J P Players 1980 Calidris melanotos Grid 3, NARL, Barrow, AK 23 June (cmt'd) next cup. At 2320 she was in another. As it turned out, early in the morning of the 24th (≈D120 hrs) she laid her 1st egg in the next cup she was building at 2320. In all, I saw her work >15 different cups over the last 3 days + nightly (since 21 June). Nest cupping: begins as she creeps into new site beneath a clump of Caryx aquahilis. Begin by pressing down with breast, rising vertically (see Evening 22 June). This stage may last 3-4 minutes or only 20 sec. At the latter, then she leaves, abandoning that site. The longer sessions of milling are followed by her sitting in the cup, looking about alert, and then beginning to fidget with vegetation beside the cup, teasing it with her bill. This is mixed with periods of quiet alert. Finally she begins grabbing local lichens, Dactylium and Thamnolia, tossing them over her shoulder. (But) and after that she steps out of the nest, forward 3-4 cm, and continues to toss vegetation over her shoulder. Longer bouts of working on NC's last up to 5 min. Occasionally the β comes over, stands nearby beside her, and grants an HIG or even a RG display. 24 June At 0110 Reduced returned to the NC where she'd been at 2320. This time she simply got in without going through the breast pressing routine. She played with exuberant grasses for 5 minutes and tossed in a few lichens. After 8 minutes she began just sitting, or at least that's what it looked like. She remained in this NC for 23 minutes, during which time she LAYED HER 1ST EGG!! It had to come out some time.... Occupied with the β for 6 hours until 0520. The display frequency then dropped tremendously, only 6 bouts (because of tape recorder malfunction) I had only 316 minutes data-making for 1 hour 53 minutes). No copulation at two squawking episode. The β also spent much less time in L16 or L16/FC. It appears as if once copulation began the β spent much less energy on display, and increasingly less time with the β. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues through the duration of laying (or Redhead, this β).