Weather and habitat conditions 
Vegetation at the beginning of the sur¬ 
vey was considered normal for the area. 
Aspens and willows, fully leafed out by the 
time the more northern transects were 
covered, reduced the efficiency of aerial 
observations on some areas. 
Manitoba stratum A had more water 
areas in May 1964 than in any previous 
year of record, up 34 percent over 1963 
and 54 percent above the 11-year average. 
In stratum B, the same number of water 
areas were recorded in 1963 and 1964. 
The B counts for the last 2 years are 11 
percent below the 11-year average. When 
the 1964 figures for strata A and B are 
combined, the number of water areas 
tallied is the third highest on record and 
15 percent higher than the 11-year aver¬ 
age. 
Habitat conditions in southern Manitoba 
continued better through July than in any 
year since the late 1950's. The July pond 
counts were higher than in any recent 
year but still below the long-term aver¬ 
age (table B-48). 
Conditions in stratum B this year did 
not appear quite as favorable as in 1963. 
In spite of a higher pond count in 1964 
many of the marshy areas east of Lake 
Manitoba were low or dry, and pond levels 
on the three most northern transects were 
lower this year than last. 
Breeding population indexes 
The 1964 duck population index was 5 
percent less than in 1963, and 28 percent 
below the 11-year average. The dabbling 
duck index was down 12 percent and 40 
percent, respectively. The diving duck 
index increased 9 percent above 1963, and 
nearly 10 percent above the 11-year aver¬ 
age. Coots increased 3 percent over 1963 
and the index now equals the long-term 
average (tables B-49 and B-50). 
The 1964 lone drake figure of 78 per¬ 
cent is lower than that of 1963 but about 
average for southern Manitoba (table B- 
51). The first brood were seen on May 
22—the same date the first brood was 
spotted in 1963. Three additional broods 
were seen on May 24th. 
Production indexes 
The duck brood index for strata A and 
B in southern Manitoba was 22 percent 
lower than that of 1963 and 27 percent be¬ 
low the long-term average. The coot 
brood index for the survey area was 266 
percent greater than in 1963 and 78 per¬ 
cent above the 10-year average (table 
B-52). 
The 1964 index to late nesting for the 
entire survey area was 10 percent below 
1963 and 26 percent below the long-term 
average (table B-53). Despite evidence 
that many early nests were lost and that 
the 1964 hatch was later than that of 1963, 
fewer adults were recorded on the tran¬ 
sects (table B-54). By mid-July, the 
growing concentrations of adults on the 
larger water areas indicated that many 
ducks were through nesting for the sea¬ 
son although habitat and weather condi¬ 
tions appeared favorable for a late nesting 
effort. 
CHIPPEWA NATIONAL FOREST, 
MINNESOTA 
Data supplied by Harry Pinkham 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife 
Weather and habitat conditions 
The water level reading at the Winni- 
bigoshish Dam was 10.07 feet, 0. 36 feet 
less than normal but 0.17 feet above the 
water level during the 1963 census. 
Breeding population indexes 
This year's survey indicates a 7 per¬ 
cent increase in the breeding population 
from the 1963 census (tables B-55 and 
B-56). The ratio of adult to young drop¬ 
ped from 1:2.5 in 1963 to 1:1. 6 in 1964 
(table B-57). 
17 
