Chesapeake Bay News

David Turnbaugh’s painting entitled “Marsh Dweller” is the winner of the 2010-2011 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest. The winning painting shows a Hooded Merganser walking through a marsh setting and will be featured on the 2010-2011 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp.

The entries were judged before a large crowd on Saturday, March 27 at the 21st Patuxent Wildlife Art Show held at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel, Md.

“It was selected out of 28 entries from 14 Maryland artists,” said Bob Beyer, Associate Director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service. “The contest is the fourth oldest in the country and is restricted to Maryland residents only.”

Mr. Turnbaugh has been a competing artist in Maryland’s duck stamp competition since the mid-1980s and is the only six-time winner in the history of Maryland’s prestigious Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest. Mr. Turnbaugh’s other artwork can be viewed and a print of this year’s winning entry can be ordered at his website http://www.marylandrealist.com or by calling 410-665-1903.

The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest showcases the talents of Maryland’s gifted artists. Migratory game bird hunters are required to purchase these $9.00 stamps and the proceeds are used to fund migratory game bird research and habitat enhancement on the state’s public lands. More than $4.5 million in stamp sales have been spent on migratory game projects since the inception of the stamps in 1974.

source: DNR press release

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have released the results of the 2010 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey. Each winter, pilots and biologists from the two agencies count ducks, geese and swans along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay shoreline and Atlantic coast. In January 2010, the survey teams observed 787,100 waterfowl, slightly lower than the number of waterfowl observed in January 2009.

“When pooled with results from other states, the Midwinter Waterfowl Survey provides a long-term measure of the distribution and population size of most waterfowl species wintering in the Atlantic Flyway,” said Larry Hindman, DNR Waterfowl Project Leader.

The number of mallards counted in this year’s survey (34,200) was significantly lower than 2009 (58,300). The black duck count (22,500) slightly declined from last winter, when 24,900 were counted.
“Extensive ice coverage of Chesapeake Bay waters, rivers and estuarine marshes led to reduced open water and lower numbers for several duck species this year,” Hindman said.

Overall, fewer diving ducks were counted (102,000) in 2010 than last winter (157,600). Most of this decline can be attributed to the lower numbers of redheads, canvasbacks, scaup and ruddy ducks observed. Extensive ice in the Chester River prevented diving duck use of this major wintering area favored by canvasbacks and scaup. Other environmental factors that influence the number of canvasbacks and other divers in the Chesapeake Bay are the conditions of the staging areas on the upper Mississippi River and Lake St. Claire in southern Ontario. Above average numbers of canvasbacks were recorded on surveys of those areas this year.

There was a slight increase in number of Canada geese counted by the survey crews. Despite a poor nesting season, wintering Canada geese (519,500) remained high and were likely bolstered by migrant geese pushed south by cold temperatures and snow north of Maryland.

The Midwinter Waterfowl Survey has been conducted annually throughout the United States since the early 1950s. The survey provides information on long-term trends in waterfowl populations and is the only source of population estimates for important species such as Atlantic brant and tundra swans.

source: MD DNR press release

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites Maryland waterfowl artists to enter the 36th Annual Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest.

“Proceeds from the sale of these stamps help fund waterfowl and migratory game bird projects as well as much needed research,” said DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service Associated Director Bob Beyer.

All entered designs must be the artist’s original work, neither copied nor duplicated from any previously published paintings, drawings, prints, or photographs of the contestant, or any other artist. Each contestant may submit up to three entries. The entry fee, signed Agreement to Enter the Contest form, and entries with completed Entry Identification Forms attached to the back must be received by 4:00 p.m. on March 22, 2010 at The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest, Friends of Patuxent, Patuxent Research Refuge/National Wildlife Visitor Center, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop Laurel, MD 20708-4027.

Entries will be judged at noon on Saturday, March 27, 2010 in conjunction with the 21st Annual Patuxent Wildlife Art Show at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel. Contestants and the public are invited to attend the contest judging process. Admission is free.

The stamp can be purchased by any citizen for $9 and is required for all migratory game bird hunters in Maryland. For a list of species eligible for depiction and full contest rules visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/duckstamp or contact Bob Beyer at bbeyer@dnr.state.md.us or 410-260-8535.

source: DNR press release

The 39th annual Waterfowl Festival takes place in the colonial town of Easton, Maryland. The historic buildings of Easton serve as venues for galleries and exhibits, while events and demonstrations are held at the surrounding ponds and scenic areas.

