Waterfowl and Lakes
Many species of waterfowl are wintering along the north shore of Lake Erie and other northern lakes. The prevalence of year-round waterfowl in the north is one sign winters have become milder.
Changes in migratory patterns have become so pronounced that researchers have conducted mid-winter surveys over the Great Lakes in recent years to determine what species are staying behind.
The most recent survey shows nearly 12,000 tundra swans are wintering in the lower Great Lakes rather than their traditional habitat in Chesapeake Bay. Ducks that normally fly south are also staying. These include ringnecks, mallards, pintails, bluebills, red heads and scaup.
February 19, 2008 6:30 AM | Category: Global Warming