ANNUAL REPORT SURVEYS FOR NESTING AND BROOD-REARING BRANT AND LESSER SNOW GEESE, BARROW TO FISH CREEK DELTA, ALASKA, 2010 ROBERT M. BURGESS TIM OBRITSCHKEWITSCH ROBERT J. RITCHIE JOHN SHOOK LAUREN ATTANAS PREPARED FOR NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT BARROW, ALASKA PREPARED BY ABR, INC.–ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH & SERVICES FAIRBANKS, ALASKA SURVEYS FOR NESTING AND BROOD-REARING BRANT AND LESSER SNOW GEESE, BARROW TO FISH CREEK DELTA, ALASKA, 2010 ANNUAL REPORT Prepared for North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management P.O. Box 69 Barrow, AK 99723 By Robert M. Burgess Tim Obritschkewitsch Robert J. Ritchie John E. Shook Lauren B. Attanas ABR, Inc.−Environmental Research & Services P.O. Box 80410 Fairbanks, AK 99708 December 2011 Printed on recycled paper. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Brant broods were recorded in the Harrison Bay section. • In 2010 we continued to monitor Lesser Snow Goose and Brant populations in the region • In 2010, nesting Snow Geese again were between Barrow and the Fish Creek delta, abundant and widely distributed across the northern Alaska. As in previous years we Ikpikpuk River delta as they have been since visited pre-selected Brant nesting colonies, 2006. Visual estimates from an aerial survey visited the Snow Goose colony on the on 21 June, recorded nearly 9,100 Snow Ikpikpuk River delta during incubation (aerial Geese, comprising ~3,400 possible nesting survey and photo census) and after hatch pairs and an additional ~2,330 flying birds on (ground visit for nest-fate searches), and numerous islands on the Ikpikpuk River delta. conducted brood-rearing surveys for Brant and Numbers from visual aerial estimates in 2010 Snow Geese. We did not conduct banding on were very similar to those recorded on the the Ikpikpuk River delta because of a near Ikpikpuk River delta in 2009. complete failure of that nesting colony; • In an effort to improve our colony counts, a however, we did band Snow Geese on the photo census of the Ikpikpuk Snow Goose Colville and Sagavanirktok River deltas. colony was attempted on 21 June 2010. Methods were similar to 2009, except we Compared to our visual estimates (3,400 employed a stratified random sampling design pairs), at least 4,769 Snow Goose nests were during our nest fate surveys in 2010 in an identified on aerial photographs. Combined attempt to improve estimates of numbers, nest with visual observations of an additional success, and productivity. ~2,330 flying birds recorded during the survey flight, 11,868 Snow Geese were recorded on • Twenty-one of the 23 (91%) monitored Brant the Ikpikpuk River delta in 2010. colonies were occupied in 2010 (427 nests). Nest numbers were 12% higher than in 2009 • Although nests continue to be distributed and were about 39% higher than the 16-year widely across the entire delta, use of the average. Colony occupancy was similar to the western delta has decreased in recent years, average for this subset of monitoring colonies and in 2010 only 13% of Snow Goose nests (~88%). Even with a reduced number of were located on the 5 islands with the longest monitoring colonies, this program continues to history of use in what is now the western part suggest that the small population of Brant is of the colony (Table 3; Figure 11). Island F in relatively stable in the region, with substantial the central delta now comprises the main interannual variation in colony size at nesting area of the colony, and increasing individual colonies. numbers of Snow Geese recently have nested farther inland in wet sedge tundra habitats that • In July 2010, 22,494 Brant in 154 groups were previously seemed uncharacteristic of Snow estimated in the area between Barrow and Fish Goose nesting habitats in the region. Creek. This estimate included 18,808 adults in groups without broods, 2,679 adults in groups • As in 2009, nest success on the Ikpikpuk River with broods, and 1,007 goslings. The number delta was greatly reduced in 2010 due to the of adult birds was the highest recorded since destruction of nests by bears. Bears have been surveys began, while the number of goslings important predators of Snow Goose nests on was only the sixth-highest on record, slightly the Ikpikpuk and Sagavanirktok rivers and higher than the 15-year mean. However, the other parts of their range in previous years. number of brood-rearing/molting adult Brant • In July 2010, 11,381 Snow Geese were in our study area appears to have increased estimated in 123 groups, including 10,614 from 