SASKATCHEWAN 
Data supplied by R. T. Sterling, 
Ducks Unlimited, Canada 
Weather and habitat conditions 
Water conditions showed a marked 
improvement (79 percent) over 1964, 
which is 19 percent above the average of 
the base period 1953 to 1960. In numbers 
of water areas the habitat is almost as 
good as the best years of the midfifties, 
but, although there is no concern for 
this year T s production, carry-over re¬ 
serves are not so assured. However, 
the eastern parklands remain good and 
the larger brood ponds there are good 
for more than one season. 
Breeding population index 
Earlier impressions of a light spring 
migration have been confirmed by the 
breeding population counts. The sample 
counts indicate an over-all reduction of 29 
percent, which is 73 percent below the 
average of the base period. Surprisingly, 
the largest percentage decline occurred 
in the prairie region where the season 
has not been so retarded as further north 
and where most districts have been 
favoured with a return to near ideal 
habitat conditions. These areas pro¬ 
duced few birds in recent years, and it 
appears most of the returning birds, the 
bulk of which would be parkland-raised, 
over flew the prairies to return to their 
more northern breeding grounds. 
Mallards declined nearly 50 percent, 
with declines in the prairie and eastern 
parkland alike. The status of this species 
was relatively unchanged in the western 
parklands but this area showed a 31 per¬ 
cent increase in over-all population. Pin¬ 
tail numbers remain about the same as 
last year, but the population has shifted 
to the preferred prairie habitat now that 
the water has been restored. The third 
most numerous species, the blue-winged 
teal, showed a 35 percent decrease. 
Figures on all other common dabbling 
species showed similar numbers with 1964 
or light downward trends. The diving 
species were little changed from 1964 with 
canvasback showing a good increase in the 
eastern parklands (table B-66). 
Although the duck population is con¬ 
siderably reduced this year, especially so 
with the most important mallard species, 
with the marked improvement in habitat 
there is optimism about production suc¬ 
cess and, unless the summer is excep¬ 
tionally dry, with the reserve of water 
that will be carried over to 1966. 
Production index 
Late June prospects of a late but highly 
successful production in the mallard and 
pintail species fell below expectations. 
Extensive coverage of wetlands through¬ 
out the settled part of the Province during 
the latter part of July found the bulk of the 
hatch off but in total falling somewhat be¬ 
low the 1964 level. Although results did 
show a good late nesting effort, with most 
broods appearing from very late June to 
mid-July, the final degree of success has 
not compensated for the lower breeding 
population present at the start. 
A few broods hatched during the last 
week of July and an unusual high number 
of pairs and lone females, especially in 
the mallard, still confused the picture, 
but the final outcome cannot be expected 
to significantly improve. 
Production in the later breeding dab¬ 
bling species has been good. Judging 
from brood age distribution, the hatch 
peaked during early July when the main 
hatch of the mallard and pintail was ap¬ 
pearing. Because of the apparent high 
success of the first nesting attempts in 
these species, relatively few late broods 
are expected. 
In the diving duck species, the red¬ 
head and canvasback both appear to have 
been highly successful in the eastern park- 
lands. Much of the hatch of the canvas¬ 
back has been owing to the very late or 
second nesting attempts. 
29 
