73 
Percentage Distributions of Estimated Hatching Dates by 
Weeks for 398 Local Pintails and 513 Local Mallards Banded 

in the Kindersley-Eston District -- 1953 
30 
P 
E 
R 
Cc 
E 20 Z x 
T arn am anl \ 
\ 
a \ 
G \ 
E 10 Ss 
MALLARD 

10 17 24 31 7 «214 #21 «28 «5 += ~«612 «#19 26 
MAY JUNE JULY 
For a number of reasons, the picture presented does not fully coincide with 
what it is felt actually occurred. However, two features are indicated which cor- 
roborate field observations and earlier discussion. The largest portion of the 
pintail production in the Kindersley area came off in May and early June and was 
flying by the end of July; local pintails were scarce through August. Pre-flight 
mallards of bandable size (3-8 weeks of age), on the other hand, were common 
through most of July and all of August. 
Summary 
Two extremely cold spells in April and May were experienced in the 
Kindersley-Eston Area; their effect on nesting waterfowl is not clear. Surface 
water conditions in the transect were good in the early spring, held up well until 
mid-June and then deteriorated rapidly. There was, however, a good distribution 
of large sloughs in the district throughout the late summer, 
Two coverages for breeding pairs indicated a density of 50.1 pairs per square 
mile, a 34 percent decrease from 1952. 
Brood survey conditions were unsatisfactory in July, but a minimum density 
figure of 12.2 broods per square mile was obtained, better than 50 percent of the 
1952 figure. 
The ground-to-ain comparison showed an over-all decrease of the same 
magnitude for breeding pairs. 
Approximately 2, 000 locally-raised young ducks were banded in the district 
by two crews; 812 young mallards and pintails were neckbanded., 
