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an exceptional crop of pintails, Saskatchewan cannot hope for an exceptional duck 
crop. While the mid-May snows and subsequent rains held up plowing operations, 
apparently this delay was not quite long enough to allow stubblefield nests to hatch, 
especially in the better-drained undulating and gently-rolling Grasslands. In fact 
the delay was probably tragic, for when plowing finally did start in earnest, it 
seems to have caught pintail nests that were far along in incubation, and almost 
ready to hatch. Hens that lose their nests this late in incubation are not inclined 
to re-nest, | 
The mallard made a much better showing of early broods, accounting for 
50 percent of all broods seen during our July surveys. Furthermore a strong and 
persistent late nesting of mallards was evident (see Potential Later Broods). 
Apparently those first nests of mallards that had been destroyed by plowing, 
predators, and cold weather were lost in the egg-laying or early-incubation stages, 
and hens promptly renested. The other species of surface ducks seemed to be doing 
at least as wellas last year, while the 1953 hatch of divers, particularly the scaup 
and canvasback, showed definite improvement. 
Potential Later Broods (Late Crop or Recovery) 
Adult single drakes, lone hens, and paired birds encountered on our July 
transects are recorded as birds that are still trying to nest. We use this "Potential 
Later Broods" figure as a measure of prospects for a late hatch. It tells us whether 
a late-nesting effort is taking place, and whether this effort is strong or weak. It 
also tells us whether the potential late hatch represents a second-nesting attempt of 
pintails and mallards that have lost earlier nests, or whether it stems from species 
such as teal, baldpate, etc. that normally are late-season nesters. Such information 
is vital in a year like 1953, when the whole nesting effort was late, and a tremendous 
breeding population had only indifferent success in the first nesting attempt but did 
not entirely lose its great reproductive potential in the process. 
Our July 1953 figure of 2.64 "Potential Later Broods" per square mile 
indicated that a good late hatch could be expected. The mallard seemed to be making 
a strong renesting effort, contributing 35 percent of the "late Breeders" in our 
records. The pintail, on the other hand, made only a fair second attempt (10 percent 
of ''Potential Later Broods"), despite the great numbers of pintails in our May 
breeding population and the indifferent success of their first nesting. 
The other. species that normally are late nesters made up the balance of our 
"potential Later Broods" figure, indicating that the hatch of these species would be 
at least as good as last year, but would mature 2 to 3 weeks later than usual. Among 
the divers, the scaup and canvasback showed promise of a good late hatch in addition 
to their successful early nesting. 
July Ponds ("Late-Season Growing Conditions) 
The eventual success of the 1953 waterfowl crop in Saskatchewan now very 
obviously hinged upon the outcome of the late nesting effort. The supply of surface 
water during the water-critical months of July and August would be a most important 
factor in deciding this outcome. 
