JPMyeus 1977 Journal Barrow, Alaska 1 July (contd) A fox was working part of the transect, and appeared to successfully get someone's egg or young. (judging from its behavior). I am somewhat surprised by the # of flocking darwins evident already this year - birds that obviously are no longer breeding. According to Kay Everett, the storm which rained on Prudhoe for two days while I was there also hit the foothills with 4 inches of snow at Toolik Lake. Hansen's people at Franklin Bluff reported 100% mortality for Calcarius during that storm. So now we have a large Dulin moving through, and also non-breeding Q melanota. Are their unusual numbers a result of the storm? 2 July walked out to end of TIO taking ItzD data from 0730-1130. Then until 1400 scanned for nest on GRID 1. Weather began well, with 33° and a moderate E wind dropping to a light wind, all with 100% sun. But the wind shifted to a northeasterly direction and the temp fell perceptibly, perhaps because it also increased. Anyway, returning to the lab saw a pair of Aythya affinis - Scap with definite bump to profile and white speculum fading quickly on the shoulder primary coverts. Dave Shuford, who has much more experience of Aythya spp than I, got excellent view of the birds. He went out later with a scope + reported he will clean of the usual A. marila marking. There were also 3 Polysticta 9Q there, and there also was a flock of Polysticta 9Q out near Duck Camp. Unusual territory that may relate to strange movements by other birds - i.e. a massive breeding failure. GRID 1 - last year's GRID 2 3 July 0430-1245 censused GRID 1. Weather shitty: 33°, snow, sleet, moderate N wind picking up through morning 100% low clouds, fog at exact clearing up rising wind until ultimately sunny. Very fierce del Fuego in weather quality, with patchy overlying followed by scratches of another. Bird activity on the GRID miserable, at least in terms of totals. GRID 1 TOTALS Pluvialis dominica - 1 C. alpina 1 C. mauri 1 C. bairdii 2 C. pusilla 16 C. melanotus P 0 Ph. folicarius Q 6 Lobata Q 1 Calcarius Q 17 P 14 Electrophorus Q