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system described in the 1951 and 1952 breeding ground survey reports was repeated. 
Ground work remained the same except that a new study area was established in the 
southwestern part of the Province. Findings from this new study and from the five- 
year old Newdale-Erickson study area are reported separately as is the aerial 
exploratory work in the Arctic portion of Manitoba. 
Weather and Water Conditions 
Heavy rains during September 1952 replenished the potholes in the Newdale- 
Erickson district in southwestern Manitoba and in the district bordering Saskatchewan 
between Tilston and McAuley. However, the rains missed the drought areas in the 
south and southeastern parts of the Province. March snows and a good run-off 
further helped the two areas mentioned above but again the drought areas failed to 
benefit. A large part of Manitoba's production unit (stratum A) was thus out of 
commission when the ducks returned. (See page 42, Special Scientific Report No. 13, 
for location of Strata). aa Te 
This was a very erratic breeding season including at least three periods of 
extremely adverse conditions. Spring came unusually early resulting in major influxes 
of geese, mallards and pintails in late March and early April. Thenon April 15 the 
worst spring blizzard in many years and several days of freezing weather caused the 
first of a series of set-backs. Another record-making blizzard occurred on May 11. 
Both blizzards as well as smaller snow storms on April 24 and May 14 produced snow 
drifts which could have buried a large number of nests. A few buried nests were found 
after the snow melted. Temperatures accompanying these blizzards were low enough 
to freeze unprotected eggs, 
More adverse weather occurred between May 24 - June 5, an almost continuous 
period of rains, fogs and clouds during which 5 inches or more of rain fell over much 
of the pothole country. These rains which replenished the potholes came during the 
period that the initial hatch in mallards and pintails should have reached a peak, 
judging from the eggs gathered in the wild which were hatched in incubators at Delta. 
Extremely lush vegetation resulting from the abundant rainfall may have been a 
factor in reducing predation late in the season, permitting an unusually successful late 
hatch. These rains also delayed summer fallowing thus saving many nests normally 
destroyed. From the standpoint of lateness, 1953 ranks second to 1950 during the 
seven years of our studies, 
Flooding was destructive to nesting in Some areas notably the Saskatchewan 
River Delta and marshes of the Central Manitoba Basin. 
One general observation concerning the relationship of weather to the breeding 
season can be reached after observing eight Manitoba springs: a "normal" spring is 
abnormal. Rarely has a spring, during the period 1946-53, failed to produce some 
new record - wettest, driest, coldest, hottest or various combinations of one or more 
of these extremes. We still lack sufficient years of careful breeding ground appraisals 
to accurately predict production based on spring populations and conditions, Conditions 
this spring, for example, shed some light on: (1) how much snow and freezing weather 
it takes to seriously disrupt the breeding season, (2) how late in the season and under 
what conditions ducks will re-nest, (3) the effect of a prolonged period of cold wet 
weather just as the main hatch is starting. We concluded that if water conditions and 
habitat are favorable the duck population exhibits remarkable resilience when confronted 
with very unfavorable weather. 
