Journal R.E. Johnson 1968 May 20 Amchitka Island, Alaska We wanted to take a boat out to the Kirilof Islets today & we spent a good portion of the day trying to arrange this but couldn't do so because the small boat lacks a motor the large can't be moved to the harbor just now due to reconstruction work at the harbor & etc. in morning Drove out Engineers Rd to South Right, & climbed down to water level and went around the base of the cliffs for some distance. Saw 3 or 4 Rosy Finches & heard a Winter Wren. Our primary concern was to get a better look at the Alcidae type water birds. Identified some distant birds on the ocean as Horned Puffins but couldn't be 100% certain due to the great distance involved. The color pattern, size compared to other birds, & body shape appeared correct. Saw 40+ Tufted Puffins in flight over the water & a few also on the water. These birds fly continually in rapid flight, apparently in wide circles. Seems this would take considerable energy?! Adaptive value? When & what do they eat? Pigeon Guillemots were also common on the water & occasionally in flight. Also saw a Relic Cormorant, 3 Red- breasted Mergansers (1?, 2?), & a number of Harlequin Ducks. A Bald Eagle [adult] was seen sitting at the top of a cliff.