric maps

37 June  Passive bat surveys  Spray swallow-wort, common reed, flowering rush (spray any plants, glyphosate and imazomox)  Cut Japanese knotweed (1 day) ~06/03  BLTE Colony survey (1 day; 06/13)  Map Frogbit (MARSH)  Develop reforestation monitoring protocol  Update Guide by Cell as needed July  Spray common reed, flowering rush (spray any plants)  Prep for duck banding (including applying water sealant to catch crates)  Map Frogbit (MARSH)  Passive bat surveys  Grassland haying season (after July 15), Wilgoose (< 50 acres), Waugh I and Avery  Develop and field test reforestation monitoring protocol  IWMM veg survey (peak of fall shorebird migration) August  Monitor seeded areas within Jackson, May’s, Millennium, Benning.  Impoundment veg. surveys  Passive bat surveys  Duck banding  Spray Japanese knotweed (1 day; 08/14/13). May need to wait till later in the year.  Spray common reed, swallow-wort?  Develop and field test reforestation monitoring protocol September  Duck banding  Passive bat surveys  Seed collection  Spray knotweed, swallow-wort?  Monitor stiltgrass populations  Montezuma Muckrace (24 hrs; 09/06-07)  Deer hunter meetings (2 meetings)  IWMM veg survey (peak of seed production, before start of main waterfowl migration)  Develop and field test reforestation monitoring protocol  Spray Phragmites  Update Guide by Cell

38 October  Deer population survey (begin Oct 1.)  Clean up duck traps  Submit band data to Bandit (by start of western zone hunt)  Treat common buckthorn November  Deer population surveys (end before start of gun season)  Weekly winter raptor surveys  Analyze deer density data in DISTANCE  Check hunter killed deer  Treat common buckthorn  Update Guide by Cell December  Check hunter killed deer  Weekly winter raptor surveys (once a week)  CBC  Treat buckthorn

Appendix C1: Species list of scientific names used in the Annual Habitat Work Plan. Species are sorted aphabetically in three categories: Bird, Plant, and Mammal. Avian Species American avocet (Recurviostra Americana) Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope) American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) American black ducks (Anas rubripes Gadwall (Anas strepera) American coot (Fulica americana) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica) Great egret (Ardea alba) American wigeon (Anas americana) Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) Baird’s sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) Green heron (Butorides virescens) Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Green-winged teal (Anas crecca) Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) Black tern (Chlidonias niger) Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) Black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola) Least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) Least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) Black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) Black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Blue-winged warbler (Vermivora pinus) Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) Northern pintail (Anas acuta) Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) Northern shoveler (Anas clypeata) Brant (Branta bernicla) Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) Brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) Canada goose (Branta canadensis) Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) Caspian tern (Sterna caspia) Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulean) Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) Common gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus Common loon (Gavia immer) ludovicianus) Common tern (Sterna hirundo) Rough-legged hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii) Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) Sanderling (calidris alba) Dowitcher (Limnodromus spp.) Sandhill crane (Grus Canadensis) Dunlin (Calidris alpina) Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)

Appendix C1: Species list of scientific names used in the Annual Habitat Work Plan. Species are sorted aphabetically in three categories: Bird, Plant, and Mammal. Avian Species (continued) Scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) Scaup spp ( Aythya marila; A. affinis) Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) Short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) Snow goose (Chen caerulescens) Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Sora (Porzana Carolina) Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularia) Stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinators) Tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) Western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) White-rumped (Calidris fuscicollis) Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata) Wood duck (Aix sponsa) Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Appendix C2: Species list of scientific names used in the Annual Habitat Work Plan. Species are sorted aphabetically in three categories: Bird, Plant, and Mammal. Plant Species American elm (Ulmus americana) Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) American water plantain (Alisma subcordatum) Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) Arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.) Smartweed (Polygonum spp.) Soft-stem bulrush (Schoenoplectus Beggartick (Bidens spp.) tabernaemontani) Barnyard Grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) Soybean (Glycine spp.) Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) Spice bush (Lindera benzoin) Bur-reed (Sparganium spp.) Spikerushes (Eleocharis spp.) Cattails (Typha spp.) Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) Swamp loosestrife (Decodon spp.) Common frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Common reed (Phragmites australis) Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) Curlytop knotweed (Persicaria lapathifolia) White ash (Fraxinus americana) Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Winterberry (Ilex spp.) Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) Yellow-nut sedge (Cyperus esculentus) Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) Hard-stem bulrush (Scirpus acutus) Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) Millet (Echinochloa spp.) Pale swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum) Pennsylvania smartweed (Persicaria pensylvanica) Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) Red maple (Acer rubra) Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) River bulrush (Scirpus fluviotillis) Sedge (Carex spp. and Cyperus spp.)

Appendix C3: Species list of scientific names used in the Annual Habitat Work Plan. Species are sorted aphabetically in three categories: Bird, Plant, and Mammal. Mammal Species Beaver (Castor canadensis) Indiana bat (Myotis sodalist) Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) River otters (Lontra canadensis) White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)