'From The Field' article in CT Wildlife Nov/Dec '18 issue by Min Huang, DEEP Wildlife Division: Min writes, 'For the past 20 years, mallards breeding in eastern North America have been in a steady decline. Since 1998, spring surveys conducted throughout eastern Canada and the northeastern US every year haveprovided reliable annual estimates of the breeding population size of eastern mallards. These surveys indicate that mallard numbers in eastern Canada have not changed much, but have decreased steadily in the northeastern  US,declining by about 38% since 1998.' Note: I found this interesting, although my Christmas Count '18 in area J most of the mallards I find are onthe Farm River along North High Street, East Haven, CT. I found myself making extra stops last year looking forducks, geese, herons, etc at the side street roads bridges that cross the river over off N. High Street. I hada record count of 56 mallards. This area also attracts more ducks and geese because of an area farmed withcorn every year and many stalks are left up close to the river perhaps for land conservation since it floods annually. Min also mentioned a Canada Goose breeding failure in 2018, prompting the Atlantic Flyway to restrict AtlanticPopulation goose bag limits in the 2019-2020 season. One often forgets that birding and bird counts will include game birds. It is nice to see hunters and birders lookingafter our feathered friends. Also 3/20 over Route 80 over the Shop Rite adult Bald Eagle. Ralph AmodeiEast Haven, CT