3 a.m., June 22, andthe second was at 1 p.m., 
June 22. Both flights were made ina Fish and 
Wildlife Service Cessna 180 ¢iloted by Refuge 
Manager, James G, King. 
The midnight tide of June 22 had receded by 
the time the tidal flats were reached; however, 
it appeared that little damage had occurred 
during this tide as there was no drift scattered 
about the nesting flats. The second flight was 
made along the entire nesting area from the 
Kashunuk River to Hazen Bay atthe peak of the 
storm tide, Extensive windrows of debris 
consisting of huge logs, sticks, thousands of 
eggs, and downy brant covered the drift line 
above the level of the nesting flats. Very 
little, if any, of the nesting habitat was above 
water and most was covered with a foot or 
more of sea water. There was little doubt 
that nearly all brant nests along the coastal 
flats were completely or partially inundated 
for part of this tide, A conservative estimate 
of the losses from this storm would be 80 
percent of the annual production of 30,000 
to 40,000 brant based on a fall population of 
180,000 brant. 
On June 23 a ground check was made over 
the Kashunuk study area. The damage wrought 
by the storm tide was appalling—eggs of 
black brant, cackling geese, common eider, 
and other species lined the beaches in 
windrows. Examination of these eggs proved 
that many were pipped or in late stages of 
incubation, Downy brant, either drowned or 
dead from exposure, were scattered along 
drift lines or in abandoned nests, Brant 
were noted incubating pipped eggs, but most 
contained dead embryos; however, some eggs 
that were obviously covered for part of the 
storm tide contained live embryos that were 
hatching, 
One hundred and two nests of black brant, 
cackling geese, spectacled eider, emperor 
geese, and oldsquaw were rechecked of the 
390 nests found previously. Many ofthe com- 
pletely destroyed nests were never found, 
thus biasing these figures toward the sur- 
viving nests. Of the rechecked nests 43 
percent were destroyed outright. The aver- 
age clutch size of the remaining nests were 
reduced from 3.6 eggs to 1.9 eggs a nest. 
Moreover, it was apparent that many of the 
remaining eggs would not hatch because of 
chilling and desertion, A final check of the 
study area on June 30 revealed practically 
no active nests nor any sign of renesting 
attempts. 
Aerial brood censuses conducted over pre- 
viously established transects provided fur- 
16 
ther evidence that the nesting losses were 
extremely high. A comparison of 1] tran- 
sects suggested that the 1963 brood production 
was 26 percent of the 1962 counts. The 
only transect which even approached 50 per- 
cent of the 1962 brood count was the one 
covering the Kashunuk study area which is 
higher than most of the remaining brant 
habitat. Ground brood counts on the Kash- 
unuk River at hatching showed a reduction 
in brood size from 3,5 young in 1962 to 2.9 
in 1963. The average brood size as ob- 
served from the air was 2.1 goslings com- 
pared to 2.9 in 1962. 
Forecast 
A poor fall flight of local black brant is 
expected. 
NORTHERN ALBERTA, 
NORTHEASTERN BRITISH 
COLUMBIA, NORTHWEST 
TERRITORIES, AND YUKON 
Data supplied by Robert H. Smith and 
Joe M. Matlock 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife 
Weather and Habitat Conditions 
Breakup occurred on an average of 10 
days earlier than normal throughout the 
survey area, Except on or near the barrens 
only the large deep lakes were ice bound 
during the time of the survey. During the 
same period there were no protracted spells 
of precipitation but showers of rain or snow 
were encountered almost daily. On May 29 
a heavy, wet snowfall occurred at Fort 
Nelson, British Columbia, lasting throughout 
the day. On the following day over the route 
to Fort Smith the ground was white with snow 
about half way across, This snow and ac- 
companying freeze was general throughout 
the northwest and Tom Barry, Canadian Wild- 
life Service, reported goose eggs being frozen 
in the nests at the Anderson Delta. 
Surface water conditions in stratum 1.]1 
were improved over a year ago as they were 
in the adjoining parklands. Otherwise, 
throughout the north water levels were lower 
than in 1962 with area of surface water re- 
maining practically constant. 
