Part 10

+Larus hyperboreus barrovianus+ Ridgway: Glaucous gull.--Specimen, 1: Topagaruk, 155 deg.48', 70 deg.34', 10 ft., No. 30739, ad. male, July 9, 1951.

Robert McKinley told us that on May 16, 1952, approximately 25 gulls, probably glaucous gulls, arrived at the Arctic Research Laboratory and remained until May 25. On July 4, 1951, there, we recorded all gulls passing over the ice from 8:45 A.M. to 9:45 A.M. At this time the shore line and first 100 feet of water was free of ice; beyond, seaward, the ice was rough and dark for 1/4 mile, succeeded by white ice for 1/4 mile, next the high pressure ridge, and then open water of the Arctic Ocean. Glaucous gulls, singly, passed to the southwest and to the northeast at intervals of 6(3-10) minutes at a distance of 500(300-800) feet from the shore line, except for one bird that was approximately one mile off-shore.

On July 10, 1952, off-shore from the Laboratory, where garbage from camp was deposited on the ice, approximately 130 glaucous gulls were present--some resting on the ice and some flying. At six P.M., four hours later, 84 gulls including several immatures remained. Birds in groups were constantly walking about or flying short distances, but lone individuals stood perfectly still for long periods. On July 11, only 22 birds remained; they were flying up and down the shore line. At Topagaruk (July 5-10) glaucous gulls fed on the refuse pile at camp. The number varied from day to day, from as few as 10 to as many as 22; a few remained at the feeding grounds at all times.

The testes of an adult male (30739), shot on July 9, 1951, at Topagaruk were 15 mm long and 9 mm thick.

At Kaolak River (July 12-19, 1951) gulls occasionally cruised up or down the river, but did not remain in the area. When we flew from the mouth of Canning River Canyon to Umiat (July 16, 1952) the only glaucous gulls noted were in the vicinity of the Colville River. At the Will Rogers Monument 12 miles southwest of Barrow Village (July 18, 1951), 275 glaucous gulls were at the mouth of one of the streams entering the Arctic Ocean, and 50 miles southwest from Point Barrow along the ocean six gulls flew over the water where a muddy stream from the land was discharging into the Arctic Ocean. On July 20, 400 of these gulls were near the Arctic Research Laboratory and in the large lake southwest of camp. At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) five to eight birds remained near camp. Along the larger creeks they flew by approximately every two hours.

On an air trip along the Arctic Ocean 56.2 miles southwest of Barrow Village (July 27, 1951) we counted 312 gulls, most or all glaucous gulls, in small groups as follows: average size of flock, 34(2-70); average distance between flocks, 5.8(1.9-13.6) miles. A large flock of 188 glaucous gulls, on this date, was in the environs of Barrow Village and the Arctic Research Laboratory. On an airflight between Point Barrow and Smith Bay (July 29, 1951) we observed three groups (1-2-7) equally spaced between the two points. The glaucous gulls were seen in only small numbers at Barrier Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) generally as individuals or groups of two or three, and frequently were harassed by jaegers. On August 3, a glaucous gull on three occasions inspected but did not touch a freshly killed pectoral sandpiper floating on the surface of the water. On a flight from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we observed groups of gulls as follows: one at 40 miles (miles are from Point Barrow), four at 34 miles, four at 10 miles and twenty-three at 8 miles. At Driftwood (Aug. 27-31, 1952) groups of from one to 12 glaucous gulls were seen every day. At Umiat (Aug. 30-Sept. 4, 1951) several birds were flying up and down the river. In 1952 (July 18) at 10 miles east of Umiat we observed a single bird. On August 25, 1952, at Point Barrow, 33 glaucous gulls flew along the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Sept. 11, 1952) a group of 230 glaucous gulls rested along the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Glaucous gulls were noted also at the following places in the Point Barrow area (1952): west side Salt Water Lagoon, June 17; 9/10 mile east and 8/10 mile north Barrow Village, June 23; 1 mile southwest Barrow Village, September 6; 1/2 mile south Arctic Research Laboratory, September 7.

+Larus canus brachyrhynchus+ Richardson: Mew gull.--Specimens, 2: SE Lake Peters, 69 deg.20'56", 145 deg.09'26", 2950 ft., 1 imm. female No. 31314 (Aug. 6, 1952) and one adult female 31313 (Aug. 9, 1952).

At the southwest end of Lake Schrader, from July 23 to 31, 1952, a pair of mew gulls defended a territory and two young in the marsh bordering the edge of the lake and flew to meet us whenever we approached. They were active day and night. On August 3, 4, and 5, the female of this pair fed at the mouth of the river that flowed into the south end of Lake Peters 4.9 miles south of the nesting territory. On August 6, both adults and the two juveniles were at the south end of Lake Peters. The young called frequently and the adults, when we came near their young, called loudly and dived at us, but remained higher in the air than they did when protecting their young on the nesting territory. On August 6, the female (435 mm long and 290 grams in weight) was shot and prepared as a specimen. The two juveniles and the male remained in the area and on August 9, one of the juveniles (female) 422 mm in length and 362 grams in weight, was shot. On August 12 the male and one juvenile were still in the same area, and active day and night.

