June 7 - Arrived at Layson Is. about 1000 and immediately set up camp. Afterwards we set out around the island which is ca. 7 miles in circumference to survey the birds. Needless to say this took the rest of the day. I tromped thru the Scavola just inside the sandy beach for my part of the count. My estimates are as follows for my area: Layson Albatross chicks - ca 4800; Black-foot chicks - ca 1400; Red-footed Booby - 70 nests, 29 of which contained 13 eggs, 10 SDC, 1 MDC, 5 naked chicks; Brown Booby - 3 nests - 2 of which had eggs, the other none; Blue-faced Booby - 18 nests - 8E, 7SDC, 5MDC, 2LDC, 1 naked; Great Frigatebird - 466 nests, 267 of which contained 100 eggs, 95 SDC, 4 MDC, 68 naked - ca 50 mou were vacant; PTTB numerous in Scavola - only checked 12, 17 eggs, 4SDC, 1MDC; The following birds were noted in great numbers, but an attempt was made to estimate their numbers - Wedge-tail Shearwater, Bonin Banded Petrel (near fledgling chicks), Christ mas Island Shearwater, White capped Noddy, Common Noddy, Gray-backed Tern, Sooty Tern, Fairy Tern. Bulwer's Petrel. The WTS have slightly vocally enlarged brood patches indicating that eggs are less though they haven't been found yet - their courtship is intense. Gray- backed Terns are flying already (young). Sooties in the N are later resters than in the S - one small colony has chicks - but many birds are still coming down to lay. At night we kept up the pace by each landing 1000 Sooties and 100 Wedgies. I decided to fast off Sooty return and see how fast I could brand. Beat everyone to bed by an hour. It took me less than 2 hours. Job for me. It's probably never get another chance to develop my skill. Josh 5 wedgie returns. Tomorrow we are going to play games with Albatross - band them. June 8 - Josh off with Timpson to play bands on 300 Layson chicks north. When we got done on the other side of the island we almost collapsed on the way back it was so god-damned hot.