Ground surveys of sample areas have been restricted considerably this year 
due to the pressure of other duties. Only one summer count, in the Cariboo Parklands 
has been made to date and this is recorded in Table III. The numbers of birds emda 
this year are not strictly comparable with those obtained in previous years as the count 
was made 3 weeks earlier this year. The numbers of young birds recorded would 
undoubtedly be increased by the hatch of the late-nesting species. This hatch was just 
beginning to show up at the time of the count. The considerable drop in the numbers of 
adult birds recorded is not readily understood at this time. 
Table III. - Mid-Summer Counts - Uariboo Parklands 
1951 1952 1953 * 
Species Adult Young Adult ———S Young Adult —~—S* Young 
Unidentified ~ - 102 7 a 4 
Mallard 57 50 129 24 3 17 
Pintail 1 - 10 9 2 4 
Baldpate 63 67 28 64 1] 53 
Gadwall é 16 1 - l 8 
Green-winged teal 14 37 28 32 4, 30 
Blue-winged teal 6 9 4 14 6 7 
Shoveler l 5 7 21 4 Lol 
Redhead 21 67 10 72 12 69 
Canvasback 9 22 35 27 8 37 
Lesser scaup 174 293 212 257 138 87 
Goldeneye 216 306 239 110 55 168 
Bufflehead 42 36 110 68 27 99 
Bey IO EO Oe 
Total Ducks 642 924 1, 004 724 336 609 
American Coot 369 283 310 

* 1953 count made 3 weeks earlier than previous years - not strictly 
comparable. 
Success of the Season 
A summary of the brood data available to date is shown in Table IV. The 
figures for 1953 are again not strictly comparable with those of previous years as all 
counts were completed earlier than usual. However, a successful hatch is indicated 
by the facts that more broods have been recorded on a smaller area this year and the 
sizes of the individual broods compare favourably with previous years, 
Summary 
Weather and water conditions were favourable to waterfowl production in 
British Columbia this year. i 
Spring aerial waterfowl surveys comparable with those made in previous years 
showed a considerable increase in the numbers of waterfowl, particularly Canada 
geese, on the breeding grounds. 
