85 
Table VIII indicates the percentage of broods in each age class and was 
arrived at by road counts on the 12 transects. The first count of 1954 was similar to 
1953 in the large percentage of broods in Classes land II. The years 1950, 1951 and 
1952 showed a better division of broods into the three age groups. 1954 shows the 
late season with 63 percent of the broods in the youngest age class on July 25. This 
figure had dropped to 46 percent on August 12. 
Study Pothole Beatouts - Table X lists the number of broods and the percent 
species composition as observed on the 120 study potholes. These were counted in 
"complete beatouts"' during July and again in August. The data pathered from the 
study areas closely parelleled that of the road counts. Up until July 25, total broods 
observed were 58 percent below the 1952 population. Age classes closely compared 
with 1953 with 88 percent of the broods in Classes I and II on July 25. In the August 
beatout of these same areas, the total broods counted jumped from 44 to 98 or an 
increase of 123 percent, {128 percent from road counts, Table VII.) In species com- 
position, Table X, mallards were below 1952 and 1953. A numerical increase in 
mallards appeared in the August beatout but again, the species composition was 
weighted by the diver hatch. These August data could not be compared to any available 
for previous years. It is probable that all mallard broods were not counted, even 
in a complete beatout, because of this species characteristic to "sit tight’ or "leave" 
the pothole during a.beatout. The high water levels, which made shore cover more 
available to the broods, may also have influenced the counts but it is felt that these 
factors alone could account for such a discrepancy in this year's figures as compared 
to previous data. The information gathered on the 120 study areas is remarkably 
similar to that gathered on the road counts of all the transects, both for the July and 
August counts. 
Coot showed an increase throughout the area of approximately 50 percent. 
Dzubin also reported a 50 percent increase in coot on the Roseneath Study Area. 
Periodic Counts - Table II is a tabulation of four road counts made on the same 
transect at different hours during the day. The day itself was average; clear to 
partly cloudy, slight wind which built up during the day and abated toward evening, and 
average seasonal temperature. It again indicates that the optimum periods for making 
‘road counts for duck broods are the early morning and late evening hours. The mid- 
day hours were thus devoted to beatouts of the study areas as time was not an element 
during a beatout. Coot appeared to be equally active at all hours of the day with no 
marked preferences for any special period. 
Summary and Conclusions 
These are our conclusions and impressions from field observations and data 
gathered during the summer's work in District 8. 
1. Water levels were sufficiently high to last throughout the brood 
season. The rises from June rains appeared to have caused considerable 
nest losses in the dabblers. 
