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The canoe paddle marks a nest site used for 4 consecutive years by a ring-necked duck. This diving duck character- 

 istically nests in dense emergent vegetation, especially vulnerable to severe drought. Drought brings extensive 

 destruction of the nesting grounds of the diving-duck group, which includes also the canvasback, the redhead, and 

 the scaups. (Photo by Howard L. Mendall) 



water clams, which later served as waterfowl food, 

 were observed for the first time in the investiga- 

 tion. Waterfowl utilization totaled 27 million 

 waterfowl days from September 19, 1962, to Ajoril 

 9, 1963. This is the highest observed during the 

 5 years and more than twice the utilization in 1958. 



In the summer of 1963, Back Bay freshened to 

 about 4 percent of sea strength — a near record- — 

 and aquatic plant production was the worst on 

 record. Currituck Sound, on the other hand, 

 maintained salinities in excess of 7 percent and 

 aquatic plant production continued to be good. 



Goose 'production. — Fall and winter family 

 counts are used to determine productivity of snow 

 geese, blue geese, and white-fronted geese, all of 

 which nest in the far north where observation is 

 impract ical. In 1962, about 38 percent of the con- 

 tinental population of white-fronted geese were 

 immature birds, and preliminary data for 1963 



Nest of a black duck on an upland site. This species, the 

 most important game duck in the East, has been studied 

 extensively since 1937 by the Maine Unit. (Photo by 

 Howard L. Mendall) 



734-563 I 



