Volunteers and staff band Canada geese at Moosehorn NWR, Maine, June 27, 2007 (Jill Barschdorf photo).

Moosehorn staff and volunteers, by land and water, complete a capture of 86 resident population Canada geese at Moosehorn NWR, Maine, June 27, 2007 (Dave Knupp photo).

Seasonal wildlife aide Chris Standley shepherds Canada geese across Upper Magurrewock Marsh to a capture corral on Moosehorn NWR, Maine, June 27, 2007 (Dave Knupp photo).

Moosehorn staff and volunteers conducted annual preseason Canada goose banding operations June 27, 2007 in support of USFWS Division of Migratory Bird Management's Adaptive Harvest Management Program and National Wildlife Refuge System hunt program responsibilities.   The annual round-up of flightless geese on Upper Magurrewock Marsh netted 86 individuals, including 10 that had been banded at the refuge in previous years.  Staff and volunteers used kayaks to herd the geese, which annually are rendered flightless while undergoing the simultaneous molt of all flight feathers, into a corral erected on shore.  In addition to receiving a leg band, 11 of the geese were sampled for Avian Influenza by USDA/APHIS-Wildlife Services biologist Kirk Shively.  The capture and banding effort was made successful by permanent and seasonal staff, seven Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) employees, and five volunteers.  Refuge staff used the exercise as an educational opportunity to teach volunteers and YCC students about avian ecology, animal capture and handling, and bird banding.  The goose drive also gave seasonal staff experience in aging, sexing, applying leg bands, and sampling waterfowl for avian influenza prior to the start of the refuge's annual preseason duck banding program.