Last Counts of Banner Year on May 17th (Day 58)

We've wrapped up the counting after today's (Day 60) zero results.  2012 has been best year since we started counting following the MA protocol in 2006.  8892 fish are reported for the 58 days that the run lasted, including 10 days in early April when we stopped official counting after several days of zero counts.  On April 11th, 2012, the fish returned in earnest, and we resumed the counts on April 12th (Day 23), with several hundred fish observed each day for the next 2-1/2 weeks. 

As shown in the Year to Year Comparison, the 2012 count was 7300 fish higher than the average for the previous six years of counting, and nearly 460% higher than the average of the last six years. 

8892 fish counted over 90 minutes each day for the 58 days we kept records is equivalent to more than 71,000 fish that came through Mill Pond's ladder.  This estimate is conservative as it assumes the fish only moved during the 12 hours (7 am to 7 pm) for which we monitored and counted fish, and on all the peak days we observed fish in every hour of the day.

We had more than 50 counters participating in the 2012 count.  Some of the counters provided dozens of counts over the eight week period.  We had several rookie counters this year who also were able to participate in some of the exceptionally high volume counts during the peak days in mid-April, as well as several counters who have participated every year since formal counting began in 2006.

Thanks to the effective participation of so many Barnstable residents, we have a solid database of information for this exceptional year.  We introduced a new scheduling tool to allow counters to observe available openings online and volunteer to count at open times.  In accordance with the state protocol, we introduced the monitoring of local water temperature at each count.  This new data will ideally help us better assess in future when to expect herring running during the migration.

We started tracking saltwater temperatures to help us better project the start of the migration. 

We set up this new website as a vehicle to communicate to the counters and any other interested parties, to share our findings and observations. 

The following are some last thoughts from one of our 2012 rookie counters, on her last day of counting, which was a zero count:

"I've been so glad I volunteered to help out this year.  It's been a wonderful experience, seeing the fish, helping science in my small way, visiting with all the children and others that have come to view the herring. It's also been inspiring in a way, to stand as silent witness to the surge of life renewing itself as it has for eons and to contemplate our place in history as I stand in such a historically significant place.

Yeah, it's all good!"

Day 56 - Eight Weeks, and Still We're Seeing Fish!

Looks like we are mostly winding down, but still we are having some limited observations since we started in March.  I guess we won't double the 2008 totals, but 2012 is shaping up to be a remarkable year after < 500 fish in 2010, and < 60 fish in 2011.    This past weekend (including Mother's Day) we observed nearly the total counted in 2011!

There's still a respectable number of fish in the Middle Pond flume today - numbers are down from a week ago, but there's still quite a few there.

I guess I'll have to add another week of data collection in tomorrow's Year to Year count.  Who would have thought there would still be fish migrating eight weeks into it?!

Another Low Count Today; However....

The sun came out late in the day, and the herring started running again!  With the 2.5+" of rain we had over the last couple of days, we think the fish were tucked away and resting a little, with the heavy flow of water through the culverts under Rt 28 and Rt 149.  It's hard enough to swim upstream without this massive flow!

Today there are still significant numbers of herring in the flume entering Middle Pond, so we're planning on continuing the count.

Middle Pond Flume - 8:30 am May 10, 2012

Zoom View of Flume

We had 116 fish observed on Monday, May 7th, when the weather was beautiful and water flows were normal, so we want to be sure that we're accurately projecting the end of this record setting year!

Day 49: Triple Digits Yesterday, Single Digits Today....

With 8800+ observations, we may be finally nearing the end of the run, with a single digit total count today.  However, with yesterday's beautiful weather, we hit triple digits again!  This is a hard one to call, but we'll be counting until we have a zero count as a daily total.

Day 47 - Still Double Digit Daily Counts!

We've even still had some double digit hourly counts today!  We have not yet dropped to a single digit day since the run really started in earnest on Day 22.  We've had a week and a half of double digit counts, and every sunny day is a significant count.  It looked like it might drop off on Saturday, but with today's beautiful weather they continue to run. 

The previous longest count was 37 days in 2008.  We did stop counting for 10 days in the middle of this, but 47 calendar days and still the fish keep coming?  If the fish we observed in March were scouts only, and not the true start of the run, we've had a run of 25 days since we started seeing the fish again.  The latest that the run stopped in the last six years of tracking was May 18th (in 2007).  The 2008 run lasted until May 17th.

One counter today reported an osprey dropped down about 8 ft away from him to dive for a fish - he jumped a mile, but the osprey got his dinner!

"Washback" or Washing Back?

In the last post, the speculation was that those poor herring in the photo were struggling to make it up the river and falling back.  After a little research, I'm inclined to think that they very likely were spent herring who have already spawned and are working their way back to sea.  The strain of the journey and the spawning leaves them very thin, but they recover quickly after they make their way back to salt water (assuming they make it!).

So, as you're observing during these last few days, think about that as a possibility.  At least some of the thousands of fish that have made the trip are on their way back to Prince Cove and Nantucket Sound.

8500+....Was Your Day a Washback?

The herring are definitely running in smaller numbers, but still they come....we exceeded 8500 observations today! 

For those of you who are maybe thinking today was a struggle, for whatever reason, think about these thoughts from counter Bob Ph, after his Sunday count.

"As I was finishing up this afternoon, there was a big school of herring that had drifted along the top of the dam, with several washing over the dam into that side pool.  Then they continued over by the counting site, and a whole bunch washed back.  I guess the message is, keep the goal in mind, or you'll not get there!"

Sometimes it seems like you climb and climb, and sometimes fall back, but when you do, think of these river herring and all that they go through.....just pick yourself up and climb again!