SlfANQUARTER QUARTERLY NARRATIVE REPORTS
FEBRUARY 1940 - JANUARY 1941 ROUTING SLIP DIVISION OP WILDLIFE REFUGES DATE: V--7 19^ /
«/ SECTION OF HABITAT BIPROVMEMT!
j/ ^IRCi WQQDM ^2LAaa±l Ms'f"" KuUiuliulsr V m* LUIM gujLf UTi n iim
MRS, GIJNW ff (L
/ MR* BUMONT Q>. Mi DO Conk
SECTION OF OPERATIONS: SECTION OF ERiV:
Mr. Ball Mr. Regan sZAk ?rv"
U Mr* NrwtTBTies
\/ ^srrW^aJNglnV^ ^Yy Mrs, Fishman
Mrs, Kricun
^ SECTION OF LAND MANAGEMENT: STEtvIOGRilPHERS:
Mr, Earm^wiw. Miss Price
iiiitou r/i'iui luy c /1
y/ SECTION OF STRUCTURES;
M^-Taylor
MrV- G-t.i is LciIUUn
i T- en REI'AiR.KS; u<~ a ^ ^ " ---a—^ 9-" L3L (—-<—<— A 7
/ Return to: - c;> ' 'W SWANQUARTER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Quarterly Narrative Rep'ort';
November and Decemoer 1940, and January 1941
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
New Holland, N# C»
Submitted by_ 1 N D E X
SWAN QUARTER NATIONAL WILDLIIB REFUGE
Q^rterly Narrative Report
November and December 1940, and January 1941
I* General
A» Weather Conditions
B® Water Conditions
II. Wildlife
A. Water-birds
B. Upland-game Birds
C# Big-game Animals
III. Refuge Development and Maintenance
IV. Public Relations
A. Recreational Use
B. Violations
V. Economic Uses of Refuge Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge
Quarterly Narrative Report
November and December 1940 and January 1941
!• General
A* Weather Conditions Max Min. Snowfall Rainfall Temp Temp.
November 3.54 75° 27°
December 2«53 72° 27°
J anuary 2« 78 69° ^30 Total 8»86 Extremes 75° 23°
Temperature and rainfall data shown were recorded at
New Holland, within ten miles of parts of Swanquarter Refuge*
Temperatures were generally moderate, with no periods pf espe
cially severe weather* There was no measurable snowfall through
the period, no day when ice persisted through the day, and only
one day when maximum temperature did not reach or exceed 40°,
Rainfall for the three months was two inches less than the normal
for the period*
B» Water Conditions
Water level in Pamlico Sound averaged one or two inches above mean sea level through most of this period*
It seems that slight seasonal differences in water level do not have the marked effect on availability of food on Swan- quarter Refuge, as such differences have on Mattarnuskeet Refuge*
II. Wildlife A* Waterbirds -2-
!• Populations
Waterfowl populations as recorded at the time of the January inventory are reasonably representative of the quarter, and are as follows;
* Black duck 77
^ C anv asb ac k 14
/ Scaup 767
/Goldeneye 328
Bufflehead 411
Ruddy 1
.y/ Canada goose 146
^Wnistling sv/an 55
About 45 sootefs were taliied, and about 35 old squaws, in addition to game species for which inventory reports are required* There was marked reduction of all species of ducks, both game and non-game, on Swanquarter Refuge as compared with the previous season*
Black ducks are seen in quiet coves close to shore, or flying over the marsh* Geese and swans, especially swans, are
likely to be found on the refuge in protected water or close to shore* Buffleheads are more generally distributed over the
refuge than other ducks, but do not bunch together in large
numbers, and are more common in protected than in exposed
waters* Scaup is the only species of duck which is seen in
large flocks or rafts on Swanquarter Refuge^ and counts of
scaup are more variable than counts of other duoKs on the re
fuge, depending on whether such large flocks are encountered*
Geese and swans were less abundant in the latter part of the quarter* 3-
Good data are not available on arrival dates of water
fowl, as our patrol boat was not in service until the end of
November, and previous patrol of water areas of the refuge did
not yield much information about bird arrivals#
It is believed that submerged vegetation on the refuge
is increasing# Although the State Fisheries Commission again
authorized hauling nets in the bays of the refuge, and elewhere
in the County, gain from this type of fishing is so reduced
that damage done by nets to vegetation is less than formerly.
