| Summary: | 2002 Summary project report Nest searching for Eastern Prairie Population Canada geese was conducted on the Nestor One Study Area near Cape Churchill, Manitoba from 9-19 June 2002. A total of 42 nests was found in initial searches of 732 ha of wetlands in 14 primary sample areas, 55 nests were located in searches of 6 coastal sample areas, and 38 nests were located in 5 additional sample units north, south, and east of the primary units. Five additional nests were located subsequent to initial nest searching, resulting in a total of 140 nests. Nest density (unadjusted for observability) in the primary sample areas was 5.74 nests per 100 ha of wetland—comparable to nest density recorded on the Nestor One study area in the mid-1990s, but 29% lower than the nest density observed in 2001. Clutch size in 136 nests with eggs present when located averaged 3.63; lower than the long-term mean of 3.91 (1976-2002), but near the clutch size expected based on the established relationship between mean clutch size and median hatch date. Estimated median hatch date was 4 July, and ranged from 29 June to 10 July—the second latest estimated median hatch date in the period 1976 through 2002. Nesting success calculated as the average apparent success rate of nests active when first located during initial nest searching (0.36) and the 28-day survival of nests based on exposure days (0.78) was 0.57—similar to the average nesting success of 0.63 observed during the 1990s. Based on these estimates of nest density, clutch size, and nesting success, gosling production at Nestor One was approximately 11.9 per 100 ha of wetland—near the average of 16.5 goslings per 100 ha of wetlands observed in the 1990s. Thus, production at Nestor One in 2002 was near average levels observed in the 1990s, in spite of late phenology that resulted in late nesting by Canada geese on the study area.
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