Tofield Snow Goose Festival

Saturday & Sunday

April 27 & 28

Committee excited to repeat the successful festival for 2024 and beyond Organizersareagatheringofoveradozenlocalorganizations

Welcome to the 2024 Snow Goose Festival on 27-28 April 2024 in Tofield, Beaver County, Alberta.

A committee of fourteen organizations has been meeting regularly to repeat the successful festival held in April 2023.

Last year over 1,200 people took bus tours to see the migrating snow geese and other birds, and enjoyed hikes in the Beaverhill Natural Area to the Beaverhill Bird Observatory to watch migrant songbirds being banded.

The festival was estab-

lished as a celebration of spring bird migration, an opportunity for everyone to view the many species of birds that pass through central Alberta on their migration northward.

The festival will include guided bus tours, hiking tours, a trade show, speakers, and other associated activities based out of the Tofield Arena, and an evening banquet at the Tofield Community Hall with live music and a guest speaker.

Organizations that are represented in the organizing committee include:

• Town of Tofield

• Beaverhill Bird Observatory

• Beaver County

• County of Strathcona

• Alberta Environment

• North American

Waterfowl Management Plan

• Canadian Wildlife Service

• Nature Alberta

• Edmonton Nature Club

• Nature Conservancy of Canada

• Beaverhills Biosphere

• Alberta Conservation

Association

• Claystone Waste Ltd

• WILDNorth

On behalf of the committee, we thank you for participating in the Festival and supporting the trade fair in the Tofield Arena. We thank the Tofield Mercury for facilitating and produc-

ing this souvenir edition. Thank you for your interest.

Yours truly

Geoff Holroyd and Vanita Eglauer

On behalf of the 2024 Snow Goose Festival Organizing Committee.

GeoffHolroydVanitaEglauer

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 28 & 28

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 27 & 28

Lesser snow geese population growth

The North American population of lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) has experienced dramatic population growth over the last 50 years.

In North America, lesser snow geese are man-

aged as three separate populations: the midcontinent population (MCP), the western arctic population (WAP), and the Wrangle Island population (WIP).

A proportion of all three populations come through Alberta during

Welcome back to the Tofield Snow Goose Festival!

both spring and fall migration. The manner in which these populations have been monitored and managed has changed in recent years. Designating the MCP and WAP as overabundant combined with liberalizing hunting limits

DAMIEN KUREK Battle River—Crowfoot MP

1.800.665.4358 • @DCKUREK DAMIEN.KUREK@PARL.GC.CA

has attempted to increase harvest rates and control increasing populations.

Mid-winter surveys along with photo counts at nesting colonies historically tracked population trends. More recently, monitoring of most arctic goose populations has transitioned to the

use of Lincoln-Petersen estimates.

These population estimates are generated using banding data along with harvest estimates. Lesser snow goose banding is annually conducted at 5 locations across the Canadian arctic.

Harvest rate estimates

are generated using band returns, and total harvest is estimated using the harvest questionnaire survey and the Parts Composition Survey (PCS).

The PCS survey uses tail fan submissions of harvested geese by migratory bird hunters.

Continued on Page 4

Welcome to the Tofield Snow Goose Festival for another year of bird watching!

JACKIE LOVELY, MLA

Camrose Constituency Office

#104 4870 - 51 Street, Camrose, AB T4V 1S1 780-672-0000 • Camrose@assembly.ab.ca

The Beaverhill Bird Observatory is a proud member of the Beaver County and Tofield communities. We thank our many supporters and funders that are shown below along with personal donations including in memory of Mary Hughes Weir and the Wainwright Wildlife Society. Visit www.beaverhillbirds.com for more information.

The Beaverhill Bird Observatory is a proud member of the Beaver County and Tofield communities. We thank our many supporters and funders that are shown below along with personal donations including in memory of Mary Hughes Weir and the Wainwright Wildlife Society. Visit www.beaverhillbirds.com for more information.

