Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Smithsonian Institution Archives.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
June 4 cont.- General information on nesting: KFB body nests have been as close as 1 to 2 feet from each other or as far as in distant and different Scaevola bushes. Usually nests were clumped in 3 to 4 per bush or group of closely growing ones. Actually there appears to be no actual dense nesting colony here, but many scattered single or groups of nests. Most nests were constructed of Scaevola and Tribulus, some having Wild Cucumber in them. In the general areas of nesting the only plants were Scaevola, Tribulus, Wild Cucumber, Fragrant, Berberis, and Sporobolus indicus - the latter 3 were not used in nest construction. The cucumber leaves were found only in nests close to these growths. The KFB nests were usually from 4" to 6" in depth and >1 ft. in width. On the top of the nest was further material, most indication that most of the sites were previously used - also old nest materials and guano deposited on the ground indicated this. All nests examined were constructed on Scaevola bushes where branches forked out to provide a level base for a foundation of Scaevola twigs. Upon the initial coarse layers of S. were found usually Tribulus and sometimes Wild Cucumber which added softness to the nest. S. leaves were often found on the top layer. Most of the nests were from 2-3 ft. off the ground as most bushes were of this height. I returned G. Crider from wit - one was fresh orange streamer #587-90406 on a fresh egg.
Pugati nests = 54 were checked
Height of nests
1 ft - 10 | 07 Scaev. - 57/54 Spor. ind. 1/50
2 - 20 | 5} cobony Trib. - 53/54
3 - 4 | 12) WC - 6/54
At night we went out to band Footy Ferns and Wedgies. I did 500 Sooties and 100 WTS before I got sick and barfed all over the place. During the day I had had only one meal, and that on top of 3 beers at the Navy Beach party. Some how I crawled back to the tent with Limerman.