Dover Air Force Base continued...

In addition to wintering waterfowl, the other main risk to flying safety at Dover has been the presence of large populations of gulls. There are two active quarries within 3 miles of the base. We have been extremely active in our efforts to decrease the number of gulls and other birds at these Tilcon quarry and thus decreasing the number on the airfield. One facility is located directly off the end of our main runway and contains four large ponds with over 200 acres of open water. When we started 3 years ago, these ponds had over 400 resident geese and over 1000 gulls on the beaches each day. We made this area a priority for wildlife control and major improvements have been seen. In our first month here, with the help of the Chief of Safety, we coordinated with the safety office and the tower chief to increase the time we had to work at the facility without worrying about aircraft movements over the ponds during this initial push. Within 10 days, we had moved all the resident geese and the gull numbers had dropped to fewer than 100 individuals on the beaches. We continued to work the area and effectively eliminated the resident birds and decreased the number of birds that try to land on the ponds daily. This has also improved the situation on the airfield and airfield management commented that they were seeing far fewer gulls on the airfield as the numbers dropped at Tilcon. We utilize the border collies, boats, pyrotechnics, and paintball guns. We also signed an agreement with Tilcon that allows us to use a shotgun for depredation at the facility. Birds, especially gulls, habituate to pyrotechnics and the ability to fire actual shots at the birds reinforces that loud noises can have consequences and the birds will then respond better to the pyrotechnics on and off the airfield. In addition, we made several recommendations for structural changes at the Tilcon ponds that would eliminate habitat and roosting areas for the birds. The operations manager for Tilcon agreed to decrease the amount of beach exposed and available to gulls and has installed bird deterrents on their pipelines to prevent birds from roosting on the pond directly behind the runway lights for RWY 01.

On the airfield, habitat management is key to controlling bird populations by limiting the number of birds feeding on the airfield and keeping the rodent populations in check. There are areas of standing water that attract ducks and sandpipers and the occasional pair of geese. These birds are harassed with our border collies and have not nested on the airfield since we started the contract and now are rarely seen. We work with Civil Engineering to identify problem areas so that the base can improve drainage in these areas and permanently eliminate some of the open water next to the runways. We monitor the airfield in the summer for problem areas with ditch and grass maintenance and have done extensive monitoring and recommendations for off-airfield sites as well. The habitat plan has helped limit the food available to fox and other small mammals and hawk numbers are much lower on the airfield than in the areas surrounding the base.

Our program had an immediate impact on the Dover AFB BASH program. Bird strikes decreased at Dover AFB by over 55% when Flyaway Farm and Kennels started the wildlife management contract in October of 2002 from a total of 58 strikes per year under the previous contractor to an average of 27 strikes per year now. To examine bird strikes as a function of the aircraft activity at the airfield, we have compiled information on the number of operations (total number of take-offs and landings) over the last 5 years. The number of strikes per operation has dropped each year and remained low even as operations increased. In working with the wing safety office, we have also been able to increase the identification of bird species involved in bird strikes to close to 90% of all species causing strikes identified and that information is critical to identifying problem areas and helps us focus our wildlife control activities in particular areas.

 

Bird strikes:  Bird strikes have decreased significantly at Dover AFB since Flyaway Farm and Kennels started their wildlife management contract in October of 2002.   Bird strikes declined during our first year in Dover with a 65% decrease in the number of birdstrikes in FY03 when compared with FY02 strike numbers and they remain low 3 years later.  Dover AFB now averages 2 birdstrikes per month compared to over 4 birdstrikes per month under a previous contractor.  Taking into account aircraft activity at the airfield, we track bird strikes as a function of the number of operations (total number of take-offs and landings).  The number of strikes per operation has dropped each year and is remaining low with less than 1 birdstrike per 1000 operations on the airfield.  In working with the wing safety office, we have also been able to increase the identification of bird species involved in bird strikes and that information is critical to identifying problem areas and helps us focus our wildlife control activities in particular areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flyaway Farm and Kennels’ BASH program at Dover AFB has been extremely successful for several reasons.  

Q There is remarkable cooperation and coordination between the contractor, Flight Safety, Airfield Management, Civil Engineering and the Control Tower personnel.  

Q The Bird Hazard Working Group is very active in overseeing procedures and evaluating all aspects of the program. 

Q Dover AFB has made their BASH plan specific to their needs and are continually working to tailor the program to the changing conditions in the surrounding area as well as changing operations. 

Q Flyaway Farm and Kennels has also worked very hard to develop a strong cooperative relationship with the local landowners and that has been fundamental in the success of the program. 

Dover AFB has been very open to utilizing effective, creative and diverse methods of wildlife control and the persistence and tenacity of the Flyaway Farm and Kennel border collie program has proven to be a tremendous asset to the Dover AFB BASH plan.