Field notes, v1381

Johnston, John M.

1948

Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley

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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from CLIR https://archive.org/details/fieldnotesv138100john

Johnston, J. M. 1948 Species Acc't. Alaska Canada

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jm Johnston 1948 Herring Gull Larus argentatus 10 Apr. U.S.S. Baranof. Seattle - Puget Sound -> Strait of Georgia This gull was seen most frequent- ly. Constantly a flock of about 50 gulls wheeled astern and over the ship. Activity among them was stimulated whenever garbage was thrown overboard. The gulls would frantically seize upon the garbage in a gulls erramble. - Characters: light gray mantli, white trailing & leading edge of the wing, spots of black more or less solid in the primaries, bright orange TIPS OF THE. to light yellow bill with red spot on front part of lower man- dible, pink legs and feet. These showed a grading of characters into those of the Red-crewed wing- ed gulls. Flight is graceful and effort less They wheel from one side of the ship to the other bombing up sharply and falling back with the air currents as they sweep aft over the ship, or twill glide forward into the ships

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Apr. 10th Larus argentatus 2 air stream. They will glide for a minute, making very slight gain on the ship which is then being at about 11 knots. The wind is about 1->0 beaufort scale. When they cry, they open their bills to the extreme. The cry is a plaintive squawk many short, sharp, high squawks following in quick sequence or a sort of throaty hollow- cuckling squawks. They will occasionally alight on the ship on any projecting pedestal which affords enough surface for them to alight on. Often a gull will be chased off his perch by 2nd gull almost invariably as a perched gull's place is being approached by a second gull, the first one will relinquish the perch to the second. This change of occu- pants on one perch will occur every few seconds, continuing for 3-4 times until the flock becomes settled or flies away. Breast expanded when squawking

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Jim Golmeton 1948 Herring Gull. Larus argentatus #3 May Stephens Passage. 1 mi. off Snattishendlet. Large flock of these & other gulls, Blancos Blancus marged & short billed gulls been feeding on some kind of krill in the water. July Petersburg Alaska. Ames Fur Farm, Petersburg Creek On the trip down from Juneau to Petersburg I noticed the lack of Gulls around the boat. Then today when I dumped the fish scraps out on the mud flats, only the ravens (about a dozen) came to feed on the scraps. When I asked Mr. Ames about the gulls he said that they usually left these parts dur- ing the first part of June.

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Johnston Herring and other Large Gulls. +Aug Chatham Strait Off Security Bay Roosting on the vertical piling and the horizontal stringers of a fish trap. I saw the largest flock of these gulls that I have encountered in the last few days. (200 in the group) Yesterday, I saw a few (about 10) of these gulls flying over the channel near Kake. Kake is a native village situ- ated near a salmon cannery. No doubt these gulls are the first of the general population to return from the nesting grounds.

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JM Johnston 1948 Herring Gulls Larus argentatus 5 7 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska Hohlhase's Fox Farm These gulls, with Glaucous and Glaucous winged, can be heard at any time of the day, until late dusk. Duttering their calls from all parts of the Bay. One can usually hear a concentration of their calls coming from 2 or 3 lo- calized direction.. Upon search, one will see a flock of 15 or more gathered around a spot on the water, some in the air others on the water. Much noise & activity. These are feeding on kill f 13 Aug. Holkham Bay Alaska. sand spit S of Sundrum Pen. This spit runs about a mile out into the Bay. The end has a high place which be- comes a small island as the tide rises. The gulls will sit on this spit, facing the wind until the rising tide moves them

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Holmsten 1948 Herring Gulls 15 Aug. Holkham Bay Alaska. The more I watch the markings on the primaries the more uncertain I am about telling the exact difference between the Glaucous-Glaucous winged and Herring. They all fly in the same groups, along with immature ones, showing a range from pure white to black with white spots on the primaries. 22 Aug Holkham Bay - Alaska. A flock of about 50 has been sitting on the beach of Ben J. Directly across from Seal Rock, when the tide was out. They have congregated there about the time that the focus is uncovered. This has been regular for the past three days.

