California Breeding Population 2023.

[Baldplate]

Anyone know when this survey gets published. It will remain to be seen if our exceptional winter will hold more ducks this year for the breeding season. Is anyone out in the field seeing duck broods yet. I have seen honkers on local ponds with good sized goslings. Hoping this will be a good hatch this year.

 

[Hossdog]

It might be early still but agree on your thoughts. I have seen honker and wood duck broods but they are just starting to hatch in my area. We could have used a couple more weeks of rain to keep equipment out of the fields as I think that may have hurt some nesters. Time will tell.

 

[WaterFoulHunter]

I’m seeing more breeding pairs-teal and spoons-than I have the last four years. Substantially more.

 

[Brian Huber]

They are flying NE zone this week, usually published in late June early July

 

[Kevin Burroughs]

Foothills are full of ducklings.

 

[pumpgunner]

It will be lower than anyone expects. With all the water and habitat around, There will be a lot of birds nesting outside of the traditional survey areas.

 

[greenheadguy09]

I've seen several broods of mallards lately . . . and some in areas that haven't had water for several years. The first week of the season should be fun this year.

 

[Calikev]

It will be lower than anyone expects. With all the water and habitat around, There will be a lot of birds nesting outside of the traditional survey areas.

Yep.......this is true. We saw this in 2017 too. 1998 had relative low BPOP numbers. Look how that hatch turned out.

We won't see production like we used to see as too much good habitat is gone now. What we hope for is a boost back to the pre-drought numbers. We will never see the numbers we had years ago but if we can sustain a fair number we can live with that.

 

[Another Mike]

Just this week: saw two new almond orchards started in what was previously cattle/ grass/ mallard brood habitat. One in the foothills near Farmington, one east of Galt. Both spots had raised ducks when conditions were (often) right.

Didn't I read a few times that the bottom had fallen out of the almond growing bonanza? Anyone ?

 

[CA Birdman]

They are planting these trees in anticipation of the southern valley orchards going out of production when new ground water pumping rules kick in. Almonds are down but figuring a couple years and things will improve,