

66 
Nesting Success 
Five hundred and ninety-one nests were located during the nesting 
season of 1955 as compared to 601 in 1954. The accompanying map shows 
distribution of nests found in relation to the study area. Twenty-seven percent 
of the nests were found by a black Labrador dog. 
Table III lists nest success data for both active and inactive nests, 
the former being those from which a hen was flushed and the nests followed 
through to completion, Inactive mallard nests (destroyed-when-found or hatched- 
when-found} were again a poor yardstick of success due to the extreme difficulty 
‘of finding the latter in the rank, heavy cover during late June and July. An 
abundance of destroyed-wher-found nests in May indicates high predation early 
in the season and also precludes the possibility of high nesting success for the 
initial nesting attempt. In this respect destroyed-when-found nest data is valuable 
for early estimates of potential production. 
Table IIL. - Nest Data Summary - Redvers Study Area, 

Total Total Percent 
- Species Found Abandoned * Left Destroyed Hatched Success 
Mallard 435 24 411] 305 106 25.8 
B-w. Teal 62 8 54 35 19 cee 
Pintail 14 0 14 6 =) 57.1 
Canvasback 23 0 23 3 20 87.0 
Baldpate 9 Z 7 2 5 71.4 
L. Scaup Z20 1 19 9 10 52.6 
G-w, Teal & 2 6 5 1 16.7 
Ringneck 12 l 11 5 6 54.5 
Redhead 1 0 ] 0 l 100.0 
Shoveler 1 0 ] ] 0 00.0 
Gadwall 6 0 6 1 5 83.3 
Total 591 38 553 372 181 32.7 
* These nests were apparently abandoned due to the observer 
finding the nest. ' 