The Waterfowl Festival is America’s premiere wildlife art exposition featuring art work from more than 300 artists recognized world-wide. Hundreds of paintings, sculpture, carvings, photos, and fine crafts reflect the beauty of the natural world.

Dealers offer antique and contemporary decoys, arts, crafts and Eastern Shore food.

The Festival offers fly fishing and retriever dog demonstrations – sure to entertain the experienced outdoor enthusiast, children and everyone in between. Also this year will be the DockDogs, an entertaining competition between dogs to see who can make the longest jump into a pool.

There are numerous hands-on activities for the entire family, especially for the little ones, such as nature arts and crafts activities and up close wildlife education.

Four world-class calling contests take place at the Festival attracting top callers from across the country and Canada. Contests: World Championship Goose Calling Contest® with $10,000 first prize, Mason-Dixon Regional Duck Calling Contest, World Champion Live Duck Calling Contest® and World Champion Live Goose Calling Contest™ – all with cash and gear prizes.

Attendees can checkout the latest gear, accessories and gadgets for hunting, fishing and marine sports at the Sportsman’s Pavilion.

The Waterfowl Festival is produced annually by Waterfowl Festival Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, the promotion of wildlife art and the celebration of life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

In its 39 years, the Festival has become a leader in the conservation of waterfowl and wildlife habitat. More than $5 million has been donated to projects throughout the Atlantic Flyway and in particular the Chesapeake Bay.

The Waterfowl Festival takes place November 13-15 in downtown Easton, Maryland, off Route 50. Festival hours are: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Admission is $10 for all three days – children under 12 free.

For additional information or tickets online, visit www.waterfowlfestival.org or call 410/822-4567.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that the September teal hunting season will be from September 16 to September 30, 2009.

“The teal season provides a unique opportunity for hunters to pursue these early migrants before the regular duck season opens in mid-October,” said Larry Hindman, DNR’s Waterfowl Project Leader. “The early teal season is offered to states that derive more than 80 percent of their annual blue-winged teal harvest from birds migrating from the prairie pothole region of the north-central U.S and southern Canada. In 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Breeding Waterfowl and Habitat Survey recorded about 7.4 million blue-winged teal, which is well above the long term average.”

The daily bag limit during the September teal season is four teal (blue-winged or green-winged teal singly, or in aggregate). The special teal season will be held only in the following areas: Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties; that part of Anne Arundel County east of Interstate 895, Interstate 97 and Route 3; that part of Prince George’s County east of Route 3 and Route 301; and that part of Charles County east of Route 301 to the Virginia line.

Shooting hours for the September teal season are sunrise to sunset. Shooting hours have been modified to avoid the traditional pre-sunrise hunting period when non-teal species, particularly wood ducks, are most active. Hunters are prohibited from shooting at non-teal duck species during this special season.

All hunters who participate in the September teal season, including landowners who are license exempt, are required to obtain the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp/HIP Permit. Hunters must possess the printed receipt showing proof of purchase of the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp/HIP Permit while hunting migratory game birds.

All waterfowl hunters age 16 and over must possess the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (federal duck stamp). Hunters are still required to sign the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp and have it in their possession while hunting waterfowl. Hunters may obtain federal duck stamps at U.S. Post Offices, National Wildlife Refuges, DNR sport license agents, or online at www.duckstamp.com.

Hunters can purchase hunting licenses and Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamps/HIP Permits online through DNR’s website, https://www3.wildlifelicense.com/md/ or over the phone at 1-800-918-2870. These new services compliment the existing 320 retail vendors that currently sell licenses, permits and stamps.

Waterfowl hunters are reminded that nontoxic shot is required for hunting waterfowl and coots. Hunters may not possess or use nontoxic shotshells containing shot larger than size T or use or possess any lead shotshells while waterfowl hunting. Approved types of nontoxic shot and other information on migratory game bird hunting are listed in the 2009-2010 Guide to Hunting and Trapping in Maryland or on DNR’s website at http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/index.asp

Hunters are encouraged to report banded migratory game birds by calling toll-free 1-800-327-BAND (2263). Banded birds can also be reported online at: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl.

