Field Notes Doug Bell Aleuties Island, S.F. Co., Calif. Weather - intermittent thundershowers Time: 10:36 - Tide - low, 1.5m rock exposed. April 20, 1988 On cistern, in blind observing gulls. High level of activity going on. 10:38 - 59 gulls on the cistern area. 3 birds might be incubating. The ♀ of pair 30 is landed - silver, left, ♂ not landed. ♂ of pair 31 landed yellow-silver, left. Looks like ♂s of pairs 33 & 36 are landed, silver left. Two courtship feeds seen so far - one was a pigeon leg, other was fish, medium sized. One attempted copulation, one successful, nest building activity too. 11:30 - 32 gulls on cistern. A pair of gulls is on the water tower - ♂ has darkened left ear. 11:48 - 2 courtship feeds seen - one of a large fish, other of anchovies. 2 copulations. Recording gull voices. 12:00 2 more copulations seen, recorded on tape. Went out to the cistern area to count nests, check for eggs: [illegible] 23 nests counted on cistern, but no eggs found. Surprising really. Back in February it seemed like this would be an early year. 13:00 - 14:30 - attempted trapping with moose rings laid out over nests (2) on perimeter west of Industry Building. Since the nests were eggless - no luck, gulls ignored the trap. Heavy rains, intermittent. I did however, surprise some gulls on the Power House, and unintentionally, cornered me along a cyclone fence. I caught it DA13 254 (234). I don't know if it was sick, but its primary tops are all quite raty. Seems to be heavy winged fat though! Other birds observed on Aleuties