R.S. Brossin 1965 Journal 12 September SR 55 Willy at Sea Sic 9 - 10°45'N, 172°35'W — 8°58'N, 172°55'W The number of birds picked up greatly. Today - total of 900. Sooty Shearwaters more in abundance - 101 + 22? I believe these to be all Sooties. Some of the boys are trying to make slender bills out of every Sooty that doesn't fly quite right or if silver dorsals show under the wing. I think lighting, wind condition and individual variation can well cover any slightly abnormal birds. All Sooties now going in a southerly direction. Plenty of small to medium flocks (21) amounting to 791 of the 900 birds brewed. (If birds more affected) Willy at Sea Sic 7 7°03'N, 173°56'W — 5°49'N, 173°57'W 13 September. Sea was perfectly calm, practically all day. Some very faint undulation, but not a whitcap over the entire ocean. Birds could be seen for better distance than I have yet encountered. Sooty Shearwaters were the abundant species 291 out of 510ths, 80 Sooty terns were recorded and 54 Wedge-tails. 27 small to medium flocks were recorded, only 3 of these feeding flocks. Late in the afternoon birds and windy went out in the skiff and collected 1 Sooty Shearwater and 3 dark phase Wedgetails. One from Fernando de Noronha was collected earlier in the day. R.S. Brossin 1965 Journal SR 55 8th day at Sea Sic 7. 5°00'N, 175°20'W — 5°04'N, 176°04'W Running W on 5°N line today and will continue until 1800 when we are due to head south to Lordland. Began running last night after a perfectly clear calm day yesterday and at noon today still raining. Mainly Sooty Shearwaters passing with Today - few Wedgetails - visibility quite limited due to the rain. This is the second day in which I am practically useless as far as helping with the work is concerned from midnight 12-13 my stomach starting hurting and nausea and pain has been with me since. I have little doubt that it is some other than my ulcer acting up. I am now taking medicine given to me by Mr. Ashton, but it has not helped the burning pain nor the nausea. Sooty Shearwaters have been the prominent bird all day. Three were collected from the Shearwater. We were unable to put the stuff in, because the wreck is broke. The Sooties have been going by, usually out of sight range. My legone and scope - all bound backward. The three collected vary considerably from the large bird collected yesterday.