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Colliers Mills-Success Lake Area, Ocean County 
The Colliers Mills-Success Lake Area is geographically located in the 
northwestern section of Ocean County, about four miles east of New Egypt. The 
area is operated as a public shooting and fishing ground and consists of about 8500 
acres on which eighteen lakes amd ponds comprise a total water area of about 320 
acres. The soil is predominantly Lakewood sand, and the overstory is mostly pitch 
pine (Pinus rigida) and oaks (Quercus sp.) and several white cedar (Chamaecyparis 
thyoides) swamps traverse the tract. 
The breeding ground survey began at the inception of Federal Project 
W -28-R in 1951 and was continued during the springs and summers of 1952, 1953 
and 1954, 
Methods of Sampling and Area Covered 
Sixteen lakes and ponds varying in area from three acres to slightly over 
100 acres were visited by foot twice weekly in an effort to locate broods and make 
observations on brood survival during the spring and summer months. Due to the 
dense cover in the form of standing trees and brush in most of the lakes and ponds, 
observations were difficult and only a section of each pond could be observed. Aerial 
" observations were tried but the dense cover above the water level and the speed of 
the airplane made it impossible to locate broods which were known to be in the ponds 
at the time of the flight. 
It is felt that the bi-weekly observations on the ponds and lakes was the 
most accurate method yet tried to locate broods. Although some broods were un- 
doubtedly missed, most of the broods in the ponds and lakes were probably located 
at some time during the spring and summer on the bi-weekly observations. Table I 
presents the data collected on the brood observations and brood size during the four 
years of the study. 
Water Conditions 
The lakes and ponds at Colliers Mills are fresh water and not affected by 
tides. Due to water control structures the levels of the lakes and ponds can be main- 
tained within a few inches, even during the periods of heavy rainfall. Nest losses 
due to flooding are uncommon in this area. 
A number of paired wood ducks (Aix sponsa) and black ducks (Anas. rubripes) 
remained in the area untilearly April, and then apparently migrated, leaving the 
breeding populations. The first black duck brood was observed on April 26, which 
was the earliest brood on record. 
