
86 
Cruise Tally by Linear Mile (pairs) | 
Species Avalon (by car) Gander (by air) Humber (by canoe) 
Canada geese . 30 . 43 .10 
Black duck . 06 . 01 . 00 
Green-winged teal 10 25 47 
Ring-necked duck . 00 -11 olf 
American golden-eye . 08 19 . 50 

The known breeding areas of Canada geese along the Humber were not 
examined and the 3 pairs located were nesting along Main Brook, while flocks up to 
34, possibly of non-breeding birds, were encountered around the margins of Birchy 
Lake. A clutch of six eggs was” found on May 14 (Avalon), and the earliest downies 
were four seen on May 27 (Gander). Several clutches examined on June 6 (Humber) 
were still in incubation stage. 
The black duck is a well-distributed fall migrant on the island and 508 were 
recorded in the mid-winter survey. Only future studies will determine its breeding 
status. 
The ring-necked duck may be of comparatively recent occurrence. The 
center of abundance appears to be in the Gander area. The finding of 5 pairs in the. 
Humber area establishes an additional breeding locality. 
The writer located 62 nests of eider ducks on the island in Hare Bay, during 
early July. The average clutch was four eggs, and the earliest downies were observed 
there on July 9. 
There is evidence of predation by arctic foxes stranded on the islands along 
the Labrador coastin general. Residents informed the writer that, asa consequence, 
eiders had a greater tendency to nest in suitable locations along the mainland. The 
writer's observations indicated, however, there was no scarcity of young eiders in 
August. 
Black ducks were observed as far as Davis Inlet (the farthermost point of the 
writer's trip), where two pairs were observed in early July. An estimated 1, 100 black 
ducks were recorded along a two-mile stretch of coast line (Tinker Harbour) on August 
15. A check of one-half mile of gullies in an adjacent area on August 19 revealed four 
broods of black ducks (totalling 19), 93 adult blacks, 14 green-winged teal and 3 adult 
pintail, On the same date geese were feeding in small flocks on the islands near-by. 