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J M Plimston 1948 Herring Gulls #7 23 Aug Holkham Bay - Alaska. Besides a group over on Benj I beach, a group of about 20 was sitting on Eagle I beach. As they sit facing the wind occasionally one individual will rush quickly toward another. The aggressor's head will be lowered & protruding out forward stiffly; the one attacked will always move out of the way by running or flying a few feet away. Frequently one will break the stillness of their firm quiet stance on the beach by squawking loudly. This, I think is one way they have of telling stray- gulls (or lone gulls) where a group is located. 29 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska Hokelaase's Fox Farm. A fresh breeze blew in

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M Jolmston 1946 Herring Gulls 29 Aug. from the S.E. The Gulls were seen soaring & flying high over the body (not in flocks but as individuals. (2500 ft) 31 Aug. Same A good stiff wind was blowing in from S.E. rain driving. A small flock of about a dozen were scared off the beach on the lee side of the southern tip by my approach. They flew over to Eagle I. about 200 yds away. None were soaring. 1 Sept. Same The wind had slacked off to a fresh breeze and the gulls were out soaring again

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M Johnston 1948 Surf Scoter Nyrociniae Melanitta perspicillata Apr. 10th. Middle of Strait of Georgia Opposite Vancouver, Canada. 5:00 PM a flock of 3 hens and 2 Drakes were seen flying eastward across the stern of the U.SS Baranof. The females were in the lead. They were about 500 yds from the ship. As they crossed astern one drake swung into the lead the 3 females fell in line behind him and the second drake brought up the rear. They were evenly spaced themselves with about 2 yards between. Flew about 10 ft above the water. The flock turned northward and then cut back toward the west across the bow of the ship. Characters: an orange bill, a dark brown black body, except for two white patches over the forehead and over the back of the crown. Larger than most ducks. Hens without the white head patches

J Johnston 1948 Surf Scoters 26 Apr. Juneau, Alaska. Gastineau Chan. at Douglas Bridge. A flock of about 25 were swimming and sliriz in the water over the mud flats. Tide was in water over flats was about 10 feet deep. 25 May Gastineau Channel 0.5 mi north of Marmion Is. A flock of about 50 were scared up as our boat approached them in mud channel. They started on a northerly course up the chan or taking off, but re- curved to a southerly course then the chan, with the wind. 11 Aug. Holham Bay Alaska Channel 500 yards N. of Eagle Is. In a clear spot of the ebb tide here, a massive flock of these birds were floating on the calm water. (Water was littered with ducks for a half mile - in a string more or less 100 yds wide) They?

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J.M. Johnston 1948 Surf Scoters 2 11 Aug drew my attention by a marked increase in the sound of their flapping over the face of the water and the whistling of their wings as they skitter along the surface. Generally a few are moving about always in such a large flock. Whole sections of the flock would skitter one way - then turn another way. Then I saw four killer whale racing in about 5 through the flock of scoters. The whales would ride high in the water, going perhaps 20 mi per hour. I did not actually see them engulfing the ducks, but if closer view could have been taken this is more than likely what was happening. 13 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska 0.5 mi east of Crow Island. The flock stretches from here across the Bay toward Baright. Of the ones near me about 1/2 are American Scoters and

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JM Johnston 1948 Surf Scoters 13 Aug. the other half Surf Scoters (with one white patch on their forehead rather than the two patches such as the ones seen in Eastinean Channel. I am using the male individuals of the flock in this comparison. 14 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska same flock seen about in the same place today. 14 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska There is no way of telling just how many there are but today the flock seems bigger than before extending from East of Crow In. to Harbor Island. 25 Aug. Holkham Bay - Alaska. 000°T, 1.8 mi from Bar light. A white winged scoter was seen with a flock of the one white patch Surf Scoters.

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"G.M Johnston Surf Scoters 4 31 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska. Channel between Harbor I. + Eagle I. A southeaster has been blowing for the past two days - steady cloumpour, closed in, temp down about 5°. First light snow on the mountain tops yesterday. The Scoters have stayed in this stered channel and the lee side of Har- or island. The only different behavior in this nasty weather is that they will rise up out of the water and shake the water off more frequently. In the sunny weather, one might see a scoter stand up every 2-5 seconds while watching a group of perhaps a hundred. In the wet weather one will see perhaps five ducks at a time stand, one all the time at any moment you look at the. The reason why the Scoters have been kept previously, in good weather, scattered all over the Bay is because there have been an abundance of Needle fish, (about 4" long, and another species of the

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J.M. Golmster. 1948 Surf Scoters 5 31 Aug. Smelt family, about 6" long in the bay, as evidenced by the frequency of seeing seal and porpoise, the manner of feeding & numbers of the Bechapartt Bulls, the number of Marbled Murrelets, and the fact that five King Salmon Trolling boats have taken about 4000 lbs of K.S. (from the 22nd until the 27th) The K.S were invariably full of needle fish when inspection of gut was made. There have been an abundance of the small fish because the water has been loaded with phosphorescent plankton. The luminescence in the water at night is fantastic.

