mile over the past three seasons. Representative samples for the interior and 
other areas have, however, been retained in the survey schedule. 
Waterfowl habitats have been described in previous reports. Izembek Bay 
referred to under Introduction is a large shallow bay on the Bering Sea side of the 
Alaska Peninsula. Partially separated from the sea by a long low-lying.sand bar, 
it is a productive eel-grass area furnishing black brant food while the adjacent 
heath-berries (crowberry and cranberry) furnish food for the cackling geese and 
emperor geese. An immense concentration of brant, cacklers, lesser Canada and 
emperor geese builds up here in early September and most of the geese move on by 
early November but the emperors remain to winter in the adjacent islands and 
throughout the Aleutain Chain, A projectile-type net is used to capture these flight 
geese. 
Weather and Water Conditions 
Throughout Alaska, the general opinion was that spring was three weeks 
later than normal. As of June 19, on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, very few nests 
were observed, in contrast to 1951 when nesting was in full swing by the first week 
of June. 
June water levels were moderately high along the Yukon River but it is 
doubtful if nesting was adversely affected. 
The Juneau airport records reflect the generally cold wet spring experienced 
this year in the Coastal area and southeastern Alaska: April temperatures were 3.7 
degrees below the the long-term average and precipitation for the month was .65 inches 
greater than normal. May temperatures averaged 2 degrees lower and precipitation 
3,24 inches greater than the normal. June temperatures were 0.5 degrees lower 
and precipitation 1.22 inches below normal. Cold, wet weather continued until June 9, 
and after that date it warmed up. Western Canada goose nesting was apparently 
unaffected since the muskeg fringes on which they nest have a sponge-like resistance 
to serious flooding. 
Mid-summer conditions on the Yukon Delta are described in the following 
quotation from Refuge Manager Adams' report: 
"The arrival of the banding crews at Old Chevak on July 3 was accompanied 
by beautiful weather which lasted throughout most of the month. During the last week 
of July the weather turned sour and continued so until the departure of the crews. 
Rain was ever present and to make conditions worse, winds harassed the crews from 
all directions. On August 2 a south wind reached an estimated velocity of 40 to 50 
m.p.h, and brought with it a heavy pelting rain. On August 10 a second south- 
westerly wind also of 40 to 50 m.p.h. occurred this time in conjunction with an 
extreme-high tide. Gear was loaded in record time and the plane, which was 
unflyable, was secured. The crew battled its way up river to Old Chevak, ali of the 
while watching the flats slowly disappear. The boats were beached within 50 feet of 
the mission building door with the tide not yet high. At high slack only the highest 
ground in the area was visible. Lakes behind Chevak were flooded and rivers 
disappeared. By morning the wind had abated and the tides returned to normal, 
The geese suffered no apparent injury from high water, however, they were uniformly 
scattered making the banding efforts that much more diffiuclt. Such a flood during 
the nesting season would have surely wiped out 90 percent of the nests." 