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 28 & 28 Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 27 & 28

Presentations at Tofield Arena

Saturday 12:00 noon

Update on Avian Influenza in Waterfowl

In Spring 2022, avian influenza virus showed us something never before seen in North America.  Large numbers of wild birds, and some wild mammals, died as a result of infection with a virulent form of the virus.  It was a deadly genetic variant that spread rapidly all across Canada and the US.

This presentation provides a short review of the outbreak in 2022/23, updated with what occurred in 2023/24.

Saturday 1:30 PM

Snow Goose Management issues

Observatory

Presented by: Margo Pybus, Provincial Wildlife Disease Specialist,  Alberta Fish and Wildlife. As the Provincial Wildlife Disease Specialist, Margo oversees a wide range of disease issues and concerns associated with wildlife throughout Alberta. She brings her passion for all things wild into every aspect of her career, and life in general.

Every spring and fall, Alberta hosts hundreds of thousands of Lesser Snow Geese Chen caerulescens during their migration from Arctic nesting areas to wintering areas in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Over the past 50 years the number of Snow Geese in the Mid-Continent North American population has increased by over 300% to about 12 million birds. This increase has been supported by access to rice and cereals on winter foraging areas, but this overpopulation has led to degradation of

summer ranges by overgrazing and resultant erosion. Trying to reduce abundance with a spring hunt and liberal hunting seasons and regulations has largely failed to curtail population growth.

Presented by: Mark S. Boyce, Professor of Ecology and Alberta Conservation Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Alberta. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and The Wildlife Society. He is an avid birder and contributes annually to the BBO.

Sunday 12:00 noon

40 years of Monitoring at the Beaverhill Bird

The Beaverhill Bird Observatory was established in 1984 to monitor the movements of local birds through coordinated bird banding. In the 40 years since then, the BBO's research has expanded to include over 20 different monitoring programs, with each one shedding new light on the importance of Beaverhill Lake for local wildlife. Jon's presentation will provide an overview of the different research programs at the BBO, as well as some of the exciting new conclusions being reached as a result of these efforts.

Presented by: Jon Von

Arragon, an assistant biologist at the Beaverhill Bird Observatory, where he has been a staff member since 2020. Jon first visited the BBO when he was in high school and quickly became captivated with bird banding, and he has been involved with the station ever since.

Sunday 1:30 PM

Recovery of the Trumpeter

Swan in Alberta Driven nearly to extinction just over a century ago, the Trumpeter Swan has become a conservation success story thanks to pioneering efforts in

Lesser Snow geese

Continued from Page 3

Strategies used as well as the accuracy and efficiency in which we monitor and manage these populations will continue to evolve as technolo-

Alberta to save this species. In this presentation we'll look at how the Trumpeter Swan population was saved, the degree to which conservation efforts have been successful, and current threats that this species still faces to this day.

Presented by: Nick Carter, a naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer from Edmonton. With a biology degree from the University of Alberta and over a decade of experience as a science communicator, Nick’s interests and passion for nature have taken him all over the province engaging with fellow nature-lovers.

gy and our knowledge and understanding evolves.

The conservation of lesser snow geese and their habitats is important to hunters, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts throughout North America.

Tofield Arena is located at the sports grounds.

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 28 & 28 Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 27 & 28

Shorebirds of Beaverhill Lake

By Ethan Denton and Geoff Holroyd

In addition to Snow Geese, shorebirds are passing through our area on their way to their arctic nesting grounds.

Beaverhill Lake is recognized as one of the foremost shorebird migration stopovers in Western Canada. The lake is recognized as a site of Regional Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Surveys in the late twentieth century suggest that around 20%

Thanks for coming to visit our area for the Snow Goose Festival. If you’d like to make this your full time home, please give us a call!

780-662-4623

www.home-time.net

of the continental population of Pectoral Sandpipers staged on the lakeshore, alongside significant populations of Long-billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, and Black-bellied Plover. Unofficial surveys in 2005 found 10,000 or more of an additional three migratory shorebird species.

