fact that they were much more widespread 
than during the past few years. 
It is a good sign to see ruddy ducks 
once again as breeders. During the 
drought they were nearly nonexistant. 
The return of coots and ruddy ducks 
attest to the fact that habitat is truly re¬ 
turning to a better condition (table B-8). 
While the late nesting index was 
difficult to evaluate correctly, it indi¬ 
cated more breeding pairs remained on 
the breeding grounds later this year. 
The late nesting index was increased 527 
percent from 1964 and 188 percent above 
average (1956-65). Later nesting and 
renesting are not as effective as initial 
nesting. We will realize some later 
broods from these later nestings. Ob¬ 
servations of number I broods indicated 
were still hatching late in July and early 
August. They will, however, not be 
sufficient to raise this year T s production 
to average values. 
WASHINGTON 
Data submitted by Robert G. Jeffery 
Washington Department of Game 
Weather and habitat conditions 
The drying trend of the past 6 years 
in the scabland potholes of the State was 
broken, to some extent, in 1965. Scab- 
land transects included 231 potholes and 
lakes in May, which was a 34 percent 
improvement over May 1964. This was 
still less than half the potential number 
of water bodies. 
The spring and early summer were 
fairly dry, with about normal tempera¬ 
tures. Soil moisture was adequate for 
good nesting cover development in the 
more arid sections. Generally, the 
weather was favorable for waterfowl 
production throughout the State. 
Breeding population indexes 
In 1965, there were 146,000 adult 
ducks on the breeding grounds of Wash¬ 
ington. This was 20 percent below the 
breeding potential of 1964, and 42 per¬ 
cent below that of 1962. Mallard pairs 
were down 18 percent, blue-winged and 
cinnamon teal were down 30 percent and 
all dabblers were off 23 percent. Diving 
duck pairs were down only 8 percent. 
The deficiency in duck breeding potential 
was most pronounced in the pothole areas 
and on the irrigated lands of south- 
central Washington. The Columbia 
Basin, as well as most of the poorer 
duck breeding habitat, was better sup¬ 
plied with breeders. 
Production indexes 
The estimates of young duck produc¬ 
tion are based upon one, and in some 
cases two, follow-up counts of broods on 
the breeding pair transects. No breed¬ 
ing pair count is made in western Wash¬ 
ington, total production being calculated 
from three coverages of a portion of the 
brood transects. For all areas adult- 
young ratios are derived by comparing 
current data with long-term averages, 
which, it is assumed, represent average 
nesting success values. 
Results of the production survey are 
summarized in table B-9. All popula¬ 
tion figures represent young plus adults 
at the end of the production season. 
The State production index of 403, 400 
ducks is 4 percent below that of 1964 
(422,000). The juvenile element of the 
index is 257,000; this is 64 percent of 
the whole and indicates the highest pro¬ 
ductivity since 1961. Nesting success 
was comparatively high in all areas, but 
the scabland potholes were the only 
major habitat type in which increased 
breeding success offset the serious lack 
of breeding pairs. 
The Canada goose production index 
increased by 11 percent from the 1964 
level, in spite of poor nesting success 
on some sections of the Snake and 
Columbia Rivers. The tub-nesting popu¬ 
lation of geese on the Okanogan River 
continues to increase, and the geese 
using the Columbia Basin lakes and res¬ 
ervoirs showed a small gain. 
6 