+Pagophila eburnea+ (Phipps): Ivory gull.--Pete Savolik told us that whenever the pack ice came near shore at Point Barrow, a few ivory gulls were generally present.

+Rissa tridactyla pollicaris+ Ridgway: Black-legged kittiwake.--Specimen, 1: 7-1/2 mi. S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156 deg.49', 71 deg.17', sea level, 1 (skin) No. 31315 of an adult of unknown sex, September 6, 1952.

The kittiwakes (Sept. 6, 1952), were in the air along the Arctic Ocean at Barrow Village and all along the coast at least as far as a point 10 miles southwest of Barrow Village (only a few were seen northeast of Barrow Village) and were feeding on material floating in the pre-breaker area of the ocean and to a lesser extent on debris washed up on the sands of the beach.

+Xema sabini sabini+ (Sabine): Sabine's gull.--Specimens, 8: 7-1/2 mi. S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156 deg.49', 71 deg.17', sea level, 1 (skin) No. 31316, ad. male, Sept. 6, 1952; Topagaruk, 155 deg.48', 70 deg.34', 10 ft., 7, Nos. 30740-30746 including 4 ad. males and 3 ad. females, July 6, 8, 9, 1951.

At Topagaruk the species was seen daily from July 4 through July 10, 1951. Six adults were nesting on July 5. They constituted less than one per cent of the avian population inhabiting stabilized lakes of medium size. On July 8, one nest held young. When we approached the nesting grounds they flew 150 feet to meet us and then returned, hovered, or flew directly over their nests. One nest was on an island one foot in diameter; other islands inhabited were as large as one square meter. The vegetation at the nest was bright green and lawnlike because of trampling and fertilization of the grasses and sedges by the birds. Correspondingly green, lawnlike areas of grass were noted on the resting grounds of ducks and geese. The Sabine's gull and Arctic tern are compatible and nest within 20 feet of each other. The young freely circulate through each other's territory. The average weight of three adult males (July 6-8) was 202(190-214) grams. The average length of the testes of these birds was 10(8-14) mm. Four adult females collected at the same place and time weighed 177(158-190) grams. The ovaries averaged 8 mm long and the largest ovum was 2.8(2.0-4.5) mm in diameter.

At Kaolak River on July 17, 1951, one gull flew along the river but did not seem to be nesting in the area. On July 20, 1951, 105 miles southwest of Point Barrow, we observed Sabine's gulls, Arctic tern and several pairs of loons on one lake. On a return trip from Kaolak to Point Barrow by air (July 27, 1951) we found Sabine's gulls generally distributed across the Coastal Plains. On an air trip from Point Barrow to Teshekpuk Lake on July 29, 1951, we noted two Sabine's gulls, one 9.7 miles southeast of Point Barrow and one 5.9 miles northwest of the central western edge of Smith Bay.

Three miles east of our camp on Barrier Lake (Aug. 3, 1951) a Sabine's gull had been eaten by a gyrfalcon. The gull was a bird of the year with the downy feathers extending beyond the ends of seven primary feathers. Three primary feathers were newly molted and of full length.

On an air flight (Aug. 4, 1951) from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow we saw two Sabine's gulls 63 miles southwest of Point Barrow and two at 23 miles southwest of Point Barrow. At Point Barrow (Aug. 26, 1952), 250 Sabine's gulls were resting or flying in the area. On September 6 at 7-1/2 miles south and 7 miles west of Point Barrow, Sabine's gulls constituted 60 per cent of the larger birds that were flying and feeding along the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic tern constituted 20 per cent, the kittiwake 5 per cent and the glaucous gulls 15 per cent of the population. An adult male shot here (Sept. 6) weighed 213 grams. Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Sept. 11, 1952) we counted 17 Sabine's gulls feeding and resting along the shore of Elson Lagoon.

+Sterna paradisaea+ Pontoppidan: Arctic tern.--Specimens, 11: 7-1/2 mi. S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156 deg.49'15", 71 deg.16'52", sea level, 2, Nos. 31315 and 31318, ad. male, Sept. 6, 1952; NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153 deg.05'40", 70 deg.39'40", 8 ft., 3, Nos. 30750-30752 including 2 ad. males and 1 ad. female, Aug. 1, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155 deg.48', 70 deg.34', 10 ft., 3, Nos. 30753, ad. female, July 7, 1951, and 30754, ad. male, July 9, 1951, and 30637, male, July 9, 1951; Kaolak River, 159 deg.47'40", 70 deg.11'15", 30 ft., 3, Nos. 30747-30749 including 2 ad. males, July 14, 18, 1951, and 1 ad. female, July 12, 1951.

