MARITIME PROVINCES 
Weather and Water Conditions 
Dry and warm weather prevailed in the Maritime Provinces 
during April and May and water levels in streams and ponds were 
much below normal. However, June was a particularly cold and wet 
month with precipitation excesses of 50 to 75 percent being fairly 
general throughout the Maritimes. Water levels were considerably 
above normal on June 20th following two weeks of heavy and almost 
continuous rainfall. Rises of 2 to 3 feet in water levels occurred 
in some coastal ponds following heavy winds and rainfall in the 
Guif of St. Lawrence on July 19th and 20th. 
Nesting and rearing conditions, therefore, were very 
favorable for the black duck but considerably less favorable for 
the later-nesting teals and the ring-necked duck. The dry period 
followed by a relatively rapid rise in water levels at a time when 
& great many teal and ring-necks were incubating, no doubt resulted 
in some nest losses from flooding. 
Breeding Population Indices 
Total game ducks observed on ground and aerial surveys 
this spring increased approximately 13 percent from 1958 (Table 1). 
Only one species, the ring-necked duck was down in numbers with a 
drop of 32 percent from last year. Counts of black duck and 
golden~eye suggested a slight increase in breeding population; 
large increases were recorded for the two teals and pintail. . 
The increase in blue-winged teal and the decrease in 
ring-necked duck breeding populations was very apparent during field 
surveys, particularly on the aerial and ground surveys of Prince 
Edward Island. Hlue-winged teal were numerous and ring-necks were 
absent from many of the small ponds that last year supported good 
ring-neck breeding populations. Larger than the usual number of 
- pintails were observed in the Saint John River valley and in the 
Hillsborough River estuary of Prince Edward Island. Increases in 
the American widgeon breeding population in Nova Scotia and Prince 
Edward Island were evident from both the breeding-pair and the summer 
brood surveys. 
Production Indices 
(a) Black Duck 
Although slightly more black ducks were observed on the 
breeding-pair inventory in May of this year (Table 1) fewer broods 
1hg 
