There has been no major flooding of the 
deltas, although usual spring high water 
following breakup occurred in both the Atha- 
baska and MacKenzie Deltas. The flooding of 
the town of Hay River at the mouth of the 
Hay on Great Slave Lake was a local situa- 
tion caused by ice jamming during breakup. 
Weather encountered north of Yellowknife 
during the period July 20 through August 5 
was extremely poor for flying as well as for 
duck production, Apparently an Arctic front 
became stationary along the Arctic coast of 
Alaska extending through the Old Crow Flats, 
the MacKenzie Delta and on into the Great 
Bear Lake region, Frequent waves surged 
along this front bringing low clouds, rain 
and high winds at about 36 hour intervals 
so that the clearing periods were very brief, 
One such surge covered the Carcajou Moun- 
tains with snow on July 21 and on August 5 
it was snowing heavily along the Yukon coast. 
This extended period of foul weather occurred 
during the critical hatching time of late nest- 
ing scaup and scoters. 
Late high water on the Peace and the Mac- 
Kenzie Rivers, though not of flood propar- 
tions, flooded the lower basins and sedge 
meadows of the Athabaska and MacKenzie 
Deltas. Undoubtedly, this would adversely 
affect late nesters occupying the lowest sites, 
Area of surface water and number of water 
areas remained constant throughout the nor- 
thern nesting areas—a normal condition from 
year to year. 
Breeding Population Indexes 
Duck populations decreased in all strata 
except the two most southerly and in stratum 4 
(tables E-4 andE-5, pp. 112-113). Decreases 
in strata 3 and 7 were sominoras to be con- 
sidered in the ‘‘no change’’ category. Soalso 
was the overall duck population, at a recorded 
2 percent. Increases were to be expected in 
the two most southerly strata having improved 
water conditions and being adjacent to and 
partially composed of parkland habitat. Also, 
expected decreases in the north because of a 
residual duck population being siphoned off 
by improved conditions in the south. Con- 
sequently, a recorded increase of 24 percent 
in stratum 4 remains somewhat of a puzzle, 
Likewise, some of the variations inincreases 
and decreases among species cannot be 
readily explained. Why, for example, mal- 
lards should increase while pintails showa 
decrease or why baldpate should decrease 
and green-winged teal double their numbers 
remains a mystery. Some of the really 
startling figures such as a 258 percent 
for canvasback and 658 percent for ruddy 
ducks point up the possible errors involved 
when attempting to measure numerically 
minor species in the survey area. 
A perusal of table E-4, p. 111 will indicate 
the numerical status of each species and each 
stratum and percent change from 1962. As 
pointed out previously, some of the changes 
in percentage of the numerically unimportant 
species are probably not reliable, This ap- 
plies to geese as well. A sampling pattern 
was set up to measure an evenly distributed 
duck population rather than an irregular and 
spotty goose distribution. The swan index, 
even though small, is reliable because of a 
constant and even distribution over their 
chosen habitat, 
Due to zero visibility conditions we were 
unable to survey the snow goose colony on 
the outer delta of the MacKenzie. 
Production Indexes 
What effect, if any, the unseasonable freeze 
of May 29 willhave on early nesting mallards, 
pintails, and geese remains to be seen, 
Certainly it could have no effect on the 
majority of ducks which had not yet begun 
nesting activities. Other than this, condi- 
tions appear to be favorable. Tom Barry 
(CWS) reported an unusually early nesting 
of snow geese from the Anderson Delta, 
which is usually a good indication of good 
production, If the season remains dry, as 
it has started out to be, a good hatch can be 
expected from anearly static duck population, 
The last column in table F-3, p.136 indi- 
cates the status of each stratum as compared 
with 1962 based on the total number of broods 
seen, Strata 2, 3, and 6, the Athabaska 
Delta, the forest area south of Great Slave 
Lake and the Precambrian Edge show in- 
creases varying between 470 and 25 percent. 
All other strata, including everything north of 
Great Slave Lake with the exception of the 
Precambrian Edge, decreased between 27 and 
54 percent, These decreases indicate acon- 
tinuing decline in production noted for several 
years. Considering all areas together this 
decline is of small magnitude (6 percent) 
as compared with the total number of broods 
seen during 1962, Average brood size, the 
three classes considered together, was prac- 
tically the same as in 1962, although class Il 
17 
