NORTHERN ALBERTA, NORTHEASTERN 
BRITISH COLUMBIA, NORTHWEST 
TERRITORIES, AND YUKON 
Data supplied by Robert H. Smith, 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and 
Wildlife 
WEATHER AND HABITAT CONDITIONS 
The spring season was unusual. Winter 
lingered tenaciously until well into May and 
then spring broke with a rush creating the 
impression of a mild, early season. When 
we arrived on the survey area, the phenol- 
ogy was well advanced; ice was gone or in 
the process of breakup except for the very 
largest, deepest lakes; the birch and aspen 
leaves were well out. The weather was warm 
and clear, and remained that way except for 
a few fast-moving fronts. This created a 
serious forest fire condition and many fires 
were burning out of control in northern Al- 
berta and northeastern British Columbia. 
On the southern three transects, which lie 
on the fringe of agricultural land, surface 
water was practically nonexistent but water 
conditions improved from west to east ex- 
cept for the larger ponds and lakes. North of 
this line, approximately 57° north latitude, 
surface water was higher than last year due 
to a heavy snow pack and quick runoff. Small 
rivers and creeks were out of their banks 
and Carex sloughs and meadows were 
inundated. This situation prevailed to about 
the Arctic Circle where the snowpack was 
light and runoff small. Consequently, the 
short Arctic drainages were never inflood. 
The Mackenzie River, draining the area of 
heavy snowpack, was the highest ithas been 
since 1936. The delta was completely inun- 
dated from hill to hill, flooding the village 
of Aklavik. This flood did not begin to 
recede until June 7 and a week later it was 
still over the low banks. At this time the 
water started to rise again at Norman 
Wells. There was serious flooding on the 
Athabaska Delta, also. 
BREEDING POPULATION INDEXES 
The most southerly strata showed the 
largest increases in the number of ducks, 
particularly in mallards and pintails. Far- 
ther north in the typical northern forest- 
tundra habitat, duck densities thinned out 
11 
until in the last three strata decreases were 
recorded. Apparently, as displaced prairie 
ducks moved northward from the drought 
area they stopped at the first available 
water. Thus, when spring came witha rush, 
these ducks were already established in 
the more southerly areas. 
Over the entire survey area an increase 
in the aggregate of all ducks of 23 percent 
was recorded. An inspection of table E-4 
(p. 85) will reveal thatall species increased 
in number except scoters, canvasback, 
bufflehead, and ring-necked duck. These 
increases approach but do not equal the 1959 
record when there was a mass exodus to 
the north from the prairies (table E-5). 
Changes in status of species such as can- 
vasback, redhead, ruddy duck, and gadwall 
are probably not significant due to their 
small numerical value in our areas. This 
applies to coot as well. 
Also, we do not place too muchconfidence 
in the figures for Canada and white-fronted 
geese because the sampling plan emphasizes 
ducks rather than geese. According to our 
records the number of Canada geese de- 
creased slightly while white-fronted geese 
and swans increased. Our total estimate of 
snow geese at the mouth of the MacKenzie 
River was 4,800, including the nonnesting 
flocks; but the nesting colony was adversely 
affected by the flood. There were a number 
of active nests still going, but a larger 
number had been flooded out and washed 
away. The active nests were barely above 
water level and even they may have sustained 
some flood damage. Conversely, there was 
good nesting and early, large clutches of 
eggs at the mouth of the Anderson River 
with no high water. 
PRODUCTION INDEXES 
Although the potential number of breeding 
ducks increased considerably within the 
Survey area, the first brood survey con- 
ducted during the third week in July revealed 
a 50-percent reduction in number of broods 
as compared with counts made at the same 
time and over the same routes in 1960. A 
second coverage of the routes, completed on 
August 14, revealed a considerable increase 
in number of broods as compared with the 
first coverage, but the total was still 9 per- 
cent below comparable figures for 1960. 
Also, nearly all of the new broods which 
accounted for the increase were either scaup 
