FIELD NOTES DOUG BELL DATE: JUNE 8, 1985 LOCATION: Port of Olympia, Olympia, WA. TIME: 13:00 -- Spent first few hours finishing birds and getting caught up on correspondence, field notes. TIME: 17:00 - set trap out over 3 egg clutch in dredge-spill 18:00 field between log stacks and marina. Gulls alarmed at my approach. Settled back down - but they are cautious. Most birds just standing around, not even desperate to sit on nests. Very warm (70's), sunny. Paired birds showing choke displays, food begging & transfers (one seen - shrimp?). Two males squared off with uprights, whereupon an incubating female jumped off her nest and ran over to her mate - giving beg call & head toss. Males broke off, went to respective mates. Both mates gave begging calls & movements. (Group stimulation). Two other males seen fighting. Actual bill to bill grappling with wing beatings and foot pushing and kicking. Each bird tried to grab and subdue to the other's bill. One bird had the upper hand and seemed to hold the other's bill, sometimes the head, almost the whole time. The underdog kept trying to jump up, hit back with wings and push off with feet. If he did occasss? occasionally get his opponents bill, it was not for more than a few seconds. But he kept trying. The two birds were locked bill to bill for over 4 min. Underdog finally broke away and flew off, with pursuer. Winner ret circled, returned to spot. No real after reactions, other than erect standing and looking around. Looser may have also returned. An imm. Red-Tail flew over colony. Great