Celebrating 25 years of serving our Community!

By the early 2000s, Beaverhill Lake had all but dried up. Grasses and forbs invaded the lakebed leaving little to no mud flats. In the 2010s, especially starting

in 2016, lake levels rose almost annually. With autumn dry spells, mud flats reappeared, and large flocks of shorebirds were reported by bird watchers on eBird in the 2020s.

In 2023, the Beaverhill Bird Observatory decided to conduct surveys along the southern end

of the lake using a standardized protocol of the International Shorebird Survey.

Twelve stops were established 400m apart on a 4.4 km stretch of the south shore. Fourteen surveys were conducted on foot from May to August.

Continued on Page 6

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 28 & 28 Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 27 & 28

Shorebirds of Beaverhill Lake

Continued from Page 5

Over the course of the surveys, 25 shorebird species were detected. Of these, Lesser Yellowlegs was the most consistently detected, present on 12 of the 14 surveys. Across the entirety of the study period, 36,227 individual shorebirds were observed.

Long-billed Dowitcher was the most populous species, accounting for 27,957 individuals or 77% of all individuals.

The number of both species peaked on the first survey, conducted on May 7th. There was a significant dip during June, before numbers rose in mid-July and fluctuated thereafter. The highest single-day total of individuals was 12,742 shorebirds, comprised primarily of Long-billed Dowitchers on May 7th. This was followed by August 20th with 9,285. The lowest totals were June 2nd, with 50 individuals and July 25th

with 69 individuals. Raptors numbers peaked on the 7th of May with 11 species hunting the southern shore of the lake: Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, and Merlin. Peregrine Falcon and Merlin were the only

raptor species observed to actively pursue shorebirds during the surveys. In conclusion, Beaverhill Lake is still an important location for migrating shorebirds. Despite sharp declines in most species, the survey found high enough

shorebird traffic on the lake to suggest that there is still adequate habitat to support a large number of staging shorebirds. White-faced Ibis and Black-necked Stilt showed significant increases from the previous surveys, following

province-wide trends. One Red Knot was observed on July 17th. This species is in decline and listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act.

The survey results indicate more than 20,000 shorebirds use the lake annually, as well as over 1% of the country’s Long-billed Dowitcher population. Both of these are factors which qualify Beaverhill Lake for continued Regionally Important designation under WHSRN standards.

The full report is available at www.beaverhillbirds.com. If you would like to conduct surveys along the south shore of the lake following the standardized methods, please contact biologist@beaverhillbirds.co m.

Young Ornithologists learn to survey shorebirds from Ethan Denton. Photo by Geoff Holroyd

Photo: Dylan Reade, Astotin Lake Boardwalk, Elk Island National Park

SNOW GOOSE FESTIVAL: April 27 - 28, 2024

Schedule of Events

(Same for both day unless otherwise noted)

Purchase tickets and see detailed information at: www.snowgoosefestival.ca

7:30 am - 4:30 pm Tour Registration & information Centre – Tofield Arena

Concession open - Tofield Arena Lobby

8 am - 4 pm Tour Departures from Tofield Arena

Tour cost: Adults: $25, Youth (12 & under): $10, Family (2a/2c): $60 Visit website to purchase advance tickets. Tickets may be limited on site.

Bring your camera, bird ID book, and binoculars. As spring weather can be unpredictable, waterproof footwear and layered clothing recommended.

9:30 am – 5 pm Trade Show Hours - Free admission

Several vendors, nature interpretation, kids activities, educational exhibits with live birds and more!!

9:30 am – 5 pmFREE Kids Activities - Located in Trade Show area

Hosted by Nature Alberta and Nature Kids

• Community Art Project - add your handprint to Nature Alberta's Snow Goose by drawing your handprint, coloring it and pasting it on the large community snow goose silhouette. This community art project will be hung in Nature Alberta's office to inspire our community connected by a love of nature for the next 50 years of service!

