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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN NEBRASKA - 1953 
Harvey W. Miller 
Introduction 
The Nebraska Breeding Ground Survey has been conducted for 6 consecutive 
years. The purpose of this survey is to provide indicators to the waterfowl population 
through measurement of the seasonal and yearly trends in breeding numbers and 
production success. The survey work for 1953 was restricted to the sandhill region 
with all data presented being gathered by the writer. 
Method of Sampling and Area Covered 
Aerial surveys were discontinued on all routes. Ground surveys were made on 
only the eastern and western sandhill routes using the same methods as have been 
used in the earlier surveys. 
Weather and Water Conditions 
The weather for the entire breeding season has been very unusual, An early 
warm period brought a large influx of waterfowl by early April with indications of an 
advanced season. By mid-April however, adverse weather set in and remained through 
most of the breeding season, A very severe freeze occurred on May ll. 
The dry conditions of the western sandhills in late winter and early spring caused 
most of the potholes and other temporary water areas to dry up before the breeding 
season was well under way. In the central and gastern areas, however, normal spring 
rains maintained a normal to excellent number of water areas. The brooding period 
saw the spread of the near-drought conditions of the west to the eastern areas which 
resulted in the dry-up of all the more temporary areas by mid-July. 
The large permanent type lakes throughout the sandhills, their levels being 
maintained by an excellent ground water table, showed very good to maximum levels 
during the entire season, 
These conditions resulted in early nesting with an apparent high ratio of 
destroyed nests, especially in the early nesting species. Small, late broods in these 
same species indicated that some of the loss was taken up by re-nesting. The only 
effect on the later nesting species such as the blue-winged teal appears to have been 
a delay in activity. 
Breeding Population Trends 
Table I shows the results of the breeding population counts using the one-fourth 
mile transect method. Data for the western count is taken from approximately 125 
miles of transect, that for the eastern count from approximately 32 miles of transect. 
