January inventory data during the years 
1955-58 show that the wintering population 
ranged from 40,100 in 1958 to 232,800 in 
1956, averaged 135,300. The population peak 
is reached in winter, although large popula- 
tions also are present in late fall and early 
spring. 
Proportions of the various species at differ- 
ent seasons are shown in table 28. Whistling 
Swans, Canada Geese, Black Ducks, Ameri- 
can Widgeons, Redheads, and Canvasbacks 
were predominant. Canada Geese and Black 
Ducks were numerous throughout the survey 
periods. American Widgeons were especially 
common during the fall, whereas the other 
species were more numerous in winter and 
early spring. 
Canada Geese and Black Ducks prefer the 
brackish bay areas where fields are nearby, 
and frequently move back and forth between 
the open water and the larger grain fields. 
Whistling Swans, American Widgeons, and 
various diving ducks are more widely distrib- 
uted. Many dabbling ducks are common in the 
brackish estuarine bay marsh. Unusually large 
numbers of Black Ducks breed along the 
margins of Eastern Bay and its adjoining 
estuaries and also in the scattered brackish 
estuarine bay marshes. The greatest local 
concentrations of breeding Black Ducks in 
the entire Upper Chesapeake region are on 
the islands of Eastern Bay. 
CHOPTANK RIVER SECTION 
Habitats 
Habitats in the Choptank River section 
include large brackish and moderately saline 
estuarine bays, an extensive estuarine river 
marsh, and numerous adjoining grain fields. 
There are extensive beds of submerged aquatic 
plants and an abundant invertebrate fauna 
throughout the estuarine bays. 
The open estuarine bays are the preponderant 
habitats in this section. The mouth of the 
Choptank River (below Blackwalnut Point on 
Talbot County side and Cook Point on Dor- 
chester County side) and the lower half of the 
Little Choptank River (below Casson and 
Susquehanna Points) are moderately saline 
estuarine bays. The predominant submerged 
plants include sago pondweed and the more 
typical salt-water species, The sector of the 
Choptank River above this (extending up to 
Chlora Point on Talbot County side and Horn 
Point on Dorchester County side, andincluding 
Harris Creek, Broad Creek, and the Tred 
Avon :River) and the upper half of the Little 
Choptank River are typically brackish estua- 
rine bays. Fair beds of eelgrass grow here 
along with more widely distributed brackish 
species such as claspingleaf pondweed, widg- 
eongrass, and sago pondweed. The upper estua- 
rine bay of the Choptank River, extending to 
28 
Raccoon Creek on the Talbot County side and 
to Cabin Creek on the Dorchester County side, 
is only moderately brackish. The principal 
submerged aquatic plants inthis sector include 
common waterweed, claspingleaf pondweed, 
sago pondweed, and widgeongrass. Eelgrassis 
absent. 
Above Raccoon Creek and Cabin Creek, 
estuarine river marshes occur along the upper 
stretches of the Choptank River and its major 
tributary, Tuckahoe Creek, extending to the 
towns of Denton and Queen Anne. Both brackish 
and fresh estuarine river marshes are pres~ 
ent. The brackish marshes extend upstream to 
a point about 1 mile below the mouth of 
Tuckahoe Creek and the fresh marshes beyond, 
Waterfowl 
The Choptank River section is one of the 
more important waterfowl areas in the Upper 
Chesapeake region. 
January inventory data, during the years 
1955-58 show that the wintering population 
ranged from 40,000 in 1958 to 195,600 in 1955, 
averaged 117,100, The population peak comes 
in mid-winter, although large populations also 
are present in late fall and early spring. 
Proportions of the various species at dif- 
ferent seasons are shown in table 29, Canada 
Geese, Black Ducks, Redheads, and Canvas- 
backs usually are the more important water- 
fowl during the fall, winter, and spring. Large 
numbers of American Widgeons are present 
during the fall flight. Scaup usually are abun- 
dant during the spring and occasionally during 
the winter. Unusually large numbers of Whis- 
tling Swans are present during most years. 
Canada Geese and Black Ducks prefer the 
areas of the bays adjacent to the grain fields, 
Whistling Swans, American Widgeons, and 
various species of diving ducks are quite 
generally distributed over the estuarine bays. 
Most species of dabbling ducks prefer the 
estuarine river marshes. Scattered pairs of 
Black Ducks breed in the estuarine marshes 
and along the margins of the estuarine bays. 
BLACKWATER-NANTICOKE SECTION 
Habitats 
Vast expanses of fresh and brackish estua- 
rine marshes are the outstanding feature of 
the Blackwater-Nanticoke section, Many of 
these are adjoined by large tracts of swamp 
timber, and good-sized agricultural fields 
occur locally. 
Four major types of waterfowl habitat are 
well represented: the fresh estuarine bay 
marsh, brackish estuarine bay marsh, brack- 
ish estuarine river marsh, and brackish es-= 
tuarine bay. The largest area of fresh estua- 
rine bay marsh is along the upper portion of 
