J P Myers 1978 Journal Atkasook on the Meade River, North Slope Borough, Alaska 24 May (cont's) 15th caribou out on the loop by the (bleeding bird) plat. The patchy snow melt is very exaggerated right now. Only a few areas on river bluffs approach being snow free. There are typically sites near sand dune blow-outs. The vegetation is heavily dominated by Dryas and Carex, with a matrix of sand grains, much like the area in the loop through which T8 runs. What birds there appear to be concentrated on these sites, particularly the 2 Lagopus species and Calcarius (that doesn't leave much). 25 May Trans 1-4, 11-14 I sampled 8 transects today for snow cover while Dave and Stuart did the other 6. The weather has turned for the better: no wind at 0700, temp ~ -4°C. Stayed nearly windless all day even though we were out in the wilds from 0830-1530. Marvelous, but still a bit brisk. By 1530 temp was up to 1°C. No direct sun, but the low cloud level was thin enough so that you could see blue sky through the snow layer. Every so often it got thicker + a few snow flakes fell. The distribution of snow was very clean: almost 100% on transects 1-4, 14, 13. But all others ranged between extremes of 5-100. (% cover of 50x50m subunits). By and large 2 types of sites were clearer: those downwind of dunes - e.g. the end of T11 (18,32) - or along bluffs - e.g. the beginning of T12 (14,31). There are also the only places blessed with ptarmigan. (see spaccount) or with other birds, but there are few enough of these that the distribution is only really clear w/ ptarmigan (both spp). 26 May Stuart Johnson and I today ran T5, T11, T12, T13, and T14 for real, sampling birds. We began at 0915 w/ temp ~ -4°C, 100% clouds, no wind, + occasional snowflake. Recorded only 2 spp: Lagopus [illegible]... Calcarius [illegible]... & Phosphorynx [illegible]. Censused until 1245. Snow cover near 100% throughout except on ridges + near the end of T11. Not much sign yet that spring has arrived, other than a few singing Calcarius [illegible] and Lanius hyperboreus sitting on their nesting site (see sp.account). Large herd of caribou (50+) to SE of study area. One red fox running along the bluffs by the river. Spermophilus actively calling at us.