R.Clapp - 1964 Nov. 15 Makin Atoll; Gilbert Islands. In to Butaritari Island by 8:30 to pick up Lehner and Wislocki who stayed overnight. We then moved down to some sand flats along the lagoon. These flats were extensive and were about 1-3 mile wide and perhaps three ? miles long. At low tide there was much coarse sand interspersed with low pools. Some sort of grass was much in evidence in the deeper water. There were large numbers of shorebirds. present. While I got nothing resembling an accurate estimate I suspect that the stretch we worked contained not less than-200 Golden Plover and 200 Ruddy Turnstone with Wandering Tattler more numerous than either species. (Although these figures may well be low.) There were many Godwits (more than 40 seen I should guess) and two species of Curlew, Bristle-thighed and the Whimbrel. Of the two curlew, more of the individuals that I saw were Bristle-thighed than were Whimbrel. Reef Herons were more abundant here than any other place we visited on this trip. I saw (counted) 30 plus in one sweep of my binoculars along the lagoon shore. These birds seemed to prefer the edge of the sand flats bordering the lagoon where the water pools were deeper probably because of the number of fish in these small pools. There was an almost exact 50-50 ratio between white and dark phase birds, and strangely enough I noted no particularly mottled individuals. Most of the dark phase birds were very dark, appearing almost black at a distance but one individual seen was grayish brown, whether due to basic difference in plumage or to age and feather wear I do not know. Some 15 Hawaiian Noddies were seen, as were a few Fairy Tern, Common Noddy, and Crested Tern, one of which was roosting on the edge of the lagoon. The birds were very jumpy and as a group we had relatively poor results. Binion shot a Bristle-thighed Curlew, Larry shot a Curlew