eS at 0 6s ea ge es ee Be, PR 
CENTRAL FLYWAY 
Breeding Ground Surveys 
SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN 
Weather and Water Conditions 
The 1957 May pond index of 1 444,900 is down more than 
one million from the 1956 index of 2 488 900. This might seem to be 
shocking news, but cioser inspection shows that the reduction is due in 
“part to aimost complete drying up of extensive ''droughty'' regions in 
southwestern and west-central Saskatchewan. It 1s also due to disappear~- 
‘ance of the innumerable puddles and other ephemeral water areas through- 
out the grasslands. and to a considerable extent in the parklands. 
Average rainfall during the summer has been 31 percent 
below normal over most of Saskatchewan with certain western and south- 
western areas suffering the worst drought conditions since 1947, Rainfall 
has favored the southeast while in the northeast rainfall has been far less 
than rormal and at many points in Stratum B-East it has been negligible. 
The July pond index is down to 10.9 per square mile. This 
is a 30 percent reduction from 1956 and amounts to only one-fourth of the 
July 1955 index of 41.1. The waterfowl nesting habitat in southern 
Saskatchewan is not dry yet but it is at the "minimum satisfactory" level 
‘o produce a crop of ducks. The western and southern regions showed 
the greatest water area losses but even the stable parklands lost a quarter 
of their ponds. Even under these conditions. however, the early produced 
duck crop should have adequate water in which to mature. 
ae 
Breeding Popuiation indices 
At first glance, our 1957 aerial index figure of 5,287,100 
nesting ducks seems like quite a drop from the robust 1956 index of 
6.700.000. Yet this 1957 index compares favorably with that of the ver 
good 1955 season. Moreover it is substantially better than the population 
ind.ccs for any of the seven years preceding 1b haters 
Upon closer «xamination, we see that most of this drop car 
be accounted for by the quiet disappearance in 1957 of some 800.000 pin- 
tails {air index figure). The indicated decreases for all other species are 
quite minor and not significant. The May, 1957 index for the all-important 
maliard can be cansidered almost identical with thos of 1956. 
Lhe. 9a7"d Trop, in 16 sting waterfowl is most evident in the 
Saskatchewan grasslands (Strata A-West and C). The parklands are hold- 
ing the:: own (Stratum B..East) or showing some slight improvements 
(A-East and B-West}).. This does not mean.that the ducks are fleeing the 
grasslands in wild panic. It does mean that the unpredictable pintail has 
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