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2. Hot, dry April winds caused abnormally high evaporation rates 
and a rapid disappearing of temporary water areas. 
3. As the water retreated from marginal vegetation and other ponds 
became dry, burning, plowing, brush cutting, grazing and later mowing 
further reduced waterfowl habitat; especially that of diving ducks and 
coots. 
4. Fortunately, these conditions detrimental to nesting reached a 
peak early in the nesting season, permitting ducks to move and renest. 
Despite these conditions more than the usual number of first nesting 
attempts were successful judging from the rash of mallard and pintail 
broods appearing by May ZO. 
5. Rains in May and June which were sufficient to insure good crops 
were not heavy enough to prevent a steady decline in water areas. 
There were local exceptions, however. Ponds in a few places were 
restored to maximum levels by local 'cloudbursts". By August the 
Pothole habitat in Manitoba was in the poorest condition since our 
surveys started, but heavy rains about September 1 insured a good 
carry-over of water in a large part of the Newdale-Erickson District. 
6. Floods originating west of Manitoba and lasting most of the summer 
probably affected nesting adversely in the important Saskatchewan 
River Delta. 
Breeding Population Trends 
In 1949 Manitoba had abundant surface water while Saskatchewan had 
little. Apparently correlated with these conditions, Manitoba's duck population 
increased abruptly while Saskatchewan's shrank markedly. This year the reverse 
appeared true. At least part of Saskatchewan's big increase in 1952 almost 
certainly was from breeding stock which would have used Manitoba potholes if the 
habitat had been suitable. This is another example of opportunism within the duck 
population, a characteristic which enables these game birds to withstand adverse 
conditions which might destroy less mobile species. 
Manitoba's decline in water areas of the pothole country (Strata A), 
comparing the May surveys of 1951 and 1952, was about 35 percent, and in ducks 
nearly as much (Tables I and II). Thus the downward trend in both water and 
breeding ducks starting in 1951 continued this year. Despite the general decline 
in Strata A, there were certain areas where habitat conditions remained good and 
no decline was recorded. (See Kiel's report for one such area and Table I, 
Transect A, for another.) 
Table II shows the trend in Manitoba, not only in Strata A but in other 
major habitat types as well, revealing a substantial decrease in breeding stock 
since 1950. 
Production 
Production surveys were limited to Strata A and D due to the low densities 
prevailing elsewhere, which make brood counting impractical. Counts in Strata D 
were made by plane only. Broods per square mile for Strata D during the past 
3 years have been: 
