Horned Grebe – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

March 28, 2024March 28, 2024

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Accidents and Their Impact on Susquehanna Wildlife

Tuesday’s collision of the container ship Dali into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the nearly immediate collapse of the span into the chilly waters below reminds us just how unforgiving and deadly maritime accidents can be. Upon termination of rescue and recovery operations, salvage and cleanup will be prioritized as the next steps in the long-term process of reopening the navigable waters to ship traffic and construction of a new bridge. Part of the effort will include monitoring for leaks of fuels and other hazardous materials from the ship, its damaged cargo containers, and vehicles and equipment that were on the bridge when it failed.

Dali vs. Francis Scott Key Bridge — Damage to the hull of the Dali and to the cargo containers on her deck could lead to leaks of hazardous liquids or other materials into Chesapeake Bay. (United States Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore image)

On the waters and shores of today’s Chesapeake, numerous county, state, and federal agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, monitor and inspect looking for conditions and situations that could lead to point-source or accidental discharges of petroleum products and other hazardous materials into the bay. Many are trained, equipped, and organized for emergency response to contain and mitigate spills upon detection. But this was not always the case.

Through much of the twentieth century, maritime spills of oil and other chemicals magnified the effects of routine discharges of hazardous materials and sanitary sewer effluent into the Chesapeake and its tributaries. The cumulative effect of these pollutants progressively impaired fisheries and bay ecosystems leading to noticeable declines in numbers of many aquatic species. Rather frequently, spills or discharges resulted in conspicuous fish and/or bird kills.

One of the worst spills occurred near the mouth of the Potomac River on February 2, 1976, when a barge carrying 250,000 gallons of number 6 oil sank in a storm and lost its cargo into the bay. During a month-long cleanup, the United States Coast Guard recovered approximately 167,000 gallons of the spilled oil, the remainder dispersed into the environment. A survey counted 8,469 “sea ducks” killed. Of the total number, the great majority were Horned Grebes (4,347 or 51.3%) and Long-tailed Ducks (2,959 or 34.9%). Other species included Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) (405 or 4.8%), Common Loon (195 or 2.3%), Bufflehead (166 or 2.0%), Ruddy Duck (107 or 1.3%), Common Goldeneye (78 or 0.9%), Tundra Swan (46 or 0.5%), Greater Scaup (19 or 0.2%), American Black Duck (12 or 0.2%), Common Merganser (11 or 0.1%), Canvasback (10 or 0.1%), Double-crested Cormorant (10 or 0.1%), Canada Goose (8 or 0.1%), White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) (7 or 0.1%), Redhead (5 or 0.1%), gull species (10 or 0.1%), miscellaneous ducks and herons (13 or 0.2%) and unidentified (61 or 0.7%). During the spring migration, a majority of these birds would have made their way north and passed through the lower Susquehanna valley. The accident certainly impacted the occurrence of the listed species during that spring in 1976, and possibly for a number of years after.

Horned Grebe during migration on the Susquehanna near Haldeman Riffles. — Of the 8,469 birds killed by the February 2, 1976, oil spill on the Chesapeake, 51.3% (4,347) were Horned Grebes. Many of them would have migrated north through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed during the coming spring.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the Clean Water Act, put teeth into the original FWCPCA of 1948 and began reversing the accumulation of pollutants in the bay and other bodies of water around the nation. Additional amendments in 1977 and 1987 have strengthened protections and changed the culture of “dump-and-run” disposal and “dilution-is-the-solution” treatment of hazardous wastes. During the late nineteen-seventies and early nineteen-eighties, emergency response teams and agencies began organizing to control and mitigate spill events. The result has been a greater awareness and competency for handling accidental discharges of fuels and other chemicals into Chesapeake Bay and other waterways. These improvements can help minimize the environmental impact of the Dali’s collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

Oil spills and other pollution in the Chesapeake can impact populations of migratory fish including the anadromous Hickory Shad which are presently transiting the bay on their way to the waters of the Susquehanna below Conowingo Dam.

SOURCES

Roland, John V., Moore, Glenn E., and Bellanca, Michael A. 1977. “The Chesapeake Bay Oil Spill—February 2, 1976: A Case History”. International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings (1977). 1977 (1): 523-527.

March 25, 2022March 26, 2022

An Encore of the Susquehanna Seawatch

In late March and early April, a rainy night and fog at daybreak can lead to an ideal morning for spotting migratory waterfowl and seabirds during their layover on the lower Susquehanna. Visibility was just good enough to spot these birds at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, most of them feeding at midriver.

Northern Shovelers are regular migrants, more often seen on ponds and in wetlands than on the river.

A pair of American Wigeons head upriver.

A small flock of northbound Buffleheads.

Lesser Scaup, eight of the more than 100 seen along Front Street in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence. Note how the white bar on the wing’s secondaries becomes diffused and dusky in the primaries.

More Scaup, the lead bird with bright white extending through the secondaries into the primaries is possibly a Greater Scaup (Aythya marila).

Long-tailed Ducks, formerly known as Oldsquaw, are a diving duck that winters on the Great Lakes and on bays along the Atlantic Coast. They nest on freshwater ponds and lakes in the tundra of Canada and Alaska.

