Joe Manchin III, Governor
Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : February 15, 2008

West Virginia’s Mid-winter Waterfowl Survey Completed

West Virginia wildlife biologists counted 1,714 ducks and 3,466 geese during the annual mid-winter waterfowl survey in early January, according to Steve Wilson, Waterfowl Biologist for the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

“Even though the numbers are low, they are still about what we expected,” Wilson said. “The mild winter weather in the weeks preceding the survey resulted in many ducks and geese staying to the north of us, or were scattered out feeding in fields or loafing on small water bodies.”

The real value of the mid-winter survey is the long term trends over broad areas. West Virginia’s data will be combined with that from other states to obtain regional and national totals that provide reliable trend data for overall waterfowl populations.

Canada geese, mallards and black ducks were, as usual, the leading species observed in the 2008 survey. Other notable species included: American wigeon, gadwall, pintail, ring-neck, scaup, bufflehead, mergansers, two tundra swans and five bald eagles. A few wood ducks and green-winged teal were also observed, which is a sure sign of mild weather.

The following waters were surveyed on January 4, 7, 9 and 11, 2008: Kanawha River (Nitro-Pt. Pleasant); Ohio River (Huntington-Parkersburg); Tygart Lake/Pleasant Creek Marsh; Shenandoah River (state line-state line); and New River (Hinton-state line) including Bluestone Lake.

**DNR**

MID-WINTER WATERFOWL SURVEY