• Bird Protecting Window Decal - make a bird-shaped suncatcher window decal using colored tissue paper to take home and hang up in your window. The decal craft will break up the reflection of your window to help prevent birds from flying into it.

• Adopt a Goose - grab a paper goose, give it a name and draw on a happy face! Take your newly adopted goose home to hang up beside your window decal craft to protect birds from hitting your window.

• Mini Nature Quiz - test your nature knowledge with Nature Kids' tracks, ground squirrel, bugs, and waterfowl ID quizzes and win a prize!

12 Noon & 1:30 pm FREE Speaker Series: Tofield Arena Meeting Room

Saturday, April 27 at 12 Noon

Impact of Avian Flu on Waterfowl

Presented by Dr. Margo Pybus, Wildlife Disease Specialist, Ab Fish and Wildlife.

Saturday, April 27 at 1:30 PM

Snow Goose Management issues

Presented by Mark Boyce, Prof of Ecology, Univ of Alberta

Sunday, April 28 at 12 Noon

40 years of monitoring at the Beaverhill Bird Observatory

Presented by Jon Von Arragon, Assistant Biologist, Beaverhill Bird Observatory

Sunday, April 28 at 1:30 PM

Remarkable Recovery of the Trumpeter Swan

Presented by Nick Carter, Professional Writer, Photographer and Naturalist

6:30 pm Banquet & Silent Auction at Tofield Community Hall

Saturday Only Doors open at 5:30 pm, supper at 6:30 pm.

Tickets: $50/person ((purchase in advance by April 19)

Musical entertainment provided by Jenn Guiton. Catered by: A-1 Catering

• Guest Speaker: Speaker: Geoff Holroyd (Chair, Beaverhill Bird Observatory)

“Swallows – the 21st Century’s Canaries in the Coal Mine: Case Study of Tree Swallows in central Alberta”

• Silent Auction at banquet with proceeds supporting to the Snow Goose Festival.

*ONLY CASH ACCEPTED ON SITE*

CODE OF ETHICS FOR BIRDWATCHERS

• Do not trespass on private land without the landowners’ permission.

• Avoid repeated disturbance or flushing of birds. Keep your distance and ensure that your presence does not disrupt the normal resting, feeding, breeding and nesting behavior of birds. Repeated disturbance can reduce energy levels needed by migrating birds as well as those raising young. It can also increase their vulnerability to predation.

• On public land, such as the natural area, use established access points and stay on developed trails to avoid unnecessary trampling of vegetation.

• Ensure that you take back with you everything that you brought. Leave no litter. Most bird-watching access areas around Beaverhill Lake are user-maintained.

• Show courtesy towards fellow bird-watchers, other recreationists and landowners. Don't interfere with their activities and show a friendly disposition in sharing observations and providing directions.

The Snow Goose Festival is presented by the following partners: Canadian Wildlife Service, Alberta Parks, Alberta Environment

There’s

By Beaver Hills Biosphere

If you live in or have spent time in Tofield or in the surrounding areas of Beaver County, you’re probably familiar with the local geography that surrounds you – the boreal mixed wood forest and the hummocky “knob and kettle” terrain of the Beaver Hills (or Cooking Lake Moraine, another term for the area) that forms a patchwork of depressional areas, many of which support wetlands, small lakes and streams.

The Beaver Hills, known as amiskwaciy in Cree, is an important place that provides a diversity of productive, critical habitat to many species of wildlife and migratory bird species.

But the importance of the region extends beyond its exceptional landscape and biodiversity. From its millennia long and rich heritage as an important place for Indigenous Peoples, to subsequent fur trade era and colonial settlement, the region is home to many people, past and present.

Continued on Page 11

The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest and most colourful falcon. Unfortunately, Kestrel population declines have been detected across the continent. For the past decade, we have been monitoring Kestrels at nestboxes in central Alberta using nest cameras to learn about prey-use and with trackers to learn about their movements locally and across the Americas during migration and the winter.

