SOUTHWEST MANITOBA 
Data supplied by Charles Lacy 
Ducks Unlimited, Canada 
Weather and habitat conditions 
Overall, water conditions appear 
about as in 1963 and might be considered 
about 1 ’average” for Manitoba, though 
still 21 percent above the 5-year average 
(1960-1964) of 1,455 ponds. In May, a 
total of 1, 634 ponds were recorded, a 
decrease of 26 percent below the 2,088 
ponds noted in 1964, but still above the 
record low reached in 1961 of 903 ponds 
(table B-62). 
The clearing of brush and filling of 
ponds with debris continues at a rate 
similar to that of the past several years, 
with 11 ponds observed to have been fil¬ 
led in 1964 compared to 15 in 1963 and 14 
in 1962. To date, a total of 45 ponds have 
been filled to a degree that would appear 
to render them unsuited for use by nest¬ 
ing ducks. 
Upland cover, where undisturbed by 
burning, is in excellent condition. 
Emergent cover appears to be more than 
adequate in quantity for the number of 
over water nesters present. In some 
cases burning or high water levels have 
reduced the amount and quality of both 
over water and upland cover available. 
Even so, however, there appears to be 
more than enough habitat available for 
the breeding population now in Manitoba. 
The 1965 spring migration was late due 
to unseasonably cold weather. The first 
major migration of Canada geese onto 
the Winnipeg-Portage Plains occurred 
April 13, 3 days later than in 1964 and 
about two weeks later than in 1963. The 
early nesting mallards and pintails moved 
into the Melita area March 31. These 
species arrived about two weeks later 
than in 1963, and about in phase with last 
year. 
The first large-scale initiation of 
nesting probably began about April 25. 
By May 1 lone mallard and pintail drakes 
were common. The lone drake index, 
providing quantitative data on the stage of 
the nesting cycle during the survey period, 
showed nesting chronology to be advanced 
far ahead of 1961, slightly ahead of last 
year, and about in phase with 1963. 
Breeding population indexes 
The total waterfowl breeding pair in¬ 
dex was only 5 percent below that of 1962, 
but 43 percent below 1964. All major 
species except the canvasback showed 
marked decreases ranging from 30 per¬ 
cent to more than 50 percent. The can¬ 
vasback index remains practically un¬ 
changed from last year, with a reduction 
of only 4 percent recorded. The mal¬ 
lard index was 29 percent below 1964, 
and the lowest since the present system 
of transects was begun in 1960 (table B-63). 
Weather during the inventory period 
was frequently windy and may have de¬ 
pressed population figures somewhat. 
Production indexes 
On the basis of Ducks Unlimited pro¬ 
ject brood counts, duck production from 
southwest manitoba will be poorer than 
in 1964. The only district where repro¬ 
ductive success appears to be good, as 
good as in 1964, is the western Minnedosa 
Hills approximately from Shoal Lake west 
to Russel. However, even here the breed¬ 
ing population was lower than in 1964, and 
the total number of young produced wiU 
be less (table B-64). 
Exclusive of the western Minnedosa 
Hills, the first nesting attempts met 
with poor success. There was an ex¬ 
tensive, probably greater than usual, re¬ 
nesting effort which apparently was 
partially successful. However, it ap¬ 
pears that terrential rains July 19 and 20 
over about 25 percent of the southwest 
Manitoba pothole range must have flooded 
a substantial proportion of late nests not 
yet hatched. According to one report, 
severe hail kiUed many ducklings in the 
area west of Oak Lake. 
The important Tiger HiUs-Pambina 
Hills can be expected to be somewhat less 
27 
