
CENTRAL FLYWAY 
‘The Canada goose population trend census during the early nesting season 
(See Table III. } suggests no significant change in total birds or population com- 
position between 1955 and 1956. The 1956 nesting season began a week to two 
weeks earlier than in 1955... ie f aks 
Table III ~ Canada Goose Population Trend During Early Nesting Season, 
Hi-Line Unit 
(1955 . | 1956. 

Area _- Pr 5 Go Te Pr § G T 
Bowdoin Lake | 89 62 17. 257 109 60 23 + 301 
Lakeside Marsh 4) 6 8 96 “29 10 6 74 
Dry Lake 82 il 3 178 : 55 31 °. 3 144 
Nelson Reservoir 74 16 40 204 64 22 18 168 
Hewitt Lake 5 5 0 15 9 1 0. 19 
Horseshoe Lake 2 0 0 4 3 1 3 10 
. Martin's Lake © 0 1 0 l 0 2 0 2 
Whitewater Reservoir 27 17 “5 76 4] 23 12 #117 
Pea Lake 14 3 0 31 14 4° 0 32 
Reservoir 95 0 0 3 3 2 0 3 7 
West Alkali Reservoir 9 5 0 23 9 10 4 32 
Reservoir 161 . 4 4 0 12 a5 Oe 7 ‘13 
Wildhorse Overflow 5 9 0 19 9 1 0 19 
Wildhorse Reservoir 7 l 0 15 13 l 0 27 
Ester. Lake | 10 2 0 22 13 3. 19 48 
Little Warm Reservoir 16 0 0 32 ‘lil 8 10 40 
Veseth's Reservoir 3 3 0 9 8 4. 6 26 
Total _ | 388 145 76 997 392 181 114 1079 

Production Indices te 
-A brood census to determine production was taken in early July on trend 
areas in the prairie pothole region and the Flathead Valley. In the pothole 
region, drought conditions prevented a strong initial nesting effort by the early 
nesting pintail and mallard. A continuation of these conditions through early 
July discouraged renesting and at that time there was little evidence (such as 
lone drakes, pairs, late broods) of.a substantial renesting effort. Later nesting 
gadwall and blue -winged teal encountered much the same conditions. The early 
July census of the Seridan County Trend Route produced an average of only 1.1 
broods per square mile. On this basis, a poor crop can be forecast for most of 
the glaciated Hi-Line, where poor water conditions have prevailed into July. 
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