How you could get involved:

Please share your Kestrel sightings with us. You could host a Kestrel family with a nestbox – please contact us for nestbox design information. To hear about how you can attend and participate in our events, such as banding young at nestboxes,please follow us on Instagram @alberta_kestrel_project and at our Facebook page Alberta Kestrel Project or send us an email to info@STRIXeco.ca.

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 28 & 28

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 27 & 28

Biosphere

Continued from page 10

It is a region unlike others. In fact, the geographical and biodiversity uniqueness and the historical and cultural significance of the Beaver Hills, coupled with the active conservation that has taken place here since the end of the 19th century, has earned it a place as a priority natural area in the greater Edmonton region and well beyond.

This is why the Beaver Hills was designated as a biosphere on March 19, 2016, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), joining the worldwide network of 738 biospheres in 134 countries.

You’re probably wondering, what are UNESCO-designated biospheres? Simply put, they are distinct regions in which people live and work in harmony with nature. This means that local communities and interested stakeholders collaborate on:

• conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity,

• economic development that is culturally and environmentally sustain-

able, and

• research, monitoring, education and training.

The Beaver Hills Biosphere isn’t just one organization. The Biosphere represents the coming together of many partners focused on researching, understanding, building capacity and implementing innovative efforts that conserve biodiversity, support communities, facilitate sustainable development, and mitigate environmental change in this resilient Alberta landscape.

But it isn’t all work and no play. The distinctive character, ecology and history, and the designated parks and protected areas that account for a quarter of the region, make it an incredible place to experience nature.

There are numerous and diverse recreational activities and tourism opportunities in the Beaver Hills. From hiking to wildlife watching to camping and stargazing and more, the possi-

bilities are endless.

So, the next time you are travelling west from Tofield, along highway 14 passing South Cooking Lake, or going south to visit Miquelon Lake or heading north towards Elk Island National Park, remember you’re seeing and experiencing the Biosphere in your backyard.

Learn and experience more at beaverhills.ca.

2024 Snow Goose Festival, Tofield, Alberta -11

Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 28 & 28 Tofield’s Snow Goose Festival 2024 - April 27 & 28

History and renewal of Beaverhill Lake Snow Goose Festival

Vanita Eglauer, Recreation Coordinator for the Town of Tofield

Geoff Holroyd, Chair of the Beaverhill Bird Observatory

What had 4,000 to 6,000 people searching for thousands of Snow Geese in two days near the town of Tofield, Alberta? The Beaverhill Lake Snow Goose Festival, launched in 1993 and held near the end of April for 10 years.

The festival was established as a celebration of spring bird migration, an opportunity for nature enthusiasts, bird watchers, and interested members of the general public to view many species of birds that stop at and near Beaverhill Lake on their migration northward.

This family-oriented

celebration provided transportation and tours and hikes around Beaverhill Lake and Beaver County led by naturalist volunteers.

In the town of Tofield, a trade fair and numerous activities provided additional options for visitors.

At the time, the Snow Goose Festival was one of the most popular and successful events of its kind in Canada, if not all North America. An estimated 3,400 people attended the first festival, and over 6,000 people participated in its last year (April 20–21, 2002). The festival ran “rain or shine,” but participants generally were richly rewarded by the sight of thousands of Snow Geese and other migratory bird species.

Local leaders and partner organizations involved in establishing the festival included the Town of Tofield, Ducks Unlimited, Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada, Edmonton Natural History Club/Edmonton Bird Club, Alberta Environmental Protection /Fish & Wildlife, Beaverhill Bird Observatory, Beaver County, and Strathcona County, to name a few!

Volunteer guides had an orientation manual for background. Local businesses, schools, artisans, nongovernmental organizations, and the general community provided on-site volunteers, concessions, art shows and displays, activities, and financial support for the event.

Held in the Tofield arena and curling rink, the trade show featured 40 displays and live music through the weekend.

Sixty bus tours carried 2,200 people on 1.5-, 2-, or 3-hour tours to look for Snow Geese, waterfowl and other spring birds. Sometimes a bril-

liant male Western Bluebird was the highlight if spotters could not keep track of moving flocks of geese.

