212 
Success of the Season 
Mallards and black ducks began laying the first week of April, with the 
hatching peaks for both species falling around mid-May. Early-hatched mallards 
were flying by July 4, and young blacks were first observed capable of flight on 
July 10, A brood of mallard ducklings, a few days old, was reported in Tippecanoe 
County on July 15. The investigator observed a hen mallard with one 4-week old 
duckling on August 14, 
The blue-winged teal migration through extreme southwestern Indiana began 
March 14 - one day earlier than last year, and peaked about mid-April. On May 29 
and 30, foot-censusing in northwestern Indiana revealed 5 nests, some of which were 
incubated. The first of these nests hatched on June 20. In northeastern Indiana 6 
teal broods were observed on June 26. Egg laying was calculated to have begun about 
May 18 for the oldest and May 27 for the youngest brood. These nests probably 
hatched between June 19 and 24. No young teal were observed flying prior to July 20. 
Wood ducks were first noted in the State on February 21, 2 days later than 
in 1949. The first brood was observed on April 18, in southeastern Indiana, thus egg 
laying was computed to have begun on March 16 for this brood. However, the peak of 
egg laying in southern Indiana was computed to have been reached from April 10-20. 
Egg laying in the northern half of the State probably reached its peak during the first 
two weeks of May. Flying young were first observed in northern Indiana on July 4, 
but undoubtedly, young were on the wing before this date in the southern half of the 
State. 
Canada geese were first noticed in the territory at the Jasper-Pulaski State 
Game Preserve on March 10. Between April 20 and May 3, 15 nests with complete 
clutches were located. The first brood was noted on May 3. 
The only hooded merganser brood was observed on June 14 and was 
estimated to have been about six weeks old. 
Stragglers of 11 species were present throughout the nesting season. These 
included gadwall, baldpate, green-winged teal, shoveler, ringneck, canvasback, lesser 
scaup, bufflehead, ruddy, American merganser, and American golden-eye. There 
was no evidence that any of the above species nested in the State. 
Waterfowl brood counts, by age classes in 1949 (Table 7) are compared with 
1950 (Table 8). 
It should be noted that all brood figures include part and complete broods 
(single ducklings being included as a brood in some instances). Since this was true 
in 1949 and 1950, brood averages have been computed on the same basis. 
Table 7. -- Waterfowl Brood Counts, All Areas, Indiana - May 1 - July 31, 1949 
Broods Brood Broods’- Brood Broods Brood Total 
Species Class 1 Av. Class 11 Av. Class 1ll Av. Av. 
Mallard 9 6,6 l 5.0 4 7.8 6.8 
Black duck - - 1 4.0 - - 4.0 
Blue-winged teal 1 12.0 - - - - 12.0. 
Wood duck 46 7.0 = 3.7 7.3 7.0 
H. merganser zZ 7,0 - “ - - 7.0 
Canada goose 4 2.5 1 3.0 - - 2.6 
See ee eee eee ere ee 
Petal 62 6 11 
