Tabls 5. --Population Trends by Spscieas as Comparad with 196 
Spsctiesa Prairies Transition Parklanda Total gain or loga 
{Pereesnt) {Parecant} (Psresnot} (Percent) 
Mallard “49 ~35 + £8 - 9, 
Pintail =77 — bo - #4 #8 
cadwall 27 -4,0 + 31 - 7 
Baldpats 64 -20 4104 =24 
Snoveller -63 -41 + 69 -37 
Plus-wingsd tsal -39 £27 4146 tL"? 
Seaup “79 —33 el = 
Canyvasback -&85 254 - 16 = 55 
Redhsad + 7 = 7 - 58 -29 
Nesting Ssason 
Ths open winter and the garly spring resulted in a much sarlisr nesting 
season than in 1948. Tha first pinteail brood was observed on May 12, As both 
pintails and mallards ware obsarved with broods in incrsasing numbers after this 
date, it ts known that the nasting season was under way about mid-April this 
6pring. This was about two weeks searlier than in 1948, but about ths same aa 
in 1947. 
Of the ssrlier nestera, broods wers first observed on the following datea: 
Pintail Way 12 Blus-winged teal Jung 11 
Mallard May 20 Cadwall June 12 
Shoyeler Jyuo5 7 Burflehsad Jung 12 
Canvasback June 7 Haldpats Jungs 13 
Waterfowl migrations in Alberts oecurrad previous te May 1 and ware not 
observed by the surwsy crew. As tha field obsarvations in the sarly part of ths 
Ssason wers made primerily in ths gouth, and as tha southern areas wers by-passed 
by migrating waterfowl {sxcept in casss noted above), Little evidence aven of tha 
igration of scaup was noted, 
Waterfowl Froduction 
During, the running of ground transscts, an attempt was mads to sacure a 
greater amount of nesting data by taking a detailed check of svery tenth perma- 
nent ot intermediate body of watsr. [us to the drought conditions in Albarta, 
the data ware very disappointing as far as nest histories wera concerned. With 
some transects devoid of any water this year, and many of them with no permanent 
water, ralying on every tenth area became impractical. Often a tranasct would 
bs concluded befers there was any way of knowing that thers would not bo as many 
Be ten permansnt or intermediet?s arcas on it. As a result, the nesting data ars 
confined mainly to e¢lutch sizes, for many cf the nssts were located in selected 
areas outsides the limits of the established transsctsa and revisits ware not 
always possible. 
Complets nest historias were sseurad on three Canada goose nests, 55 duck 
nests and 15 coot nesta as follows: 