Continued on Page 16

Welcome to Tofield and don’t forget to stop by the Sweetest Store East of Edmonton during the snow goose festival weekend!

check out our booth at the trade show!

Celebrating the spring migration and wetlands.

The spring migration is a marvel of nature as thousands of migrating snow geese, Canada geese, various shorebirds, cranes and swans return. But this annual wonder wouldn’t be possible without wetlands - the productive waterfowl habitat that is such an important part of the Alberta landscape.

Since 1986, the Alberta North American Waterfowl Management Plan Partnership (Alberta NAWMP) and its supporters have been conserving and protecting the province’s wetlands. Because of these efforts, some bird populations - especially waterfowl - are making a comeback and, in some cases, thriving again.

Congratulations to the Town of Tofield for bringing back the Snow Goose Festival! From all of us who celebrate the value of wetlands and waterfowl.

To learn more about the Partnership, visit

ABNAWMP.CA

Welcoming spring migration to the Beaverhill Lake Natural Area

Janine (Jasper June)

Heber, Beaverhill Bird Observatory

Longer days signal the beginning of spring migration for many birds. When birds migrate to their breeding grounds, they cross over traditional areas annually.

Alberta is uniquely located on three main pathways for bird migration called flyways: the Pacific, Central and Eastern flyways. These flyways partly converge over central Alberta.

Starting in 1984, the Beaverhill Bird Observatory was formed to learn more about these migratory birds. As the second oldest bird observatory in Canada, the Beaverhill Bird Observatory is an education and research station

that has been operating for 40 years.

Springtime marks the preparation and re-opening of the laboratory for spring migration monitoring, bird banding, and outdoor education. Because of diverse

habitats across the province, Alberta is home to 438 bird species; 370 species have been observed at the Beaverhill Bird Observatory.

The Beaverhill Bird Observatory operates 20

nets over the spring and autumn to catch migrating songbirds. In the first week of monitoring, captures are often relatively few, so we know we are seeing the beginning of spring migration.

Continued on Page 14

Snow Goose coming in for a landing. Photo by Gerald Romanchuk

Continued from Page 13

Myrtle Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, a Rubycrowned Kinglet, and an early Black-and-white Warbler were caught at the Beaverhill Bird

Observatory last year in the first week of spring migration monitoring.

Local breeding Blackcapped Chickadees and Tree Swallows were also captured in the nets. Last year, spring migration monitoring ran from 1 May to 10 June, with 1075 birds of 37 species caught in the nets.

In 2023, the five most common species caught were Yellow Warbler, Least Flycatcher, Myrtle Warbler, Clay-coloured Sparrow, and Tennessee Warbler.

An astounding number of Snow Geese also migrate through the area in the spring. Beaverhill Lake is an important staging area for snow geese where they stock up on nutrients and pack on fat to prepare them for the final weeks of their transcontinental journey to the Arctic, where they breed.

Snow geese usually arrive around Tofield at the end of April and reach their breeding grounds by early June.

The Snow Goose Festival was created to celebrate the annual spectacular arrival of snow geese to Tofield and the surrounding areas.

Snow Geese migrate by the tens of thousands and settle into open fields, which look like snow from afar.

With spring upon us we eagerly waited for news of the northward migration of Saw-whet Owls with MOTUS tags that we attached last autumn.

MOTUS is a global

wildlife tracking system which uses the same radio frequency to detect the tags and identify each tag’s serial number.

The owls went to the northwestern US states and in March were starting their northward migration. Some Sawwhets overwinter in Alberta and are already on their nesting territo-

ries with the added advantage of a home before the migrants return. Listen for the owls in woodlots and ravines near your home.

If you want to sponsor a tag and name an owl in 2024 please donate at www.beaverhillbirds.co m/donate and tell us the name of your owl.