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Johnston 1948 Journal April 10th March USS Baranof. Seattle -> Puget Sound Strait & Kenai about 50 gulls followed the ship all day - squawking incessantly. About 85% Herring gulls, 12% Glaucous winged, a flock of unidentified small birds debarked gulls were seen in the Active Pass. 1 Short Billed gull was seen when the ship was 5 miles N of Active Pass. 20% of total seen Glaucous few Glaucous winged many Herring abundant Western grebe ! Brandts Cormorant many Short Billed Gull Surf Scoter gull " small, black headed

JM Johnston Herring Gull Larus argentatus 11 Apr. USS Baranot Calvert, St. Canada 5 miles S. of Queen Charlotte Island. When making a landing on the water this gull will glide slowly down to the water into the wind. When about 2 ft above the water where it desires to alight, it will lower its legs and fan its tail downward spreading the tail feathers wider. This tends to make the bird slow to almost zero forward speed. The long axis of the body tips upward as the bird stalls out. The downward dropping of the legs is continued until the legs swing forward a little. The feet are spread, toes raised so that the hallux hits the water first. The web of the feet act as shock absorbers and the bird bodily settles onto the water. The wings are undulated rather quickly just after the

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11 Aya. Herring Gull Stallout is completed up until the time the bird settles in the water. They are then folded back over the body.

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Bald Eagle Buteoninae Haliaeetus leucocephalus 11 Apr. Finlayson Channel B.C. USS Baranof Near southern part of Roderick Is. On the island west of Roderick island, near the second mountain from the southern tip of the island, four bald eagle were seen. They were easily identified by their large size, black wings and white head and tail. At first only one was seen. It soared and flew out over Finlayson Channel from the valley between the 1st + second mountain. (Look my south thru the channel this is the profiles of the two moun- tains referred to:) 2nd. 1st The eagle was flying at about 300- 400 feet altitude. The ship had thrown garbage over the side and the sea gulls, about 50, in number had swarmed onto the garbage. The eagle flew

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11 April Bald Eagle almost directly over the garbage then swooped down to it at an angle of about 80°. slideslip- ping and drawing in its wings part way. It leveled off before nearing the water then became quite close to the water where the garbage floated. I was not certain whether it ate any. It did not attack any of the gulls. After making one pass at the garbage it mounted back up to the altitude pre- viously occupied but at a slow rate of climb (perhaps 45°) it flew back toward Mt. #2 Three or four minutes later two more bald eagles came from the area of Mt. 2 and pro- ceeded toward the garbage. Then another one about a minute later, and a 4th bald eagle came out a minute or more after that. These more passes at the gar- bage like the first bald eagle, they mounted back up to 3-400 feet. They continued to soar around, and make sleuts to the garbage as.

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11 April. Bald Eagle long as we were in sight of them On Roderick Island on the East side of Finlayson Channel is a water fall about 200 feet above sea level. The fall is about a mile north of the 2 mountains referred to. [Let.] The ship made a sharp turn into a channel in its northward course. Near Roderick Island opposite where the ship turned two more Bald Eagles were seen soaring at the same height as the others. They soar gracefully and will occasionally flap their wings. :50 PM Opposite the lower inlet about 8 mi below Swanson Bay. I saw a Bald eagle soar down toward the wake of the ship about 200 yards distant. The eagle leveled off slowly and approached the water near enough to snatch a morsel of garbage with its talons and when it commenced a slow ascent to the mountain on the west of Finlayson Channel To write.

1 April. Bald Eagle slowly reaching an altitude of about 75 feet. It flew, flapping its wings most of the way. Soared around the trees making progress northward about 206 yds. along the mountain side. It was lost from view. About five minutes later, 2 eagles were seen soaring at about 500 ft altitude over this same area.

