out of the Grid and Phalarope numbers have dropped. The fact that such high densities appeared at all was surprising for the time of year when birds should largely be on the breeding grounds in the north. I feel that these birds were largely nonbreeding birds which were more or less static in the "slick" areas during the summer. The presence on the Grid I attribute to a drifting tendency which brings what is probably an off- shore type of summering population farther out to sea than expected. This past summer's unusual water structures brought these favorable oceanographic features and accompanying Phalaropes out to the Grid. As the slick conditions faded birds may have retreated back towards the cost, producing the decline noted on Surveys 12 and 13. As yet no southward movement seems to be underway although the ex- pected migration time is approaching rapidly. Thus the Grid data show a decrease when an increase is expected. It is possible that a migra- tion is underway and that it is passing so close to the coast that it is not being detected in the Grid, but the spring data suggest that this is not the case. Future surveys should answer this question. The de- crease that has been noted may be only a product of an unusual climate circumstance peculiar to this year only. No Northern Phalaropes were seen this survey. Their presence on the Grid in July supports the idea that unusually favorable conditions existed on the Grid during the summer which drew this typically coastal species out to sea along with the unusual numbers of Reds. Jaeger pp. # Birds 9 2 2 3 1 6 4 5 14 9 12 Per Section 1 9 3 1 2 1 0 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 Total Obs. 23 14 22 42 E G S # 10-July 11-August 12-Aug.-Sept. 13-September 22 16 18 5 2 8 1 3 3 E.G.S. ## 11, 12, 13; combined sector addition Only six birds were identified to species on the present survey but all three species were represented. The northern third contained over 80 percent of the Grid total and these were most frequent toward the cost. Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) # Obs. = 1 One adult was seen in Section 9.