that the species was up 3 psresnt this year in the Frovines as a wholes, despite 
4 marke decrease in the southwest. Ths dlus-wingsd teal likewise showed a 
northerly shift, particularly into the Parklends, but in the Provineiel totals 
this bird was dovn 27 percent from last year. 
Ths baldpats, normally 4 grasslands nester, seemed to have secepted in 
Some numbers tha woodsd nesting habitats of the Parklands and Conifsrous Forest 
stream, but despite this fact, the species was down 54 pereant from last ysar, 
Ths pintail, normally the most abundant duck in southorm Saskatchewan, was down 
62 percent in ths survey area, and if ths transect data are any indication, this 
Speciee is most reluctant to accapt the wooded ragions as substitutes for its 
preferred grassland negating habitets, 
Khile theas grasslend nesters made a poor showing in Saskatchswan this 
Spring, thers waa no evidencs of continental decrease of these species in the 
January 1949 inventory. Ss assums, tharsfors, that ths "missing ducks" sought 
other nesting grounds, Whether this ig a reslity, and whether thase birds 
enjoyed a successful ssason in thass other regions, would bs determinsd by ths 
investigators studying those regions. Of immediate concern in Sasktachswan 
was tha fate of tha substantial nesting population of mallerde and other impor- 
tant spstisa that remainsd in the Provinces, 
Pregress of ths Nesting Ssason 
The 1949 season got off to an early start. ‘The winter's cold broks about 
kharch 19 of this year, and midday tempsraturss remained above freezing all ths 
rest of that month. Msan temperatures ranged slirshtly below freezing during 
the latter period, but climbed abruptly on April 1, and did not again fall bslow 
320, By way 5, when the 1949 surveys wera berun, midday tamperaturss ranged in 
the gigh 50's sven in the northern part of the Province and in some stations 
in the Northwest Territories. This is in marked contrast to ths late apring 
of i948. April of that ysar wag very cold and wet, and the mean temperaturs 
for ths month was 10 belaw normal, Sixteen inches of anow remained on ths 
eround on April 15, ana spring waather did not start in sarmest until April 1&8. 
ca 
, * 
Tha 1949 sesson, thersfors, was two to thres weeks ahsad of lust year and 
it was axpscted that broads would put in appsserancs at a correspondingly early 
date. Last year the first strong showing of broods occurred on Juna 16, and 
the hatch was steady after that date, This year e@ flurry of new broods appsared 
Bsround ths first of June, but there was littls svidenes of 2 strong hatch uatil 
tha middls of the month. Tha reduced nesting population doubtless had much to 
do with this year’s poor showing of carly broods, but we austect that loss of 
first noasts was ths principal reason. The dry, warm apring mads it possible 
to plow agricultural lands much serli¢er than usual, ana closs plowing to ths 
water's sdee was much in evidences in important pothole regions. ilost of ths 
farmers wa talked with during the production studies stated that more uests had 
basen destroyed by plowing this seasson than at any tims in tha past five years, 
Second nesting attempts of the early nesters, and nests of the leter-nest- 
ing spaties seem to gaye been mors suceasssful. The drouth thet threatened all 
of Saskatchewan garly in the season was broken ty gonsral raing in the middls 
of May. Thersafter ths Aspen Parklands received rerular rains. At ths close 
of our studies in August, cumulative precipitation sincs April 1 waa well above 
normal throughout thse eastern part of the Provyines, and near-normal or slightly 