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Jim Johnston 1948 Bald Eagle. 5 17 Aug Holkan Bay, Alaska 1/2 mi east of bay on Duck Creek. As I came near a place in the stream where the water ran 2-3 mchu. sleep over gravel bar, a mature Bald Eagle flew up & away across the stream. At the place where it flew up were the remains of a freshly killed Humpback Sal- mon. He had probably seized the fish out of the shallow- place in the stream in its attempt to traverse the shallow rapids. When taking off from tree tops, they will drop down forty-fifty feet before getting up normal flying speed. Drop is gradual - at 5° slope.

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M Johnston 1948 Short Bill Gull Larus canus Swanson Graham Reach Tolmie Channel B.C. 11 April Swanson Bay - Finlayson Channel 1/2 mile below Swanson Bay. Six of these gulls were seen flying about 100 yds off the western shore. These gulls flew lazily along northward with about the same speed as the ship (11 kts) perhaps a little faster. The flaps of their wings are not as [illegible] as the Herring gull. They were identified by the white head, body and tail, gray mantle, black wing tips with white spots near the end of the primaries, giving the appearance of white on the extreme wing tips. They did not fly too long after the ship like the other gulls did but kept about 100 yds off shore. They would fly at about 50 foot level and would occasionally wheel sharply swooping down to the water and alighting to pick some thing out of the water. Would stay on the water only a

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11 April Short Billed Gull few seconds and then would take off to resume flight at 50 foot level. Descent would be at about 45° Graham Reach and Tolmie Channel are deep passages, one continuing without break into the other. It is about 1/2 mi wide with high mount ains rising steeply on either side. The Short billed gull that we saw yesterday was seen near Active Pass B.C. which has very much the same physical conditions as this passage. We did not see short bill gulls in the wide, not closed in by mountains passages.

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JM Johnston 1948 Raven Corvidae Corvus corax 12 Apr. Ketchikan, Alaska. Main road 1 mi s. of Town. A very large black bird was seen perched on a bare limb (8" diam) of a conifer, the feathers on the throat were partially separated from one another giving the throat a ragged appearance. The sounds it uttered were a resonous, crrruumuck - The sound centered around one tone for several repe- titions but occasionally one crunch would des- cend through about four full tones. 28 April. Juneau, Alaska - Eastman Chmn. 500 ft. N. of Douglas Bridge. A group of four were seen feeding on the fuchsia beds, west side of chmn. They walk slowly along- pecking here + there at the clumps of fuchsia. Flew to conif- ers west side W Juneau Rd. One alighted in the top part of

Holmston 1948 Ravens. 28 April, a conifer - others kept on going. The one that alighted kept up a series of crunches, one every 3-4 seconds. Some of the sounds are raucous + flat - others are resonous, and occasionally he uttered a liquid like sound that is pleasing to hear. 9 June. Juneau, Alaska 0.5 N. of Douglas Bridge, W. Juneau Rd. The ravens are seen every day flying about the woods - alighting in the tree tops. Rarely do they drop below tree top level because there is not enough space amongst the trees for them to fly. One can dis-tin-guish them as they fly over the house by the rustling sound of their feathers. When they utter their resonous "cruch" sound, it seems to fill the whole quietness of the woods. It is reported that the native tribe (Thlinglet) reveres the bird as an object of worship (ancient custom). That is why likenesses of the bird are

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Rowen 3 9 June seen as the top character on their totem poles - saw several of these in the village in Ketlikson. 12 July Petersburg Alaska Ames Fur Farm Petersburg Creek There are a group of about 8 ravens that frequent the place where we dump all the fish scraps, cleanings etc every day. This place is about in the middle of the intertidal zone, and the ravens will be found there when the scraps are first covered and will remain until everything edible is cleaned up. They pick the meat off the flounder & salmon heads. Salmon (dog's humpy) roe seem to be a choice diet to them. They rarely squabble with each other over the feed, each going about his own business slowly picking at the scraps. They are aroused easily. Nearly the opening of the door of the fish house 150 feet from them will put them to flight.

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PM Johnston 1948 Raven 21 July Petersburg Alaska Ame's Fish Farm, Petersburg Creek A conifer near the fish house is a favorite spot for ravens to perch. Today two were per- ched on the top of the tree both rehearsing their repertoire of sounds. On other days there has been only one. There does not seem to be any significance attached to their "singing". They make these sounds while flying as well as when perched. They alight in this lone tree more than others because it affords an easy place for them to land on. One is just as likely to hear them singing anywhere in the wood as here. They have been singing in this fashion ever since I came in April. Perhaps this singing is merely the expression of an intrinsic behavior pattern. Perhaps their singing behavior is compara- able to the dropping behavior of Cal Jays or Water Owls.

