esting Conditions 
Migration ressched its peak about April 5. The first nest was located ag 
estly as hay 1 in ona of the southernmost counties, In general, nesttar sctivi- 
ties wera advanced by approximately 10 days by compnrison to ths past several 
years, ur breeding zround surveys were moda from May 10 in the southsrn part 
ef the State to 45 late as uieay 20 in the north. 
In the “Lake States", water argas aro fairly stable and in general sven ths 
swales retain water until broods are able to move to nearby Lakss of streams. 
Tho weather for the most part was fevorablea for suceassful production, Ssvyare 
storms that occasionally flood out nesting Habitat, or other extrema weathsar 
conditions, wore lacking. 
Brood Surveys 
rollowing tha breeding populations survay a brood csnsus was mads on ths 
same sanple areas by th Sams msn, 
This brood census showed 6.5 adults (many bachelor birds] plus 2.75 young 
near linsur mils, or an incrsese from 6.8 ducks before nesting to 9.25 ducks per 
mike of census line efter nesting. Computed on the basis of area, $.1 broods 
vere observed per square mile. Details of the brood surv?y are shown in Tables 2, 
The averag? brood size was §.8 young, indicating pood survivel. 
Our Brood Surveys in pravious years haye been confined to fewer sample areas 
and hays limited yulus for comparison. The 1949 check, however, shows a dsfinits 
incrssse over 1947 and 1948. 
WWotes 
The "Build-up" of ducks in some of cur largsr marshes during July and 
August Serves aS an indicator, to a lesser derrss, of local abundancs of watsr- 
fowl. 
Sight records of ducks eat ons marsh for ths past thre summers indicate a 
fayorabls trend. The following ars sstimeted populations on 4 merab in south- 
eastern Michigan. 
1947 1948 = 1949 
July {middls} oe 132 118 
August {3rd wsek} £00 1,800 2,500 
August {4th wesk} 70 4,000 4,800 
The August ¢atimateas show a 30 percent increases o7er 1948 and a much srester 
inersase over 1947 sstinates. 
GUL ry 
Three typos of suryey to obtain data on the production of waterfowl in 
hiic¢higan have been completed, ; 
196 
