68 

The following examples indicate the magnitude of the clustering problem: 
1. On July 15-16 and August 8-9, 501 flightless young mallards were 
banded on two adjacent sloughs lying in one-half square mile of land. Not all of 
the mallards were caught and there were at least as many young of other species 
present, making a total of well over 1000 young ducks (175+ broods) on approximately 
120 acres of water. To complicate census work further, practically all of these 
birds customarily loafed on one small stretch of shore. 
2. On July 30, exactly 200 local mallards were banded on a slough beside 
the town of Marengo. It was estimated that there were approximately 600 young 
of all species on this 300-acre + slough. 
The foregoing situations were not unique; more than 50 local mallards 
weve banded on each of five other sloughs in the same 300-square mile block. In 
both cases noted above there were within a two-mile radius both smaller and larger 
sloughs with fewer or no broods. The three water areas cited had no emergent 
vegetation; the first two were about twelve inches deep and each had a thick blanket 
of algae; the third was over six feet deep in places, and had pondweed and possibly 
some other submergents in it. 
The initial hatching peak of mallard and pintail began the second week in 
June~-almost two weeks later than in 1953. On June 4, 1954 no broods were recorded 
on the transect; on June 10-11, 1953, 124 were noted. As in 1953,pintails apparently 
produced young only from their first attempts in May and early June; flightless young 
pintails were scarce after August 1. Mallards on the other hand continued to produce 
young through July but apparently ceased nesting activity earlier than last year. 
Brood sizes compare as follows: 
Mallard Pintail 
Class la June 12-July 2, 1954 6.4 (46) 5.6(25) 
Class I June 10-11, 1953 6.4 (63) 5.4(112) 
Banding 
Banding was carried out within a 22-mile radius of the Kindersley Game 
Preserve, seven miles west of Kindersley, Saskatchewan. The aim was to trap and 
mark as many mallards as possible for later observation in connection with depre- 
dations on cereal crops. The birds were marked by means of plastic neckbands-- 
yellow with red, green and blue surface colors until August 15, and blue with orange, 
white and yellow surface colors August 15 - September 19. 
In addition to Lundy and Fyfe, Harvey Beck, University of Saskatchewan, 
gave substantial assistance during the banding program. On two drives, Seth Low and 
Dick Cole, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assisted, and on single dirves the U. 5S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service - State crews under Charles Hayes and Rex Tice also helped, 