Adult males and females prepared for specimens at Topagaruk (July 7, 9, 1951) showed signs of molting, especially in the primary wing feathers. Three adult males averaged 92(87-93) grams in weight (the largest male collected on the Arctic Slope was from Teshekpuk Lake on August 1, 1951, and weighed 106 grams). The testes of these males averaged 4.2 (3-5) mm in length (in late autumn testes recede to approximately 1.0 mm in length). Two females from the same place and shot on July 7 and 12, weighed 99 and 100 grams. The average diameter of the largest ovum was 2.0 mm and the longest ovary was 6 mm.

At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) an adult hunted day and night over shallow water on a sand bar approximately 500 yards from its nest. Water from lakes in an abandoned section of the river valley caused a creek to flow at night into the river. In the day ephemeral pools were formed because more water evaporated or sank into the sands. As pools were formed, small fish one inch in length were trapped. Before the pools disappeared, the tern captured all these fish. One of the terns that had been feeding on these fish flew out over the upland tundra approximately 500 feet from the river valley. This tern dove at us twice and then returned to the river valley and its nest some 800 feet away.

The nest of this bird was on one of three islands in a small lake. The nesting island was three square yards in area and had been built to a height of four feet above the level of the mainland by many years use of the island. The nest was within 30 feet of a nest of a red-throated loon, which was accepted in the territory of the tern without molestation.

Northeast of Teshekpuk Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) a pair of terns had young on a small island in a chain of lakes opening into the south end of Barrier Lake. The adults hunted small fish along the south end of Barrier Lake but especially in small lakes surrounding their nest. These birds seemed to be the only terns nesting on this large lake. As food was plentiful, available nesting sites may have governed the size of the tern population.

Six pairs of Arctic terns, constituting less than one per cent of the avian population in the area, were nesting on small islands of the larger lakes at Topagaruk in the period July 5-10, 1951. On July 8, one nest held both eggs and young; other nests held either eggs or young. These birds and the Sabine's gulls showed no hostility to one another. On July 9, three miles north of camp 13 terns were among sedges in standing water. They seemed to be nesting but we could not reach them.

On June 23, 1952, at a point 9/10 mile east and 8/10 mile north of Barrow Village, Arctic terns were in flocks; one of eight flew northeast across the tundra. At a point 105 miles northwest of Point Barrow on an air trip to Kaolak (July 20, 1951) we saw Arctic terns, Sabine's gulls, and several pairs of loons in the same lake. The trip from Point Barrow to Kaolak was characterized by relatively few large birds. On the return trip (July 27) on a straight line flight from Kaolak to Point Barrow, only two terns were seen, one 33 miles northeast of the junction of the Avalik and Kaolak rivers and another 9.7 miles beyond. On our return trip from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we saw only a single tern; it was 63 miles southeast of Point Barrow. At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) there were three pairs of terns. At 8:00 A.M. three other pairs appeared and then left. No young were observed. At Point Barrow (Aug. 26, 1952) 130 terns fished or rested on the lee side of the peninsula. Arctic terns were the second most common bird flying and feeding along the shore line of the Arctic Ocean 10-1/2 miles southeast of Point Barrow on September 6, 1952. Associated species were Sabine's gulls, kittiwakes and glaucous gulls.

+Nyctea scandiaca+ (Linnaeus): Snowy owl.--Harmon Helmericks told us of seeing a snowy owl catch a brown lemming that was swimming in open water 30 nautical miles north of Thetis Island in April of 1946.

On a 1000 linear meter transect (1000 x 1) east of Barrier Lake we collected (Aug. 3, 1951) 19 pellets from the edge of the uplands and from prominent mounds on the lowlands. One pellet contained a complete radius-ulna of an Arctic fox and another a foot of a ptarmigan.

At Kaolak River (July 12, 1951) the only sign of owls was pellets on the upland tundra. They were covered with green algae and fungus several years old.

On an air flight from Point Barrow to Kaolak River (July 11, 1951) we saw one snowy owl on the Coastal Plain and on the return flight (July 19) two more; one was approximately 40 miles south of the Will Rogers monument and the other about one half way between the monument and Point Barrow. When flying from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we saw one snowy owl flying over the tundra.

Greater abundance was indicated by observations in 1952, a year in which brown lemming were at a high peak in their cyclic fluctuation: Entrails of a brown lemming were on top of a mound used by snowy owls as evidenced by the numerous fresh owl pellets, at the west side of Salt Water Lagoon on June 17; three snowy owls fed in the surrounding area (June 17-27); one owl seen at Driftwood on August 30-31; eight owls recorded on our two mile trip south of Barrow Village on September 6; four owls observed one half mile south of the Arctic Research Laboratory on September 7; three owls seen at Point Barrow on September 11.