Hoeman, J. Vincent, 1964
Page 19
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Transcription
Hoeman, J. V. 1964--Aleutians because these eggs are smaller with different ground color and spotting. Decide to collect them later and continue eastward past protesting cranes to the Abraham River, do n it to the tidal ice at its mouth broken up into peculiar columnar crystals on its surface now! Many arctic terns at the sand spit beach and a surprising amount of driftwood including sawn off cotton wood logs and stumps. Win finds a Russian (?) light bulb and a fishing float and is encouraged by this luck into following beach . I cut back to to the hill though, climb t my raven cliffs where pair of them protest in g graceful dives but I fail to find nest at first so climb 3 g. The rock pinnacles then continue to the hilltop where there is a cairn and a beau- tiful view of the whole eastern end of the island. Miles of empty tundra up here but evidence reindeer use it in winter. I turn west to reach the E. high point of Kinnikaghlughat Mtn. where a d snow bunting sings on the 2 cairns. Back down at raven rocks I find the nest and inspect it after a tough climb of 15 ' with the parents diving within spitting distance and cawing madly. Nest of willow and birdh sticks and one reindeer rib about 2' across, l' thick lined with white hair and underfur (reindeer, fox, husky?) containing 2 big featherless chicks with bills as wide as they are long, no eggs. Returning to camp I pick up my shorebird eggs which I blow after dinner. June 15, 1964 Mid-June St. Lawrence Island. We walk down to the village this morning and speak with Clarence about our return in Sept. and boat to SE Cape. Then walk around n hour--I to point west where I watch flocks 300 birds one inute, 500 next, 300 next for randm period all pass toward east. Some whlebones there. Com. eider, pintail, her. gull, no. phalarope, r. turnstone,