Maclean 1968 Journal 9 June) I'm now convinced that there is an abnormally large amount of snow out there - still 86% snow covered. We can still go just about anywhere by weasel by driving on snow. Yet I saw the first blossoming Ranunculus today in two different places. Apparently the ridges, which blew off early, have had plenty of sunlight and adequate warmth, but there has not been enough of the latter to melt the snow accumulation in the lower places. Back briefly to figure snow cover, then out to lagoon by junction of Queswell Road to photograph a ♂ common eider stranded there. Dinner at the mess-hall, then out with Tom and Eona. Stopped by the lagoon again so that Tom could photograph the eider. Saw a knot there - probably ♀. Continued on to check my red-back nest and take 500 cores for Bertie's extraction. Took 8 from SW and set. Flat ca. 150 m. No. of lines IV A-B, where I saw ♂ redback from the above nest feeding. Drove up to Village Ridge - too much snow, so back to Voith area and took 8 cores from low polygon through system under new cake-eater site. Returned to purge cores in extractors, then home to write notes. Am impressed by the large numbers of turnstones in the area, and by the small