
ATLANTIC FLYWAY 
MARITIME PROVINCES: 
Weather and Water Conditions 
In general spring was early in the Maritimes; about two or three 
weeks earlier than 1957.. Mean monthly temperatures from January to May 
inclusive were above normal in all three provinces. However, there was 
considerable variation in precipitation and water levels in the three 
provinces. 
Except for March, total monthly precipitation from January to 
May was excessive in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The combination of 
above normal temperatures and excessive precipitation (snow in northern 
N.B.) resulted in a larger than usual April run-off and water levels have 
remained high during May and June as a result of the continued excessive 
precipitation. Flood conditions prevailed in parts of N.B. and N.S. during 
the last two weeks of April; residents in the Saint John River valley experi- 
enced one of the worst floods in over twenty years. In contrast, April and 
May were dry months on Prince Edward Island with deficiencies in monthly 
precipitation of 30 to 40 percent occurring in most areas. There were no 
flood conditions on the island and spring run-off was about normal. 
Some flooding of Black Duck nests may have occurred in N.B. and 
N.S, early in the season; however, field surveys in June and July indicate 
that weather and water conditions generally in the Maritimes have been 
favourable for nesting waterfowl. 
Breeding Population Data 
A comparison of the counts obtained during the spring breeding- 
pair survey (Table I) indicate no appreciable changes in the Black Duck 
and Goldeneye breeding populations. However, both the spring pair and 
summer brood surveys (Tables 1 and 2) suggest an increase in the breeding 
population of Ring-necked Duck; a return to the 1956 population level. The 
suggested decreases in Teal and Pintail breeding populations are of the 
same magnitude as last year's decreases. Due to the small number of birds 
(Teal and Pintail) observed, the counts obtained in our surveys are probably 
not reliable indices of changes in breeding population. 
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