delta was a complete washout—the few 
ducks seen there were roosting on float¬ 
ing ice pans or on logs and trash caught 
in the tops of the highest willows. A sur¬ 
vey was not made of the goose colony on 
the outer delta because of weather con¬ 
ditions; it is logical to assume that it was 
drowned out. Also, the colony at the 
Anderson Delta was a flood casualty. 
All species of ducks except canvas- 
back increased or were unchanged from 
1963. The figures pertaining to species 
of slight numerical importance in the 
area are probably of little significance, 
as are the coot and goose indexes. The 
increase in oldsquaws may well reflect 
the late spring and breakup, holding the 
birds south of their normal barren 
ground nesting areas. The increases in 
shovelers and goldeneyes are unexplained. 
(Table B-5.) 
Production indexes 
Duck production increased substantial¬ 
ly in all areas covered except in the 
Athabaska Delta which was subjected to 
early high water from the Athabaska and 
a late flood on the Peace, the combination 
apparently flooding out most of the nests. 
The Mackenzie Delta experienced early 
high water during and shortly after 
breakup, but this apparently had no ef¬ 
fect on the late hatch although the early 
nesters may have been affected. 
Class I brood size averaged 1.2 less 
ducklings than last year, but class II 
and in broods were slightly larger than 
last year. Since class II brood observa¬ 
tions were three times as numerous than 
the other two classes combined, it would 
appear that there was no significant 
change in brood size. (Table B-6.) 
SOUTHERN ALBERTA 
Data supplied by G. Hortin Jensen and 
Alva E. Weinrich, Bureau of Sport 
Fisheries and Wildlife 
Weather and habitat conditions 
During the 1963 season there was an 
indication that the drought gripping the 
prairies and parklands of southern Alberta 
could be breaking. By late fall the season¬ 
al drying trend had nullified our summer 
expectations. A mild, dry winter pre¬ 
vailed, and the spring outlook for ducks in 
southern Alberta was not good. Much of 
the habitat was the poorest observed since 
the beginning of these surveys. 
A general storm from May 1 to 5 hit 
the parklands and was intensified in the 
southern prairies. As much as 7 inches 
of rain in stratum C did much to improve 
the condition of potholes there. There 
was less rain in stratum A and northerly 
through the parklands. This storm served 
only to improve soil moisture for agricul¬ 
ture, except along the southern border. A 
wet weather cycle must come to restore 
good conditions for waterfowl. 
No significant precipitation was re¬ 
corded after May 8. Shower activity was 
associated with the mountains and across 
the Milk River ridge, but nothing to raise 
water levels in the potholes. More than 
1 inch of rain fell from Edmonton east¬ 
ward on the northern parklands during the 
late survey period. Habitat conditions 
were good in that area but were dry in the 
western parklands. 
The index for May ponds was 641, 000. 
This was the lowest since inception of 
these surveys, 27 percent below the aver¬ 
age and 24 percent below 1963. When 
compared with the highest years it is about 
half the normal complement of water areas 
(table B-7). 
The events previously recorded for 
stratum C served to raise indexes 14 per¬ 
cent above average and 90 percent above 
1963. Very dry conditions of 1963 were 
reversed. Attrition of water areas is 
quite severe in the warmer southern areas 
of the Province, and success of waterfowl 
breeding populations is more of a gamble 
than elsewhere in the Province. 
Although the water index in stratum C 
is 14 percent above average and 90 percent 
above 1963, stratum A is a critical area. 
The water index is 47 percent below aver¬ 
age and 19 percent below 1963. Neither 
did the gain in water units within the park- 
lands last year persist where the index is 
25 percent below average and 39 percent 
below last season. Much of the increase 
6 
