Hatching Success - Sacramento Valley 
During the spring nesting period a total of 124 duck nests were found in 
the Butte Sink area of the Sacramento Valley. Three separate areas were under 
study as follows: 
1. Gray Lodge Refuge - 2,500 acres of ponded, farmed, and undistrubed 
land, predator control for past 3 seasons, 
2. Tobin Gun Club - 300 acres of ponded and natural marsh land along 
Butte Creek. Arsa open to raccoon hunters thus some predator control. 
3. Foenn's Rice - 90 acres of rice field in production. Located near 
natural marsh. Little or no predator control. 
Pertinent figures on nesting on these areas are shown in the following 
Table: 
Sacramento Valley Nesting Study 
Gray Lodge Tobin Gun 
Refuge Club Fenn Rice Total 
Approx. acres searched 800 80 90 970 
Total nests located 52 27 45 124 
(Percent) (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) 
Mallard 56 56 75 63 
Gadwall 27 15 4 Ly 
Cinn. teal 17 29 16 19 
Pintail 0 0 2 1 
Hatched successfully 69 85 56 68 
Destroyed (predators) Lé 7 a 33 18 
Desorted 17 11 11 14 
Acres per nest 15 acres 3 acres 2 acres 7.8 acres 
* 1 Cinn. teal found dead on nest - cause of death unknow. 
Size of Clutch of Successful Nests 
Speciss Gray Lodgs Refuge Tobin Gun Ciub Fenn Rice Total 
Mallard 8.8 §.3 7.8 8.3 
Gadwall 11.3 9.8 10.0 . 10.8 
Cinn, teal 9.1 10.1 8.5 9.45 
Average number of eggs hatched for successful clutches were as 
follows: (compare with prior Table on clutch size) 
Species Gray. Lodge Refugs Tobin Gun Club Fenn Rice Total 
Mallard 6.4 7.8 me 7.0. 
Gadwall 8.9 8.5 8.0 eT , 
Cinn. teal 8.3 9.9 8.3 8.9 
123 