2,000–5,000 prior to 2001 to adults in groups without broods. Numbers of 8,000–21,000 after 2001, primarily due to an adults were 27% lower than record numbers of increase in the number of adults in groups adults in 2009, but still more numerous than without broods. As in previous years, most most years since surveys began in 1995. iii 2010 Snow Geese/Brant However, as expected from nest fate searches, delta have been recaptured at other Snow broods and total number of young were very Goose colonies. low: only 194 goslings (25% of brood groups). • Since 2000, we have recaptured 7.6% of Snow As in previous years, most Snow Geese (65%) Geese (1,031) that we originally banded on the were located in the Smith Bay section. Arctic Coastal Plain, revealing some exchange • Although banding was not conducted on the among regional breeding populations. In Ikpikpuk River delta in 2010, we continued to addition, 44 of the Snow Geese that we acquire band return information from the Snow captured were previously banded by others Geese we banded on the delta from outside of Alaska; with most (72.7%) banded 2000–2008. In addition, we banded over 3,000 in the NWT and the remaining from Russia, Snow Geese on the Colville and Sagavanirktok Nunavut, and Manitoba. Most band returns are River deltas in 2010. The distribution of from fall migration (22.7%, September and returns and recaptures identify wide-ranging October) and wintering (60.0%, November wintering areas and migratory routes (e.g., 24 through February) areas. Fifty percent of fall of the lower 48 states, 5 Canadian provinces, and winter recoveries have come from Alaska, 5 states of Mexico, and Russia) California, with the remaining recoveries generally similar to those reported for Snow distributed across Canada, Mexico, and 23 of Geese banded in the Sagavanirktok River delta the other lower 48 states (excluding and for Western Arctic Snow Geese in Canada. California). There also have been 186 spring However, a fairly large number of band returns (March through May) and summer (June (>50) from Snow Geese banded on the through August) band returns reported. Ikpikpuk River delta have come from areas east of these main wintering and spring use areas (e.g., Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi, Manitoba, and Nunavut). These returns are in the primary migration routes and winter areas of the Central Arctic and Eastern Arctic populations of Lesser Snow Geese, which breed in the eastern Canadian arctic. • A total of 908 or 11.1% of Snow Geese originally banded on the Ikpikpuk River delta have been recovered since 2000 (through 31 December 2010). Over all years, 61% of banded birds were captured as goslings, 45% of all returns are known-age birds <1 year old, and 7% of birds banded as goslings were reported dead within 1 year of banding. Most band returns are from fall migration (19%) and wintering areas (63%). Seventy-three percent of fall/winter returns in the United States have come from California. Other returns have originated in 22 other states, 5 Canadian provinces, and Mexico. There also have been143 spring and summer recoveries including hunter kills in northern Alaska, Canada, the lower 48 states, and Mexico. Only 3 Snow Geese banded on the Ikpikpuk River 2010 Snow Geese/Brant iv TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................................vi LIST OF APPENDICES..............................................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY AREA .............................................................................................................................................. 1 METHODS.................................................................................................................................................... 3 BRANT COLONY MONITORING SURVEYS ....................................................................................... 3 IKPIKPUK SNOW GOOSE COLONY MONITORING .......................................................................... 3 NESTING PHOTO SURVEY.................................................................................................................. 3 NEST FATE SURVEY ............................................................................................................................ 4 BROOD-REARING SURVEYS ................................................................................................................ 6 SNOW GOOSE BANDING .....................................................................................................................