In response to recommendations of the majority of the members of Maryland’s Mute Swan Task Force, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will continue to reduce the Chesapeake Bay’s population of non-native mute swans.  Because of the State’s successful control efforts, there are far fewer mute swans in Maryland today than there were a few years ago; about 500 remain of a population that had reached nearly 4,000 a decade ago.

In the spring of 2009, DNR convened a group of environmentalists, scientists, animal advocates, and other stakeholders to revisit the Mute Swan Plan and develop a recommendation for how Maryland should proceed.  That group split over the issue of lethal control of adult mute swans and presented two contrasting reports. One report, from two animal rights members, advocated maintaining a population of mute swans in the Chesapeake Bay.  The report from the other 10 members, including scientists, conservationists, and State and Federal agency representatives, argued for the continued reduction of mute swans.  Both reports may be viewed at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/MS2009_Report.html

“While the swans may be beautiful, they continue to pose a serious threat to the Chesapeake Bay and its native wildlife, and non-lethal controls have proven insufficient for reducing the population,” said DNR Secretary Griffin. “For these reasons, we are unfortunately compelled to continue Maryland’s mute swan control efforts, through both non-lethal and lethal means.”

“After reviewing the reports and considering the best advice of my staff and the scientific and environmental communities, I have found the case for continued controls ecologically crucial and in alignment with both the 2000 Chesapeake Bay Agreement invasive species control plans and Maryland State law,” the Secretary added.

Jonathan McKnight, the Maryland DNR Biologist who coordinated the Mute Swan Advisory Committee said, “There is a solid body of scientific literature demonstrating that this species — like the nutria, a marsh rodent from South America — causes harm to native species and the Chesapeake ecosystem.”

Environmentalists and conservation groups praised the decision, which the animal rights groups PETA and the Humane Society of the United States had lobbied against.

“We support the DNR in making this difficult decision”, said Kim Coble, Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “It’s controversial, but it’s the right thing to do to protect important Chesapeake Bay resources.”

The Maryland Ornithological Society, which has supported mute swan control because of the tendency of mute swans to drive declining native birds from their nesting grounds, was also pleased.

“This was clearly the right call for the resource and I’m impressed that DNR moved quickly to make this decision,” said MOS President Dr. Wayne Bell. “Maryland has achieved an unparalleled 80 percent reduction in the population of this invasive species, so to stop now would have made little sense.”

Mute swans are native to Europe and Asia.  Maryland’s population of mute swans originated when five birds escaped from captivity in Talbot County in 1962. Currently, about 500 mute swans remain in the Bay and its tributaries.  They are now established in all major tributaries to the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay. Mute swans have caused adverse ecological impacts by driving out nesting native waterfowl and the removal of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) during the summer, fall and spring when SAV are reproducing; and the destruction of SAV restoration and replanting sites.

Mute swans are one of six species identified in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement as priority invasive species that threaten the Chesapeake ecosystem.

A painting by Wally Makuchal Jr. entitled “Icy Refuge” will become the 2009-2010 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp. The entry shows a pair of blue-winged teal resting on the water. It was judged as the best of 35 entries from 18 Maryland artists.

“This was one of the more exciting contests in recent history as the panel of expert judges remained deadlocked after the final round,” said Doug Wigfield, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Stamp Contest Coordinator.

Mr. Makuchal has taken part in Maryland’s “Duck Stamp” competition since the early 80s and was the winner in 1999. He also took top honors in the 1996 Maryland Trout Stamp Contest. He owns and operates Makuchal Signs out of Girdletree, MD.

The small Eastern Shore town of Girdletree has produced three Maryland Duck Stamp winners: Wally, his brother Paul and Roger Lent. All three are also two-time winners of Maryland’s contest.

You can order a print of this years winning entry by visiting his website at www.makuchalsigns.com or by calling 410-632-2825.

The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest showcases the talents of the gifted artists that reside near Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The stamps produced are a required purchase by all who hunt migratory game birds. The proceeds from the $9.00 stamps are used to fund migratory game bird research and habitat enhancement on the state’s public lands. More than $4 million in stamp sales have been spent on migratory game projects since the stamps inception in 1974.

