Annual Plymouth County Waterfowl Survey Results

These are the results of the 2017 Duck Count. 

Highlights

• Excellent coverage of Plymouth lakes and ponds. With four strong teams we found 79 (!) bodies of water that produced checklists for eBird, i.e. 79 bodies of water with ducks on them. 
• My compliments to the team captains, who went after all those ponds and organized the day so well. 
• Record total number of ducks - 4,820 ducks, vs 8 year average of 3,985. All that extra effort to cover all the ponds paid off. 
• First Duck Count record of a Tufted Duck, first record of a Cackling Goose, first record of a Black Scoter. 
• Record High counts for Gadwall, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye. 
• Low count vs average for both species of Scaup, low count for Common Mergansers, low count for Ruddy Ducks.
• Other Notable Birds included a Rufous Hummingbird in Hingham, an American White Pelican in Marshfield, and 31 golden-crowned kinglets in the Southwest.
• Best contributions by birders who had to miss this year: Jim Sweeney for finding the Tufted Duck, Steven Whitebread for identifying all the potential ponds and lakes in Plymouth county, with locations and histories. 
• Record number of free beers provided for showing Duck Stamps at the tally. 
• Record number of disabled ponds, covered in a thin sheet of ice and empty of ducks. I think the Northeast was most affected by the ice. 

Inside the Numbers 

There are two attachments, one that shows the number of each species for every year back to the start, and the other that shows this year's results in each section. 

"Ducks" is as it says. Waterfowl is Ducks plus Coot, Geese, Swans, Grebes, and Loons. This is somewhat arbitrary since it does not include cormorants, herons, gulls, or, this year, pelicans! The saving grace is that we've counted these the same way each year so we can compare on a consistent basis. 

An interesting development this year is the increased number of Hybrids being reported. In the NW section we had what we believe is a cross between a Goldeneye and a Hooded Merganser. Of course mallard hybridization is widespread, particularly with Black Ducks. You might find this quote interesting from Ducks Unlimited:

"Waterfowl crossbreed more often than any other family of birds. Scientists have recorded more than 400 hybrid combinations among waterfowl species. Mallards and wood ducks in particular have demonstrated the capability of hybridizing with a surprisingly wide range of other species. However, most waterfowl hybrid offspring are infertile."

Thank you for coming out for the Duck Count. I hope to see you all again next year.

Joe