James P. Ludwig 1963 4 Wednesday, September 11, 1963 - Midway Island Got equipment out of storage and found most in good condition. Following are field notes for 10-9 and 10, 1963. September October 9, 1963 2000 - Few Bonin Petrels tonight. Caught only 1, saw 11. Set October 10, 1963 Arranged flights to Kure. Going Thursday again to equipment on Sunday. Navy very helpful. Asked for weather summaries also. Scouted main concentrations of Tropicbirds and found one patch of birds 100 yards to the north of the SAR hanger infected to some kind of tumor forming agent. Bulbous masses on rictus of bill, eyelids, rarely on the feet. Infection confined to this area and only in chicks. Several nearly blind. Found 2 adults on eggs. September October 11, 1963 Spent morning working on gear, odds and ends and trying to get permission to shoot shorebirds went to the old gravel pit to look for shorebirds. Bristle-thighed Curlews, lost of Golden Plovers, Turnsones, Several surf birds and three others. I could not identify. Banded 85 Tropicbirds (72 local, 13 adult) and took pictures of infected birds. Adult birds are covered with lice and mites, but none have the tumors on them suggesting an age-immunity factor. Infection confined to area near SAR hanger and occurs where birds are closest together. Most Tropicbirds found under bush cover or in the ground crotch of Australian pine trees. Three eggs, 75 young (3 dead, 12 with tumored eyes) found today. September October 12, 1963 Went to gravel pit with Com. Fry and shot a Bristle-thighed Curlew - bird of the year- spent a while estimating shorebirds. 1500 - 2000, mostly plovers. Nine Bristle-thighed Curlews. Skinned bird, arranged equipment. 2100 - few petrels. Bike swiped while banding petrels. Saw three White-rumped Sandpipers ?.