B# Upland-game Birds
Swanquarter Refuge does not yet afford a satisfac-
tory year-round haoitat for upland-game birds, ^uring summer
and fall quail are regularly seen in the vicinity of refuge
headquarters and the food-patch area adjoining; but with coming
of winter they regularly leave the refuge and frequent the bor
ders of cultivated land adjoining the highway, ^t is possible
tnat with continuance of strip plowing on a part of the reiJuge,
and with succession of plant growth on strips previously culti
vated, this area of the refuge may be made to afford sutitable
year-round habitat#
C# Big-game Animals
On the refuge, as in surrounding territory, doe
deer greatly outnumber bucks. A small immature male deer was
taken on the refuge Decanber 6, by a party including Me# E# A#
Goldman, for research work in which Mr. Goldman is interested#
On that and other occasions does could have been obtained readily.
Deer hunting, in the area adjoining the refuge, is regu larly by the aid of dogs# Dogs occasionally pursue deer across -4.
refuge land to the water, but no instances were found or re
ported of unauthorized persons shooting deer on the refuge#
No answer has been found to the problem of dogs running on
the refuge; none have been caught#
Fur-bearing Animals y Otters and otter signs are fairly cornmon on parts of the
refuge and on surrounding area as well# This species has state
wide protection, and has been benefitted by that protection# y Signs of minks seem to be more in evidence on the refuge than y signs of muskrats, though we have no sufficient basis for es
timates of actual population of either species#
III# Refuge development and maintenance
A# Physical Development
Repair of telephone line to refuge residence -was
done by CCC, but rebuilding of line in next fiscal year is con
templated# CCC jobs for painting and repair of refuge buildings,
pending since the previous fiscal year, were not completed in
this period#
Decision was reached that the refuge boat-house should be
moved from its exposed position (where it has been unusable) to a nearby creek, and a breakwater and channel constructed to give access to the creek#
Patrol boat "Royal Tern'1 was received from CCC in November,
but will require further work to put it in good condition#
A new patrol boat, the "Tem" contracted for in the previous fiscal year, was delivered January 2#
B# Plantings No plantings were made during this quarter# Plantings made the previous spring, for quail, did not hold a quail pop- ulation through the -wmnter# The planted strips (inoluding both
foods planted and volunteer food species) were certainly of
more value to quail than the broom-sedge adjoining, but did not make the territory acceptable year-round haoitat.9 Further */ /J
conditioning of quail habitat is to be attempted here. JiyndL (cX awjM; dtTl ... l^k Vtk C. Collections 7
No collections were made during the period except a one immature male deer, mentioned inAprevious section of this
report#
IV# Public relations
A# fieoreational uses V* No recreational use is made of the refuge during the winter season# Official visitors includdd Mr# Griffith, Taylor,
Ball and Gaorielson from the Washington Office, and Mr* Miller#
B. Variations
No violations of refuge regulations were found
(except trespassing dogs which were not apprehended)# likely
areas were searched for traplines, but none weie found# Much
time was spent on patrol, especially in watching or watching
for suspicious boats# Reports were received of shooting waterfowl from boats on and near the water areas of the refuge,
but no such VldLations were observed or violators apprehended#
The fact that boats may lawfully move about at will throughout
the water areas of the refuge complicates the problem of en
forcement# One man was found oystering illegally, reported to State authorities, and convicted# Refuge personnel assis
ted in patrol and ^kiforaement of migratory waterfowl regulations and other game laws in the vicinity of the refuge. V® Economic uses of refuge
Unexpired cutting rights still exist on the Pamlico
Timber Corporation tract of the refuge east of Juniper Bay,
but timber removal operations have been discontinued apparent— ly because of lack of profit®