NORTHEASTERN STATES — 
Weather and Water Conditions - 
The weather in the northeast, both during the winter period and 
during the breeding season, has been quite variable. The early winter 
period was mild, then during January severe cold frozen inland waters 
and coastal bays from Chesapeake Bay north. The Spring period was 
cool over much of the region and the New York - New England area 
experienced considerably above normal precipitation (15-38%) with 
severe floods developing in some areas, particularly Massachusetts. 
The Middle Atlantic States throughout the winter, spring and early 
Summer periods has experienced deficiencies in precipitation, averag- 
ing about 75% of normal, 
The prolonged wet spring and early summer in the New York - _ 
New England area would undoubtedly have an adverse effect on production. 
In some areas of the Middle Atlantic (New Jersey) it was reported that. 
frequent high tides were probably destructive of marsh nesters, _ 
Breeding Population Indices - 
Although no breeding pair surveys were carried out it is believed 
that breeding populations were good, 
Production Index = 
Aerial Surveys, based on requirements for the northeastern region 
as a whole, were carried out by New York, New Hampshire, Maine, 
Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. All surveys are 
comparable with last year's except those from Maine, which were seen 
for the first time this year, 
The resukts of the aerial surveys are shown in Table I. 
Table I Aerial Production Indices for New York, New Hampshire, 
Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, 
Total Total Ave. Brood Total Total All 
Year Broods Young Size Adults Ducks 
1953 8313 51,585, 6.20 204,517 256,102 
1954 5667 33,910 5.98 38,9b 72,85) 
% Change -32 - 3 - - 81 - 72 
The data indicate a marked reduction (32%) in broods and an even 
greater decrease in total ducks, amounting to 72%. Time does allow 
for statistical analysis of these figures to determine their true 
value. Very probably the decrease in total birds would fall 
Somewhere between 32 and 72 percent. 
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