D+H R May 30 - Returned to SE Island of Pearl & Hermes Reef at about 1600. First thing we did was to unload the raft and pitch the camp since we are staying for 2 nights. Afterwards a continuation of our previous survey was made. 2 new techniques were introduced to me by Gadel: #1 Egg flotation: one places egg in tin of H2O and note whether egg not the egg floats and how it floats. 10 Sooty tern hatchlings at ~28 days 1-5 days: egg on bottom, 5-15 mid, 15-25 egg rides high, if the egg tilts. The yolk is used up. This method of egg dating can enable one to gain an insight into sub-populations, when birds landed ---- #2 To take an estimate of a nest population: measure an area, then measure 30-50 distances between nests and figure out density and population. Sooty Returns (of interest: 903-08519), 2 RFB, 2 GF, / WC Nolly, found 8 albatross bands. One of the GFs had an orange streamer (737-37124). Of interest, I found 2 frigate nests with least Sooty Terns inside - food. Flushed 1 Laysan Seal from Seacurine. At night we bled birds and branded those bled. We accomplished 100 Laysan Albatross, 50 Great Frigate, 30+ Wedgetail. Got to bed at about 3am. May 31 - Inez and Thompson went back to the 2887 to spin the blood samples. Me and Stike and Bob and Dee jumped in the raft to survey the other islands. Due our eagerness to depart or whatever, no one brought food - so we didn't eat until 1700 that afternoon. Talk about hunger, I was ready to eat an Albatross raw or not! On each island or bar or patch of coral, a survey was made along with taking a few returns. Map - not to scale SE Island 1- Bud 2- bar 3- Bar 4- Bar Used 5 tally number indicates the 1st, 2nd