Matthew C. Perry

Food habits analyses were conducted on 264 diving ducks (7 species) from North and South Carolina during the 1970's. The Baltic clam (Macoma balthica) was the predominant food among canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) from the Pamlico River area, whereas sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus) predominated in birds from impoundments in North and South Carolina. Shoalgrass (Halodule beaudettei) formed 100% of the gullet food and 99% of the gizzard food in redheads (Aythya americana) from Pamlico Sound. Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) in North Carolina had fed predominantly on mollusks (Mulinia...

An estimated 52,500 birds died as a result of 7 major oil spills on 2 mid-Atlantic estuaries between 1973-78. Ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) constituted 98% of 12,500 birds known to have died from 5 spills on the Delaware River. Seventy-six percent of 40,000 dead birds from 2 Chesapeake Bay spills were horned grebes (Podiceps auritus) and oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis). Oiled waterfowl that were captured alive (6% of the estimated mortality) were cleaned with a variety of cleaning agents and techniques. High mortality occurred during and shortly after cleaning, and was apparently due to...

Three study areas and five techniques were used in this study of movements and activities of dogs and influence of dogs on deer. Radio-tracking with telemetry equipment was ineffective due to infrequent and unpredictable movement of dogs. The percentage of licensed dogs estimated from surveys of rural inhabitants was suggested to be inversely related to the number of residents under a dog warden's responsibility. Activity indices determined from sand plot track counts for dogs were not significantly different for three study areas and for the three seasons. Dogs appeared to be most active...