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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN THE NORTHEASTERN STATES 
Francis B. Schuler 
Introduction 
This report covers the summer production survey to July 20, with 
additional notes on spring breeding populations where available. 
The number of comparable areas, upon which the data in Table I are drawn, 
has more than doubled over last year. The States of New Hampshire and Connecticut 
have contributed State-wide canoe surveys agpregating 54 areas. Data from the 
Massachusetts State-wide wood duck box check totaling 65 comparable areas were 
also available for the first time. 
Use of the new form for reporting the sample area brood survey has introduced 
some bias that is difficult to evaluate. Unquestionably, the reliability of reports has 
been improved by this change, and an increased number of field checks per area is 
readily noticed on the data sheets. In comparing one year's production against 
another on an area basis, production figures for 1951 were re-computed to establish 
them on the same basis as the production figures for 1952. 
Investigations aimed at developing aerial transect methods for production 
surveys have been continued. The States of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, 
New Jersey, and New York have actively engaged in these studies during the past 
season. 
Weather and Water Conditions 
State, Federal, and other cooperators were practically unanimous in stating 
that this was a later season than last year, as much as a week to ten days. Possible 
exceptions to this are the coastal areas from Long Island south. Early high-water 
levels that were maintained until at least the first of June, and in some sections for 
an additional two weeks, were reported from all sections of the region. Opinions as 
to the timing of high tides on the coastal marshes during the season have varied; 
apparently some sections escaped the excessive inundations normally experienced. 
Breeding Population Trends 
Little information is available on the early spring population. Mendali states 
in his report on Maine that the black duck shows a slight increase over last year, 
making a gain for the sixth consecutive year; a slight increase was noted for the 
wood duck, with the ringneck and goldeneye populations about the same as last year. 
A slight increase in the blue-winged teal was offset by a slight decrease in the 
green-winged teal population. 
Success of the Season 
A summary of the production data from 188 comparable areas is presented 
in Table I. 
