Excluding the Pudeon's Bay strip, the average for the “boeh" and tundm sae 
only 3 ducka per aquare mile, far below the densities found to the eouth and 
weet. 
Pre-neeting and Nesting Ferioda 
The gresteet run-off in more than a decade followed the record enaws of 
lact winter in couthwestern Maniteba. North of Noa, 1 highway, snowfall and 
subsequent run-off was comparatively light. listriect ® maintained good habitat 
only because of a good carry-over of water from 1948. The Inter-lake Region 
and Red River Plaine had comparatively Little eurface water when the ducks 
arrived, Spring was early and dry, permitting more then the ueual smount of 
plowing and burning activities which destroy many duck neste. 
Mallards and pintails reached the latitude of Delta (80°} in numbere 
about April 8 and of Croce Lake (55°) about Apri] 2F, Neeting was well under 
way in southern Manitoba before central Manitoba saw the firet arrivals. The 
firet brood was discovered at Delta on May 1%, about the same time that Coneer- 
vation officers in thelr Cross Lake-Oxford Fouee districts reported the peak 
of the epring flight. 
Hatchery records at Jelts Waterfowl Research Stetion indicate that a 
peak of hatehing for first attempts in mallards and pintails oncurred the week 
of May 72. In the field, however, rarely wast a brood ceen during May. Frobable 
rehson = moet early nests were destroyed. 
During the 1949 nesting season 333 neete were located, and 288 of these 
were followed to completion. Of these, 150 were dabbling ducke and 138 were 
diving ducks. Forty-eight percent of the meets under obhservaticn hetched., 
Divers hatched 61 percent while dabblers hatched only 27 oercent. 
Succers by epecies is indicated in Table 2. 
Table 2. - Summary of 1949 Weeting Date 
Total Nestea Total followed Number Fumber 
Species Found to completion Fa tched Fajied Percent Fatehed 
Mallard T4 62 26 42 
Gadwail a 6 z 4 
Baldpate 5 4 1 a 
Fintail 20 et a) 20 
Creen-winged teal 1 il 1 
Blue-yinged teal 45 oo 14 ol 
Shoveler _9 =e __# a ee 
fotal Dabbler 161 1h 65 9q5 at 
Hedhead 26 19 & ll 
Ring-neck F 2 2 
Canrasback 94 ao 56 ae 
Scaup 9 a u 5 
Ruddy af oo 14 | 
Scoter, W-w 1 —u 
fetal Diver L?zZ 135 Bo Be B41 
411 Ducka goo 2BS 13s 147 42% 
63 
