Volunteers are wanted for a University sponsored mid-winter surf scoter
distribuiton survey.

I have a website that gives the following information in better detail

http://www.sfu.ca/~sai/SUSCvolunteerSurvey.htm

(mail to: sai at sfu.ca)
___________________________________________________
Dear Pacific Coast Birder or Researcher:

I am soliciting the help of experienced birders to conduct 3 mid-winter
surveys for Surf Scoters at various locations along the Pacific Coast of
North America in 2001. I am a student of the Centre of Wildlife Ecology at
Simon Fraser University, where I am working on a graduate thesis
investigating the age-specific winter distribution patterns and recruitment
of Surf Scoters. The purpose of the survey that I am proposing is to collect
gender and age-specific distribution data, which I may use to answer
specific questions about the population sex ratio, age structure, and
migration patterns in Surf Scoters. All participants in this mid-winter Surf
Scoter surveys will receive a summary of the results.

Below is a short description of my research project, some basics on what
would be requested of voluteers, and how to contact me if you are
interested
in donating your time and birding skills to this project.

Overview of the Project
Nearly all North American seaduck species are exhibiting continental
population declines. However, our understanding of the ecological
reasons
for these declines is poor. Surf Scoters are stout black diving ducks,
which are endemic to North America. They divide their time between
isolated
inland breeding sites in northern Canada and Alaska and coastal waters,
where they are found nearshore, feeding predominately on mussels and
clams.
On the Pacific Coast, their winter range extends from the Aleutians to
Baja,
Mexico. An apparent decline in Surf Scoter numbers in recent years has
brought concern among the scientific, naturalist and conservation
communities that the pattern is indicative of a widespread ecological
phenomenon. Therefore, scientific information on this species is at a
premium.

Seaduck life history strategies are generally characterized by high
annual
adult survival, delayed reproductive maturity, and variable annual
production of young. Given these traits, recruitment, the process by
which
young birds are added to the breeding population, is a crucial
demographic
parameter to monitor from a conservation standpoint. I propose to use of

gender and age-specific winter counts to index annual production of young
in
Surf Scoters. However, before winter age ratios can be considered useful

for estimating recruitment, we must first know how birds are distributed
in
the population. Therefore, a key research question in my project is:

Do surf scoters of different age and gender show differential winter
migration patterns along the Pacific Coast of North America?

A Call for Volunteers
This is a question I cannot answer alone. I am soliciting the assistance
of
volunteer birders to help us all learn about the migration patterns of
Surf
Scoters. I have designed a straightforward survey that should give us
some
information on Surf Scoters segregatation by gender or age at a regional
level.


SURVEY BASICS

WHEN: 3 surveys per participant; one each during the weeks of
January 21, February 4, and February 18, 2001.
WHERE: Surveys are to be conducted in coastal areas that are familiar to
the volunteer and known to be frequented by Scoters.
METHODS: Each of the 3 surveys should cover the exact same route and
area,
take between 1 to 4 hours complete, and be conducted with a spotting
scope
to ensure accuracy.
WHAT DATA: Information recorded includes: survey location, tide stage,
sea
and weather conditions, the number of scoters present by species (Surf,
White-winged, & Black), and for Surf Scoters--the proportion which are
adult
male, juvenile male, or female (adult and juvenile are combined), and the

distance from shore to observed flocks.
DATA FORMS: All participants will be provided data forms and complete
survey protocols. All participants will also receive the results of the
survey by June 2001.

How to contact me
I encourage anyone who is interested in participating in the the
mid-winter
surf scoter surveys or who would like to know more about my research to
please contact me by email, telephone, or mailing address listed below.
Also visit my webpage which describes the project in more detail,
provides
pictures of the various gender and age stages of Surf Scoters for
identification, and has links to many other current avian research
projects
of the Centre for Wildlife Ecology Research at Simon Fraser University:

http://www.sfu.ca/~sai/SUSCvolunteerSurvey.htm

Thank you for your time,


Sam Iverson (mail to: sai at sfu.ca)

Samuel A. Iverson
Centre for Wildlife Ecology
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
home phone: 604-215-8702
email: sai at sfu.ca