Waterfowl in the spring

By Ducks Unlimited

Each spring, Canadians herald the sights and sounds of waterfowl as they flock to their nesting grounds. But after their long trips, life for our feathered friends isn’t easy.

Waterfowl – especially females – undergo arduous physical and biological processes before, during, and after their journeys. And once here, most hens have one shot to raise a brood.

Waterfowl hens will construct a nest with nearby vegetation and line it with down plucked from her breast. She’ll feed on invertebrates to build her energy for an important role: producing a brood. It’s no easy gig. She’ll need all the energy she has to give.

When male and female waterfowl prepare for their journey from their southern wintering grounds northwards to Canada, they do so in similar ways.

The process differs between the sexes once they arrive.

David Howerter, PhD, director of national conservation operations at DUC explains how, and why, ducks do what they do – before and when they get here.

A shared experience: Preparing for migration

Feeling restless – Ever wonder what pushes migratory waterfowl to bid adieu to their warm winter homes?

It’s a physiological process called zugunruhe (pronounced: zoo-

gunroo). This German term refers to the restlessness birds experience as migration nears.

Zugunruhe is triggered by the endocrine system (a collection of glands that release hormones into their blood stream) in response to longer daylight hours.

“As it gets closer to the time for these birds to migrate they become increasingly active,” says Howerter.

“They’ll spend more time flying and their movements will begin to orient in the direction they intend to migrate.”

No exceptions –Zugunruhe impacts migratory waterfowl wintering close to the equator, where daylight hours remain consistent, year-round.

This may be a result of evolutionary hangover from when the species had a different distribution, or because of the changing angle of the sun.

Packing on the pounds “Before ducks begin their journey north, they’ll go through a phase biologists refer to as hyperphagia, where they’ll spend a lot of their days consuming calories,” explains Howerter. “This is done to prepare for their long trip.”

Like zugunruhe, hyperphagia’s also triggered by hormonal changes, influenced by changing daylight hours.

Growing closer Migratory waterfowl can only procreate from spring until late summer. This is because in the

“off-season” their reproductive organs shrink, making it easier to fly over long distances.

As birds close in on their breeding grounds, their endocrine system releases hormones that stimulate their reproductive organs to grow larger again in anticipation of breeding.

It’s all about her:

Producing a clutch

Once waterfowl arrive at nesting sites, the malefemale experience begins to diverge. “Once they have fertilized the eggs and the hen is incubating, the drakes will take off. Often they’ll go further north, to the boreal forest,” says Howerter.

Meanwhile, the hens prepare for one of the most difficult processes they’ll go through in their lifetime: producing

a clutch of eggs.

Size matters

How w a t e r f o w l behave once they arrive at the nesting site depends on w h e t h e r they’re capital or income breeders.

“ C a p i t a l ” breeders are large-bodied ducks that can store enough energy (calories) to migrate thousands of kilometres and arrive ready to lay a clutch of eggs and incubate them for about 30 days. One example of a capital breeder is the common eider, which averages between two and six pounds.

“Income” breeders like the far smaller bluewinged teal (weighing in at 400 grams) are unable to sustain the same kind of fuel reserves. Continued

Festival history

Continued from Page 12

Some bus tours started and ended in Edmonton, several of them catering to inner city youth and families that did not have private vehicles to drive to Tofield. Despite the best efforts of guides and drivers, a few busses became stuck in the soft spring roads.

The Beaverhill Bird Observatory led hikes through the Beaverhill Natural Area that included bird-banding demonstrations and refreshments. The Tofield Mercury, the local weekly newspaper, produced a free souvenir program newspaper full of interesting articles as well as orientation for visitors.

Some years a banquet was held, with a guest speaker and delicious supper. Major partners included the John Janzen Nature Centre (pre-registrations) and CFRN-TV and the Edmonton Journal (media support). From advertising, to event set-up, to provision of tour guides and spotters both before and during the Festival, the partners, their staff, and volunteers were invaluable to the success of the Snow Goose Festival.

