JPMayers 1979 Journal NATOL, Burney, Alaska 23 June (contd) Stercorarius pomarinus - At least 2 pairs have nests, both by South Meadow Lake. Now on grids 1 + 2. Stercorarius parasiticus - They are around, with a light + dark phase seen every day over grid 1. But I hear no breeding display, nor see any chicks. Arctic Fox - 1 pair on Votu Slough at usual site. Possibly another by Ulyik Slough Passerines Calcarius leucocercus - a true high arner much of the area, seen Territory signs ranging between 1-2 ha. Clutch sizes lower than last year, however - see nut records. Plectrophenax nivalis - nesting on its banks. Acanthus hernemannii - seen every day. 1 nesting on the Smithsonian Building stone pipe. Passerculus sandwichensis - Singing & scattered thinly in the usual place, e.g. by the Smithsonian Building and Pow-mah. I've seen describer more in previous years. GENERAL SUMMARY - All in all it is a very exciting year. Shorbirds + passerines in general are up, some greatly. None are down noticeably appreciably. Upland + lowland shorebirds have bloomed. I suspect this year's biomass data will be the highest we have ever recorded. But while shorebirds and passerines are up, luring predators and waterfowl are down. What does it all mean? For one, it reinforces my opinion that regional melt-off patterns are a driving variable. This year had a very warm spring, + the tundra was clear 5-10 days early. River breakups were early and almost whimperers compared to the violence of the last 2 years. The Isotherm Hypothesis - perhaps a critical stimulus point of the variation in density is due to variation among years in the timing of