The contest is limited to Maryland residents. The 2009 event took place at the 20th Patuxent Wildlife Art Show held in March at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have released the results of the 2009 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey. Each winter, pilots and biologists from the two agencies count ducks, geese and swans along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay shoreline and Atlantic coast. In January of 2009, the survey teams observed a total of 836,900 waterfowl, similar to the number of waterfowl observed in January 2008.

“When pooled with results from other states, the Midwinter Waterfowl Survey provides a long-term measure of the distribution and population size of most waterfowl species wintering in the Atlantic Flyway,” said Larry Hindman, DNR Waterfowl Project Leader. “More typical winter weather led to higher numbers recorded for a few species this year.”

There was a notable increase in number of Canada geese counted by the survey crews.

The higher winter Canada goose count (498,200), was due to a combination of good gosling production from Northern Quebec nesting areas, snow cover and cold temperatures north of Maryland that pushed geese south to the Chesapeake in search of open water and winter foods.

Canada goose estimates reflect a mix of resident and migrant goose stocks, so these survey estimates are not used to set hunting regulations. Hunting regulations change with the population status of Atlantic and Resident populations of Canada geese. These numbers are tracked using breeding population and productivity surveys that are conducted each spring.

The number of mallards counted in this year’s survey (58,300) was similar to 2008 (55,500). Black duck numbers (24,900) also remained unchanged from last winter when 23,000 were counted. Overall, diving ducks numbers were similar to last winter with one exception: scaup numbers were significantly lower (51,600) compared to the 150,000 that were observed on the 2008 survey.

This year’s drop in scaup numbers in the Maryland portion of the Bay may be related to environmental factors influencing migration, but the continental population of lesser scaup has been experiencing a significant long-term decline.

The precise reasons for the decline are unknown; factors under investigation include reduced food resources, declining water quality, contaminants on spring migration stopovers and degradation of breeding habitat in the boreal forest. Climate change may also be negatively influencing food resources on boreal forest and coastal habitats.

The Midwinter Waterfowl Survey has been conducted annually throughout the United States since the early 1950s. The survey provides information on long-term trends in waterfowl populations and is the only source of population estimates for important species such as Atlantic brant and tundra swans. The survey also provides supplementary information on other waterfowl species for which annual breeding population and harvest information is available.

The Maryland Midwinter Waterfowl Survey numbers from 2005 to 2009 are listed online here:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/pressrelease2009/030909a.html

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Shoreline Heritage Service announced that shoreline license applications are now being accepted from riparian (waterfront) property owners. Anyone owning riparian property, or those with permission from the property owner, may license shoreline for the purpose of establishing stationary blinds or blind sites for hunting waterfowl. Applications may also be used to prevent others from licensing the shoreline at a later date.

All applications and fees must be submitted by mail or in person and received by the close of business June 1, 2009. Riparian property owners may license their shoreline for a period of one year for a $20 fee or three years for a $60 fee. Landowners who miss the June 1 deadline may participate in the “open” licensing process that begins August 4, 2009.

Applications and information on laws related to shoreline licensing for riparian property owners are available at the DNR website www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/riparian.html or by calling the Wildlife and Heritage Service at 410-260-8540, toll free at 1-877-620-8DNR (8367).

source: DNR press release

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites Maryland waterfowl artists to enter the 35th Annual Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest.

“Proceeds from the sale of these stamps help fund waterfowl and migratory game bird projects as well as much needed research,” said Jonathan McKnight, acting director of DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service.

All entered designs must be the artist’s original work, neither copied nor duplicated from any previously published paintings, drawings, prints, or photographs of the contestant, or any other artist. Each contestant may submit up to three entries. The entry fee, signed “Agreement to Enter the Contest” form, and entries with completed “Entry Identification Forms” attached to the back must be received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on March 20, 2009 at The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest, Friends of Patuxent, Patuxent Research Refuge/National Wildlife Visitor Center, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop Laurel, MD 20708-4027.

Entries will be judged at noon on Saturday, March 28, 2009 in conjunction with the 20th Annual Patuxent Wildlife Art Show at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel. Contestants and the public are invited to attend the contest judging process. Admission is free.

The stamp can be purchased by any citizen for $9 and is required for all migratory game bird hunters in Maryland. For a list of species eligible for depiction and full contest rules visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/duckstamp or contact Doug Wigfield, Contest Coordinator, at 410-713-3852 or dwigfield2@dnr.state.md.us.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources press release