ARE YOU READY FOR THE SNOWS?
By Joe Kosack
Wildlife Conservation Education Specialist Pennsylvania Game Commission
KLEINFELTERSVILLE, Lebanon County - Unlike most March snows, the arrival of snows at the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area - along the Lebanon/Lancaster county line - is one seasonal event thousands upon thousands of people await anxiously.
Of course, impending snow usually sends many Pennsylvanians scurrying for bread, milk and eggs. But Middle Creek's snows require different preparation. Namely, grabbing a pair of binoculars, a warm jacket, and packing a sandwich, because when snows are coming through, you get off the road, roll down the window and watch. It can be that mesmerizing and entertaining.
Ok, so what's this all about? Snows don't come and go, do they? Well, yes, they do. At Middle Creek, that is. What's unfolding here is the annual convergence of snow geese and tundra swans at Middle Creek.
About 80,000 snow geese currently are holding at Middle Creek and that number likely will grow - there are no guarantees - in coming weeks as warmer weather and longer daylight hours compel migratory waterfowl to pull their winter roots on the Chesapeake Bay and points south into the Carolinas to head north to breed and nest. Last year, in the second week of March, an estimated 180,000 snow geese congregated at Middle Creek, an important waterfowl staging area developed, managed and owned by the Game Commission.
"Those 180,000 snow geese were the largest number ever to be observed at Middle Creek," said Jim Binder, Game Commission Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area Land Manager. "The gathering of birds was no doubt related to a favorable combination of natural conditions and, of course, North America's unprecedented population of snow geese. The previous record was set in 1997, when 150,000 snows came.
"It's likely the continent has never had as many snow geese as it does now. So when you look upon them, recognize that their numbers are historic, exceedingly demanding on natural resources and agriculture, and, hopefully, temporary."
Snow geese weigh six to eight pounds and have a four- to five-foot wingspan. Tundra swans weigh 14 to 18 pounds and have a six- to-seven-foot wingspan. Both species feed on waste grain, winter wheat shoots and grasses, as well as aquatic vegetation.
Since its creation in the 1970s, Middle Creek, which is part of the larger State Game Land 46, has become a critically important migratory bird stopover and staging area. The 6,254-acre property also contains a 400-acre lake and a wide variety of waterfowl-friendly potholes, ponds and wetlands.
The visitors center houses a variety of exhibits and an indoor observation deck, and offers free literature and Game Commission publications. In addition, the facility provides educational services to more than 10,000 students annually through programs and tours.
Middle Creek is one of first places where snow geese will gather on their migration north to the Canadian arctic. They usually start leaving their winter grounds in February and stay at Middle Creek least a couple weeks before resuming their trek northward. But their return is not a fast trip. On the way, these large birds hit important staging areas where they rest and consume food ravenously to build energy reserves for their ongoing migration and to strengthen their reproductive potential at their nesting grounds.
While occupying Middle Creek, snow geese often can be observed working the fields for food and resting on - or coming to and leaving - the large impoundment. Birds on the water establish their comfort zone. In fields, things are different. If you're in a car, approach feeding birds slowly. The birds are pretty vocal and aren't necessarily flighty. But a passing car or unexpected movement can send them flapping for another field or the water. Such an exodus is unforgettable.
"If you keep your distance and use spotting scopes or binoculars, you'll usually get quite a show," Binder said. "Staying in your car is a good idea, unless you're going to Willow Point or taking photos along Hopeland Road."
Binder stressed that visitors may not enter propagation areas or restricted areas for any reason, and violators will be fined.
"Some of the best locations to observe snows, particularly at sunrise while they rest on the main impoundment, are Willow Point and along Hopeland Road," Binder explained. Willow Point requires a walk of several hundred yards, but it provides an unparalleled view of the birds before they rise off the water and as they departure. Hopeland Road also provides great sights, but has limited parking.
"Visitors should take the guided tour at some point during their stay. The guide is free and available at the visitors center. While you're at the center, check with attendants for the latest information on what's happening afield."
In the early 1990s, snow geese came to Middle Creek in relatively limited numbers. Then, in 1997, about 150,000 snows blanketed the management area's fields and large impoundment, and the birds have been visiting in large numbers pretty much ever since then. The Atlantic Flyway population of snow geese currently numbers about one million, which means about one-fifth of the population dropped anchor at Middle Creek last March. Back in the 1930s, there were only a few thousand snows in the flyway.
The tundra swan's increased use of Middle Creek parallels that of snow geese. Traditionally, swans leaving their wintering grounds further south used to stage on the Susquehanna River and, when they were ready, headed north. Now, Middle Creek - along with the Susquehanna River - has become a migratory staging area that is used each spring by several thousand tundra swans.
The Middle Creek Visitors Center is open six days per week through the third week in November. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
For more information on Middle Creek, visit the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on the "Middle Creek Update" icon in the right-hand column of the homepage.