Delays on the flyway. “Across all major migration routes we are seeing the affects of extended drought conditions paired with unseasonably warm winter temperatures—the absence of ducks in regions that should, by now, be flooded with both water and ducks. Migration is energetically expensive, so if ducks do not need to leave a place where they have proper habitat, food and water, they in large part will not leave. We have dozens of transmitter birds, which through the help of SITKA’s Ecosystem Grants, have provided us with valuable insight to substantiate the result of this winter’s mild weather. Most of our mallards marked with transmitters in Arkansas during November 2022 are scattered from central Missouri to North Dakota as of right now in early January. Everyone’s eyes are now on the predicted cold fronts in the forecast across the upper midwest for mid-January, as we hope they move more mallards into the southern states.” - Professor Douglas Osborne of @foagrec and @osborne_lab...