Eastern and Western Bred Waterfowl at Wenham, Massachusetts, in the Past Thirty Years

Abstract

MANY loose statements have appeared in recent years on of ducks. The term duck scarcity means little in itself and is of slight interest to the ornithologist. We need to know very much more than is implied by so vague a term, for with the press of population, intensive wheat culture and subsidence of water levels many species of ducks are certain to decrease in spite of all that can be done. What interests us particularly at this time is the question of which species show the greatest relative reduction, which the least, and what, if anything, can be done about it. With things as they are it is inevitable that some kinds of ducks will suffer to a much greater extent than others, some will show little change, and others may actually be on the increase. It is now rather generally admitted that a few species of diving ducks have greatly declined in numbers. In order to see whether this was borne out by my own figures for northeastern Massachusetts, I subjected the Wenham Lake records to further analysis. At Wenham Lake we have kept rather careful records since 1900 with the exception of one year, 1911. Reference to these records have been made in several short papers in 'The Auk' and the 'Bulletin' of the Essex County Ornithological Club. Watch has been kept at the camp at Wenham from late September (sometimes earlier) until mid-November, or later. A note is made of all ducks and geese shot, as well as of all those seen passing; besides various general bird notes and notes on the weather. We are situated at a point where passing migrant ducks cross Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and stop for a short time only. Very seldom do any ducks become localized in the Lake during the autumn, except Golden-eyes in late November. We are dealing with a continuous stream of scattered migrants, rather than with localized bodies of waterfowl.