R.B. Brown 1968 Plyedrama 15-08N; 162-02W — 13-16N ; 163-15W 9 oct. Today most birds seen were Black-winged Petrels (21) and Tern Fernanddy Petrels (15). Two good sightings of White-winged Petrel with their almost pure white underwing with only black leading edge, prominent black eyes, silver head and neck. One sighting of an all dark brown heavy-bodied petrel; no wing windows as in Kermadec or Maldive; possibly Murphy’s? 11-25N ; 164-35W — 09-36N ; 165-44W 18 oct. Fly was dominated by low numbers of Tern Fernanddy + Black-winged Petrels and in afternoon a scattering of White-winged Petrel. The latter came sprinting through, reefered Sooty / Slender-bills; all going north. 07-45N ; 166-56W — 05-57N ; 168-03W 11 oct. Tern Fernanddy Petrels declined down to 2, but numbers of Black-wings still fairly consistent. Only a few Sooty Petrels and one White-winged. Also only a few Sooty / Slender-bills. 03-57N ; 169-16W — 01-53N ; 170-37W 12 oct. All Procellariids, same today; 4 Sooty, 1 Tern Fernanddy, 6 unidentified. BOORUM & PEASE “NEAR” R.B. Brown 1968 McKeon Island 16 oct. One flying back and forth over rocky area by walls on W side of island at 1823. Found one on an egg while trying to digout a WTSP in wall along Boomer’s Road. Found at least two more on eggs before dark night was not disturbed. 9 birds returned one other and shambled 10 others, plus heard another 10-12 in rock walls. The population is rather large, but I cannot even give a guess at this time — certainly hundreds. The difficulty of working with this species is that when one digs into the nest cavity, it is usually destroyed in the underbelly. Of all the nests visited, only 3 could be salvaged to mark (2 with eggs). Most birds appear to be setting up nests at this time. The birds are detected (not easily because of the goddamn dirt in the Sooty terns are making) by listening in piles of rocks or rock walls for a “whoot, whoot, whoot, whoot....”. This call varies in intensity, and appears loudest when one bird is in a possible nest site alone. Other slight variations are also noticed. The birds definitely prefer the rocks to any other sites such as clumps of drift weeds. And they can crawl into the avoidant places. Those in the rock walls are just about impossible to get to — inches or less from the outer wall. One dead + battered skeleton noted in the large rock wall. I probably a bird caught between rocks trying to worm his way into.