Journal At Kuoola at Meade River, N. Slope Borough, Alaska 18 August (cont'd) pairs during the day without hearing one of them, and often all three. Anser are the most conspicuous: any lake has a pair of chicks, an adult tending one chick the other working on the other. Foraging for the chicks appears to be right below the chick, with the adult rarely under for more than 3 or 4 seconds, staying right beside the chick. Cairina scutulata, by contrast, I see flying between Smakrach Lake and wherever they are nesting, carrying fish (8-12 cm) cross-wise in the bill. They have been excessively noisy, ack-ack ing in flight, giving the sandhill crane call from their lakes, etc. Cairina adamsii I rarely see flying, but its yodely emanate from Pingo Lake continually. Larus hyperboreus: young fledged in one nest by June 14. These must be the first active mackerel this year of which we were aware, and an probably the first of fledged young. 19 Aug T4 finished. More snow patch trouble 20 Aug T14 started and finished. We have speeded up the process by splitting the Eriophorum vaginatum - bedrum upland tussock tenders into 4 separate groups. How does splitting speed things up? Because the E.v.-L. (Umi) association is so broad in its moisture gradient occurrence (from what we can deduce from Vera's info) that it often takes some effort to assign wetter extremes to Umi. The anquish this causes takes time. By splitting it up we break endless tasks it easier to do the job because we don't have to pain over the assignment. 4 sub-associations are: UMIa - Umi with a snow patch matrix (i.e., E.v. tussocks growing in a matrix of Rubus, Hectonia, Elymus, Cladonia/Clavaria/Cetraria lichens). This is the matrix in which Umi appears as an undifferentiated polygon mass, particularly HCP's; UMIb - E.v. tussocks in SB3 (Rubus - Balsamia - Sphagnum) matrix. This is a much wetter type, often appearing on lower polygon rims w/ SB3 centers. UMIc - the upland tender matrix - often thick but low tussocks growing in matrices of more Eriophorum vaginatum, bedrum, Rhacomitrium, fewer fruticous lichens (and no Aleochara/Coronularia). This occurs in driered but flatter areas with little polygonization (in fact frequently near) and reduced topographic relief. UMIcd - thick Carex, usually biglottic brand reduced tussocks, often almost not apparent. Much wetter but still not the E.vag.-Detricha many semi-bog association.