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Transcription
Douglas E. Gill
1964
-142-
He found nothing suspicious. I heard him call out once or twice but I could
not hear what he was saying. By and by he came down from above me. Apparently
he had worked all the way around the ridge, up and over. We hauled up the
rope and headed back up the ridge. I went back and got my backpack and
joined him at the top of the ridge. We went down to a lower level and sat on
a pinnacle as dusk closed in. Soon after we settled a short-eared owl flipped
over us. We heard one flicker like call down from us, and reasoned it was
a Harcourt's Storm Petrel (King 1964). But very else was heard, only
occasional squeals and calls which probably were Harcourt's but may have
been some land bird. Off to the left, towards the lookout. We heard three
odd calls which seemed to be moving and undoubtedly were Harcourts. They
were sneezing barks or squeaks and often not too unlike dark-rumped petrels.
We finally decided the hell with this noise and headed on up. No Newell's
and no more than 1/2 dozen Harcourts at the most. We had serious questions
of King's numbers. We collected plants as we scrambled up the ridge and
hooted and called cheerfully as we worked our way back along the rim. We
pressed the plants then drove up on route 55 looking for the restaurant for
which there was a sign back at the lookout. We drove on and on and never
found it as we came to Kalalaw Viewpoint at the end. We past a radar
installation just before the end. On the way down I ate a cold supper (my
first substantial meal of the day of beef stew and peas and carrots). We
drove right on down to the ocean. I tried to sleep outside for a while but
gave up as I was being eaten alive. I finally sacked out in the car,
although outside was beautiful: full moon, black sand beach, pounding surf,
and palm trees behind me.