12 
or scoter. It is concluded that production 
success among early nesting species was 
considerably less than last year while suc- 
cess among late nesters was about normal. 
CONCLUSIONS 
It is expected that the increase innumber 
of adults will approximately balance a 
decrease in production resulting in a fall 
flight from the area about equal to that of 
of 1960. 
SOUTHERN ALBERTA 
Data supplied by G. Hortin 
Jensen and Floyd A. Thompson, 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and 
Wildlife 
WEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS 
Alberta experienced a very mild winter 
with factors unfavorable to conserving mois- 
ture reserves in the soil, which led to the 
early disappearance of a very light winter 
snowfall. The month of April was cool and 
windy with some soil drifting. Average 
precipitation was 17 percent below normal 
for April. On May 1, dust was following the 
plows along our survey route over the Milk 
River ridge. Signs and reports showed a 
deficiency of soil moisture. 
The partial improvement in water con- 
ditions during the spring of 1960 did not 
continue through that summer. July 1960 
gave the lowest index for ponds that has been 
experienced. With a mild winter and low 
precipitation, the spring of 1961 began with 
our survey registering the next lowest 
number of ponds for any year; only spring 
of 1959 had a lower index. All strata and the 
Province record sizeable decreases from 
the 1960 levels and from the 10-year aver- 
age. Only the three most northerntransects 
in the parkland had May water conditions 
equalling last year's. 
Water disappeared at an accelerated rate 
during late May, June, and early July. 
Moisture was confined to isolated thunder 
Showers and the rainfall was of little con- 
sequence. July, however, moderated in 
temperature and most of the month was in 
the seventies. The first general rain of the 
summer season fell at the end of the month 
and rain was general through the western 
half of the survey area. A rainfall of more 
than 3 inches was recorded at Calgary and 
Edmonton and stabilized water in the re- 
maining potholes, ensuring sufficient water 
for the broods on the water. Water indexes 
are presented in table D-1 (p.77). 
BREEDING POPULATION INDEXES 
Breeding populations continue to decline, 
the prairie habitat showing a marked de- 
crease. Stratum A registered a 43-percent 
reduction in breeding populations and stra- 
tum C a 53-percent reduction. The well- 
watered, extreme-northern parklands at- 
tracted enough waterfowl to maintain the 
status of the parklands at the 1960 index 
level. The southern parklands, however, 
registered decreases similar tothose ofthe 
short-grass prairies. Province-wide, the 
breeding-pair index declined 21 percent 
from last year. 
A similar downward trend was noted in 
the comparisons with the 10-year averages. 
Decreases of 40 percent and 52 percent 
were recorded for strata A and C, respec- 
tively. The Province index was down 15 
percent. Only stratum B was above the 10-. 
year average, showing a 2l-percent in- 
crease. 
The waterfowl breeding populations are 
tabulated by species, stratum, and year be- 
ginning on page 87 (tables E-6 and E-7 ). 
Compared with 1960, all species of dab- 
bling ducks, except blue-winged and green- 
winged teal, had reduced indexes. The 
reduction was around 20 percent for mal- 
lard, baldpate, shoveler, and gadwall. The 
pintail, with the index reduced 54 percent, 
was the most severely affected species of 
waterfowl. Scaup maintained its status equal 
with last year's. Numbers of other divers 
were small and erratic to a degree. It is 
significant that no further decrease occurred 
in canvasback and redhead. As is to be 
expected, the largest declines were recorded 
in the strata of the short-grass prairie, 
where drought conditions were most severe. 
The 10-year average shows a 57-percent 
decline in pintail indexes. The mallard 
index dropped 12 percent below the average 
for the first time since inception of the 
survey; however, mallard indexes held upin 
the parklands. The mallard has assumed 