Dr. Glen Hvenegaard and his students surveyed over 1,000 participants in the 2000 festival. The majority of them (59%) were from Edmonton, with another

Snow Goose Festival 2024

22% from within 25 km of Edmonton. Remarkably, 2% were Canadians from other provinces and 2% were from other countries. In a festival of 5,000, that means 100 people came from outside Alberta and 100 from outside Canada. One lady travelled by bus from Nevada to Edmonton to Tofield to see the geese and enjoy the festival! When she approached one of the organizers for directions and told her story, he took her on a personal tour to ensure that she saw Snow Geese and other birds.

The survey estimated that 5,000 participants injected $100,000 into the Tofield economy in two days. Because most of them were local, their average expenditure was about $22 per person. Their reasons for attending were varied, including to learn about geese, to be outdoors, and to enjoy a social outing. Good weather was obviously a key to a successful festival, but with warm buses and lots of indoor activities, the festival was not totally dependent on sunny days in April.

In 1993, when the festival began, there were only 10 such wildlife festivals in North America, and the Snow Goose Festival arguably attracted the largest audience. By 2002, 240 festivals were held across the continent. In 2010, 90 festi-

vals were held in Canada, 22 of them in the three prairie provinces. These festivals offer many benefits to participants, who learn about wildlife biology, conservation, habitat, climate change, and a myriad of other issues.

Years of drought led to reduced water levels in Beaverhill Lake, which in turn resulted in a declining number of birds in the immediate area, longer bus rides to reach them, and fewer accessible viewing sites for this spectacular spring display. Some of the major sponsors withdrew their support of the festival as staff and managers changed. Tofield alone was unable to replace the expertise, which led to the decision to suspend the festival after 2002.

The Edmonton Nature Club with the leadership of Bob Parsons continued the spring tradition with their “Snow Goose Chase Tours,” providing guided bus tours for youth and adults from Edmonton. Familyfriendly wildlife displays were set up in the Tofield Community Hall on a Saturday. Sponsorships for the buses and volunteer guides were coordinated by the Edmonton Nature Club.

In the spring of 2019, the Edmonton Nature Club did not offer Snow Goose Chase Tours. Nature Alberta’s Nature Kids Program organized a “Celebration of

Wildlife” tour of Miquelon Provincial Park and the Beaver Hill UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

In June 2019, a dozen or so representatives of interested organizations met in the Tofield Council Chambers and agreed to work towards a renewed festival in April 2020. The pandemic cut into renewed plans until 2023 when the Snow Goose Festival was finally revived to great acclaim. With more water in Beaverhill Lake and the spring return of huge Snow Goose flocks, the time was ripe to reintroduce residents of central Alberta and beyond to our spring wildlife festival. We thank Judith Johnson and Gerry Beyersbergen for comments on an earlier draft of this article

Waterfowl

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When they arrive at the nesting grounds, they’re looking for protein- and calcium-rich foods, like invertebrates, that provide the nutrients they need to produce a clutch of eggs.

Nesting is natural Birds, like people, experience the urge to nest before they welcome offspring into the world. Expectant bird and human parents alike can trace this feeling to the hormone prolactin.

Prolactin is released into the blood stream by the p i t u i t a r y gland, found at the base of the brain.

Laying a clutch of eggs

A hen’s pituitary gland will also release two hormones that stimulate egg production: follicle-stimulating hormone and

luteinizing hormone. They trigger ovulation.

Once a duck begins to ovulate, a drake can fertilize her egg –then things begin to take shape. “Once the ovum is fertilized the egg starts to develop. The yolk provides nutrients to the developing embryo and albumen (egg white) is deposited around it, followed by the shell.

About seven days later, the hen will lay an egg,” says Howerter.

A blue-winged teal hen will lay between six to 14 eggs, provided she has the energy required to develop them.

Sitting still

Once a duck has laid her eggs, she will spend nearly one month incubating them. Once hatched, she’ll help her ducklings find food high in protein and calcium, required for muscle and skeletal development.