MISSISSIPPI PLYWAY 
The annual winter survey conducted in January 1959 
showed little or no change in the wintering population of ducks, 
geese, and coot in tne Flyway, although there is some possibility 
that the flyway population of mallards decreased (see page 102). 
When the birds returned north to the breeding areas this 
spring they encountered adverse breeding conditions in every respect. 
Drought had materially reduced the amount and quality of breeding 
habitat throughout the prairie and pothole production habitat in 
the southern portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and 
in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The drought reached 
greatest intensity in the Dakotas and southern Saskatchewan, forcing 
a large portion of the population to move elsewhere. The greatest 
portion of the movement was northward into northern Alberta and the 
Northwest Territories. In northern areas the birds encountered the 
latest spring which has been recorded since breeding ground surveys 
were initiated in 1947. The ice did not leave many northern lakes 
until late June, and freezing conditions were common throughout the 
month. 
There was sufficient rainfall during June and July to -- 
insure moisture for agricultural crop production in many parts of 
the Canadian drought area, but since the ground was very dry there 
was practically no run-off to halt the drying trend in the potholes. 
The number of water areas recorded during July was much reduced 
over the number recorded in May in all but.a few local areas. 
! 
During the May surveys within the drought area there was a 
noticeable grouping of birds on the larger bodies of water that 
remained. Due to this grouping it was doubted that they were making 
much of an effort to nest. Both ground and aerial surveys during 
July confirmed the fact that the amount of production was very low. 
All surveys throughout southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and 
the two Dakotas recorded the lowest number of broods that have been 
tabulated since breeding ground surveys were initiated. Also, in 
these areas there was little evidence that a late hatch could be 
expected, 
The situation in southern Manitoba is not quite as 
pessimistic, since water conditions in southcentral portion of the 
Province was not as bad as in the southwestern portion. Nevertheless, 
a considerable reduction in fall flight is expected from this area 
as compared to a year ago. 
As mentioned above, the large number of prairie nesters 
that were displaced northward by the drought were faced with the 
164, 
