137 
WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND STUDIES, MARITIME PROVINCES, 
1954 
George F. Boyer, Brian C. Carter and 
; Jean Vaillancourt 
Introduction 
This marks the sixth consecutive year in which waterfowl breeding ground 
studies have been carried out jointly by the Canadian Wildlife Service and the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service in the Maritime Provinces. 
During this period much experimental work has been done, both as to method and 
types of habitat covered. Ait the same time it has been necessary to make certain 
that sufficient data are available to determine annual population trends, 
The bulk of the spring aerial work was done by W. F. Crissey and Fred A. Glover 
of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a Grumman Widgeon. In addition, transects 
were run in the New Brunswick - Nova Scotia border region by George Boyer of the 
Canadian Wildlife Service. 
The remainder of the aerial survey work was carried out by the Canadian Wildlife 
Service (Boyer) in the following aircraft: 
Fleet Canuck (Chartered) -- Pilot E. Woodside 
Piper Pacer -- Pilot Dave Hout 
DeHavilland Beaver -- Pilot Don Graham 
Appreciation is expressed to Dr. G. W. I. Creighton, Deputy Minister, Depart- 
ment of Lands and Forests, Province of Nova Scotia, and Mr. G. L. Miller, Chief 
Forester, Department of Lands and Mines, New Brunswick, for the use of the latter 
two aircraft. 
Ground studies were carried out during both the spring and summer periods by 
Messrs. Brian Carter and George F. Boyer, Canadian Wildlife Service. Banding 
with a Labrador retriever and by means of trapping was carried out by Boyer, 
assisted by Jean Vaillancourt, Student Assistant, Canadian Wildlife Service. 
Methods 
In 1953, in addition to the regular summer brood count, additional coverage was 
given to Prince Edward Island just prior to the opening of the hunting season. This 
year, this cove rape was repeated and the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border region 
study area was added toit. It is felt that the results of these surveys justify their 
continuance and that new regions such as the lower Saint John River Valley should be 
added. [: is also felt that the boreal forest transects in southwestern Nova Scotia and 