This pair of Hooded Mergansers may be nesting in a tree cavity nearby.

Peregrine Falcon Takes a Common Grackle — The local Peregrine Falcon grabbed a passing Common Grackle…

Bonaparte's Gulls — …prompting the more than 100 Bonaparte’s Gulls in the vicinity to quickly depart and fly upstream.

Birds of Conewago Falls in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Northern Flicker — It pays to keep an eye on the trees along the shoreline too. Migrants like this Northern Flicker are beginning to come through in numbers.

April 5, 2020April 6, 2020

Get Away From It All

For those of you who dare to shed that filthy contaminated rag you’ve been told to breathe through so that you might instead get out and enjoy some clean air in a cherished place of solitude, here’s what’s around—go have a look.

Northern Flickers have arrived. Look for them anywhere there are mature trees. Despite the fact that flickers are woodpeckers, they often feed on the ground. You’ll notice the white rump and yellow wing linings when they fly away.

The tiny Chipping Sparrow frequently nests in small trees in suburban gardens. Lay off the lawn treatments to assure their success.

Field Sparrows (Spizella fusilla) are a breeding species in abandoned fields where successional growth is underway.

White-throated Sparrows spend the winter in the lower Susquehanna valley. Their numbers are increasing now as waves of migrants pass through on their way north.

Northbound flocks of Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) are currently found feeding in forest swamps along the Susquehanna. Their noisy calls sound like a chorus of squeaking hinges.

Migratory Red-shouldered Hawks are also making feeding stops at area wetlands.

The Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) is easily identified by its tail pumping behavior. Look for it in shrubs along the river shoreline or near lakes and streams. Palm Warblers are among the earliest of the warblers to move through in the spring.

The springtime show on the water continues…

Common Loons will continue migrating through the area during the upcoming month.

Buffleheads are still transiting the watershed.

Horned Grebes are occurring on the river and on local lakes.

Seeing these one-year-old male Hooded Mergansers, the bachelors, wandering around without any adult males or females is a good sign. The adults should have moved on to the breeding grounds and local pairs should be well into a nesting cycle by now. Hatching could occur any day.

Like Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks are cavity nesters, but their egg laying, incubation, and hatching often occurs a month or more later than that of the hoodies. Judging by the attentiveness of the drake, this pair of woodies is probably in the egg-laying stage of its breeding cycle right now.

Redheads (Aythya americana) are stopping for a rest on their way north.

In spring, Double-crested Cormorants proceed up the river in goose-like flocks with adult birds like these leading the way.

Hey, what are those showy flowers?

That’s Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna). It’s often called Fig Buttercup. In early April it blankets stream banks throughout the lower Susquehanna region. If you don’t remember seeing it growing like that when you were younger, there’s a reason. Lesser Celandine is an escape from cultivation that has become invasive. While the appearance is tolerable; it’s the palatability that ruins everything. It’s poisonous if eaten by people or livestock.

The Eastern Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a dainty native wildflower of riparian forests and other woodlands throughout the lower Susquehanna valley.

The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is beginning to bloom now. It’s a native of the region’s damp forests.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) is not native to the Susquehanna watershed, but neither is it considered invasive. It creates colorful patches in riparian forests.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) is a strikingly beautiful native wildflower that grows on undisturbed forested slopes throughout the Susquehanna valley.

Wasn’t that refreshing? Now go take a walk.

March 29, 2020March 30, 2020

The Fallout Continues

Fog and mist lingered throughout the day, as did the migratory water birds on the river and lakes in the lower Susquehanna valley. As a continuation of yesterday’s post on the fallout, here’s a photo tour of some of the sites where ducks, loons, grebes, and other birds have gathered.

American Robins may have comprised a large portion of the northbound flight appearing on last evening’s radar images. Today, hundreds could be seen on soggy lawns where earthworms might be found near the surface. This flock was finding sustenance at Highspire’s Reservoir Park in Dauphin County.

This drake Gadwall (Mareca strepera) and two hens had dropped in for a visit at the Highspire Reservoir Park.

Hundreds of Buffleheads were on the fogged-in Susquehanna River at Harrisburg this afternoon. From Front Street and Maclay Street in front of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion, they seemed to be everywhere in sight on the rain-swollen current. After passing downstream, flocks flew in a straight line formation just above the water’s surface as they made a short trip back up the river to then drift down through the channels once again.

A portion of a raft consisting of about three dozen Red-breasted Mergansers floats by the Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion. Several of the hundred or more Scaup on the river intermingled with these mergansers from time to time.

A lone Long-tailed Duck (Clanqula hyemalis) near the aforementioned raft of mergansers. The Long-tailed Duck was formerly known as the Oldsquaw in North America. The common name used in Britain and Europe is now preferred.

Two of at least a hundred Horned Grebes (Podiceps auritus) seen in the Susquehanna at Harrisburg this afternoon.

American Coots (Fulica americana) at Memorial Lake State Park in Lebanon County.

One more Common Loon than yesterday at Memorial Lake.

A mixed raft of diving ducks and grebes at Memorial Lake.

A closeup of the same raft reveals Buffleheads, Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis), a Pied-billed Grebe, and Horned Grebes.

Stormy weather certainly is a birder’s delight.