In our ‘Area Diaries’ collection, The Utilized Ecologist is sharing tales from a variety of various fieldwork experiences. On this publish, Cassidy Waldrep shares her story working with waterfowl throughout the Atlantic Flyway.
Within the waterfowl world, many biologists develop up with a love for geese and geese, some having hunted since they may stroll. For me, this was not the case. I grew up with a love for nature and animals, but I by no means hunted, and to be sincere, I didn’t even know there have been extra species of geese past the mallard. When the chance arose to use to graduate programmes, I discovered one finding out mallards on the east coast of North America utilizing transmitters. Since my undergraduate analysis centered on utilizing transmitters on field turtles, I figured I’d be match. Little did I do know then that making use of for that place—and in the end accepting it—would awaken an underlying love for geese that should have been hidden my complete life.
The undertaking
I’m at the moment a PhD pupil in Biology on the College of Saskatchewan and one of many major researchers on the Jap Mallard Mission. My analysis focuses on finding out the behaviour, reproductive success, and habitat of japanese mallards all through their full annual cycle. To attain this, the undertaking has deployed over 1,200 GPS-ACC monitoring units on feminine mallards throughout the Atlantic Flyway since 2022, alongside greater than 1,200 geolocator units — one of many largest mallard monitoring initiatives thus far.
As a part of my graduate research, I used to be tasked with travelling to the east coast in winter 2024/2025 to assist the 14 states and three provinces we collaborate with deploy transmitters. The problem? I knew nothing about geese or attaching transmitters, for that matter. The end result? An exhilarating six weeks of studying, making errors, crying, and, most significantly, rising my confidence as a feminine scientist.
The fieldwork
My undertaking is exclusive in that biologists throughout the Atlantic Flyway deploy my transmitters and geolocators for me, whether or not or not I’m there. Because of the intensive variety of items (over 2,500 throughout 4 years) requiring deployment, it might be inconceivable for a single pupil to journey from Ontario right down to South Carolina to finish all of the fieldwork alone. Due to this, my fieldwork is extra like a subject journey — I’ve the chance to journey to completely different states and provinces, helping biologists with baiting, setting traps, and, in the end, catching geese and attaching items.
New York
On the finish of January 2024, I started my journey in Brockport, NY, studying the fundamentals: methods to age geese, take measurements, and fix a transmitter (I say “fundamentals”, nevertheless it was loads of data). The day was full of combined feelings — pleasure and pleasure at holding my first duck, but additionally a right away and overwhelming feeling of imposter syndrome. How was I supposed to recollect all of this?
© John Coluccy (jcoluccy@geese.org)
Rhode Island
Subsequent, I travelled to Rhode Island, the place I met up with RI waterfowl biologist Jennifer Kilburn. Right here, I skilled my first rocket web shot. To maintain it temporary, rocket netting makes use of costs that, when detonated, propel a web over a bunch of geese. We needed to wake at 3:30 am, arriving and organising the online beneath cowl of darkness, then ready for a number of hours earlier than the geese approached. All of the sudden, an enormous BOOM went off—the rockets had fired. I ran to the online, respiratory closely, mud from the marsh flying all over the place. But in that second, wanting over the online, hair blowing in my face, the anticipation of banding geese surging by me, I realised why I used to be falling in love with this job.
Later that week, Jenny launched me to my first frequent eider, bufflehead, black scoter, surf scoter, and harlequin duck (cue the tears I discussed earlier).
New Jersey, Maine, Nova Scotia
My journey continued with banding work in New Jersey, Maine, and Nova Scotia. In New Jersey, I refined my banding abilities and added 11 new birds to my checklist. In Maine, I realized the laborious manner to not put on muck boots within the automotive with thick socks — sweating inside, then getting into the chilly for 4 hours, could cause average hypothermia. In Nova Scotia, I found how snow is extraordinarily useful for trapping geese whereas additionally gaining extra expertise with banding and ageing mallards.
Virginia, Maryland, Delaware
Though we didn’t catch any geese in Virginia, I assisted with baiting websites and, most excitingly, goose banding. One of the best half? Sitting in a cage with 100 geese (and no, they don’t attempt to assault you). In Maryland, I witnessed the effectivity of a well-organised banding operation — some folks banding, others recording information, and others attaching geolocators or transmitters. Delaware uncovered me to swim-in traps and the way they can be utilized to seize geese as properly.
Conclusion
Six weeks on the East Coast immersed me in waterfowl fieldwork and transmitter attachment. I began not sure, struggling to deal with birds, however after numerous hours within the subject, I turned a assured biologist, loving the sector an increasing number of on daily basis. When you ever really feel “behind” or not educated sufficient in your subject — since you’re simply a grad pupil — know that it’s okay to ask questions and study. All of us have to start out someplace.
A yr in the past, I used to be nervous to fly out, fearing I wasn’t succesful. Now, after my second profitable subject season, I want I might inform youthful Cassidy — it was all going to be okay.
Uncover extra posts from our ‘Fieldwork Diaries‘ weblog collection right here. When you have an thought for a weblog that might match into this collection, please contact Catherine Waite.
