129 
WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN THE ST. JOHN ESTUARY, 1953 
Bruce S, Wright 
Introduction 
This is the 9th consecutive year of the survey, and as the method has not 
changed, all results are comparable. 
Phenology 
The break-up of the river at Fredericton in 1953 occurred 20 days earlier than 
the 126-year average. The ice began to move on March 28, but black ducks had 
arrived 2 days before, which was 9 days later than in 1952. The 2 teals and wood 
ducks arrived on schedule, but the ringnecks were 14 days earlier than last year, 
arriving on the study area on March 31, Mallards were noted on April 10, compared 
with May 3 last year. It appears, therefore, that the early arrivals were either on 
schedule or a little late, but the late arrivals were ahead of schedule. 
The peak flood occurred on April 3, compared with a 5-year average of April 17. 
Little fluctuation was noted during the normal period of drop-off, but on July 29 there 
was a sudden rise of over 2 feet which probably washed out some ringneck nests, 
_ May was avery wet month, but June and July were dry and hot and the water 
level fell rapidly, By the end of the census on August 17 the total miles of slough 
shoreline on the study area had shrunk from 108.5 miles in 1952 to 74.4 miles in 1953. 
This greatly affected the number of ducks using the area in the latter part of the summer, 
Hatching Success and Brood Survival 
Table I shows the hatching success and brood survival during the 1953 breeding 
season compared with 1952, and with the 1945-53 average. There was a noticeable 
decrease in breeding waterfowl on the study area in 1953. A total of 150 broods were 
found in the course of the study in 1952, but only 115 broods were found in 1953 with 
the same amount of fieldwork. The break-down by species is shown in the table. 
A definite decrease in well-grown broods was apparent in all species except the 
blue-winged teal. The blue-winged teals held up to the 8-year average, but all the 
other breeding species were well below. No great change in brood size was noted for 
the older broods, but among the downy ducklings the blue-winged teals again showed 
considerably larger than average broods and the change from 2.8 broods per year on 
the area as an average of the past eight years to 12 broods in 1953 is considered 
Significant. 
The wood duck was the only other species in which a larger than average number 
of young broods was found. The black duck, the principal species of the region, had 
a poor year in the estuary of the St. John in 1953. Considerably fewer than average 
broods were found, although brood survival appeared unaffected, 
