
very much of what is considered to be ideal 
wood duck habitat. The results of the counts 
follow on table E-39, p. 131. 
The number of breeding wood ducks a 
lineal mile of census route was the highest 
ever recorded. Wood ducks made up 10,4 
percent of the local nesting species, higher 
than last year. Broods contained an average 
of 6,5 young. 
Check of use of nest boxes by wood ducks 
was discontinued 3 years ago. We felt that 
the data gathered was unreliable, 
Production Indexes 
Number of broods observed a lineal mile 
was the highest on record. Brood size was 
about average. The number of bachelor birds 
observed was lower than last year and well 
below the high of 1960 (table F-40, p. 156). 
Conclusions 
Migration was delayed again this-year by 
cold weather and ice conditions, Most dis- 
tricts reported poorer water conditions dur- 
ing the migration and at the time of breeding 
ground census, In spite of this, the potential 
breeding population was the highest in the 
years Qf record. Undoubtedly, the low water 
conditions: caused some changes in breeding 
activities but there were no apparent effects, 
Heavy precipitation during June provided 
much more useable water. However, water 
areas are not considered to be a limiting 
factor to waterfowl production in Michigan, 
IOWA 
Data supplied by Bob Barratt, 
Assistant Superintendent of Game 
state Conservation Commission 
Breeding Population Indexes 
Although waterfowl flights from the south 
arrived as much as 2 weeks early this spring 
on the breeding grounds, early nesting was 
reflected only by such species asthe mallard 
and wood duck, Late nesting species includ- 
ing the blue-winged teal, redhead, ruddy and 
coot, also arrived on the breeding grounds 
approximately 2 weeks early but nesting was 
delayed until approximately 1 week later than 
normal. The only apparent cause for this de- 
layed nesting was several nights of below 
freezing temperatures in mid-May. This is 
the only factor which apparently could have 
caused this delay in nesting activity 
Production Indexes 
47 
Information from drive trapping crews 
shows that on areas where the habitat is 
comparable to that of 1962, blue-winged teal 
production is approximately 25 percent high- 
er, Wood duck production shows anincrease 
of 10 to 15 percent, Mallard production has 
shown a very slight increase over 1962 
while most other species remain about the 
same, Redhead production in the State has 
probably declined as much as 50 percent be- 
cause of the loss of emergent vegetation as 
a result of several years of high water and 
high muskrat populations. Ruddy ducks on 
the other hand appear to be about as numerous 
as last year, Coot production has been dras- 
tically reduced due to the loss of vegetation 
and on many areas production is down 75 
percent from 1962, 
Banding activities indicate that many 
broods of mallards, pintails and wood ducks 
are now on the wing. A few early broods of 
blue-winged teal are just beginning to fly. 
Less than 10 percent of the birds taken in 
drive-trapping operations during the week of 
July 15 were class I birds. 
To date our banding crews have taken 
approximately 2,000 birds of which about 
70 percent have been blue-winged teal. Coots, 
mallards, pintails and wood ducks made up 
the bulk of the banded birds. 
Conclusions 
In summary, blue-winged teal in Iowa 
were up approximately 25 percent, wood ducks 
up 10 to 15 percent, and mallards up slightly. 
Redheads and coot were down sharply and 
others apparently unchanged. 
INDIANA 
Data supplied by David M, Brooks 
Indiana Department of Conservation 
Production Indexes 
The nine stream sections: Maumee, Elk- 
hart, Iroquois, Big Blue, Mississinewa, West 