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J M Johnston 1948 Raven 27 July Petersburg Alaska Ames Fur Farm. The tide was at low ebb and a flock of about 30 Short Billed Gulls were standing at rest on a sandy shoal. A raven was perched on a rotten stump on the opposite side of the creek. The raven took off in his slow casual manner heading straight for the gulls. The gulls dispersed in a hurry and the raven alighted on the shoal just as though the gulls had not been there. After alighting he merely stepped around on the shoal in his slow way, did not attempt to put out the gulls. Stayed amiss site then flew off. ? ? ? 28 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska Sumdum Pt. Old deep woods. A raven was heard flying over the tree tops "singing." This is typical of the way they are seen here.

J.M. Johnston 1948 Paridae Chestnut Backed Chickadee Penthestes rufescens 12 Apr. Ketchikan, Alaska. Main road 1 mi S. of town. This little bird was seen hopping from twig to twig among the sprigery branches of a poplar type tree alongside the road. It had a blackish cap, the bottom demarcation running straight back from the bill just below the eye. The vertex of a white wedge began at the base of the bill hanging out down the cheek. Blacks covered the throat. The backs & sides were rufous. The wings a dark dusky gray with small patches of white. It was feeding off the new recently put out leaf buds. The outside byacts were just beginning to peel back. The chickadee would peel off the brackes and then eat the tender young leaves.

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12 Apr Chestnut Backed Chickadee of the bud. Occasionally in order to secure the bud, the chickadee would swing his body under the branchlet on which it had perched, he would not hang by a free hold, loose on the branchlet but would grip the branchlet tight so that his body would be fixed at any angle around the branchlet. Two others were seen in the same group of poplars. These birds stayg about 15 feet apart as they floraged over the tree. Birds seen at Ketchikan chestnut back chickadee Raven, Fox Sparrow- Oregon Junco- Robin Greater Scap. Herring gull.

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M Johnston 1948 Chestnut Backed Chickadee Penthestes rufescens 4 June Juneau, Alaska 0.5 mi N. of Douglas Bridge, West Juneau Rd. A pair of these birds were seen going to and fro from the surrounding conifers to a hole in an upright rotten stump. Frequently they would give their "chuck-ahlee" call - One bird would enter the hole in the stump and remain there until the other bird came back to the vicinity of the stump announcing its presence with the "chuck-a-lee" call. The bird that had been in the stump would emerge from the hole & fly away. The waiting bird would enter the hole. They would be carrying bits of food in their bills upon returning to the stump from the surrounding wood. The stump was about 1 foot high / 14" in diam - with several woodpecker holes scattered around on it. The Chickadees were using one of these holes which

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Mildmilton 194 Chestnut Backed Chickadee June (con'd) was about 5 feet from the ground. Upon examination, I found six fledgeling chickadees crowled into a pocket like nest about six inches below the opening in the stump. The pocket was about as large as my fist. The fledgelings had a complete set of juvenile feathers but could not fly yet. The parents set up a "racket" in protest. They both remained within 15 feet of the nest, hopping from branch to branch in the goose berry bushes around the nest, giving their "chuckadee" frequently and much more forcefully than before. Three minutes after I had ceased examining the nest they commenced feed- ing the young as before. The nest was lined with bits matted hair fibres and feathers.

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G Melvin 1948 Chestnut Backed Chickadee Corvus brachyrymus Corvus 21 Aug Hokham Bay - Alaska - Kohlhase's Foxfarm, Harbor Island. Heard a flock of about 12 in the mid section of the conifers They were working their way thru the conifers going from branch to branch by slight jumps flights about 3-4 feet average length. 27 Aug. Hokham Bay. Alaska 0630T, 2.0 mil from Baright. Everyday since Tuesday a flock of two have been heard high overhead in the canopy of foliage, 80 or more feet from ground. of the conifer forest

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M Johnston 1948 Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Corvidae 2 May Harbor Island, Alaska, Core S.E. part of island. There is a flock, perhaps 50 or more that stay in the vicinity of the buildings on the southern tip of the island. Constantly they create pandemonium with their raucous mell, flying about the conifers where they nest, sometimes chasing each other. They give one the impression of a quarrelsome squabbling family. Generally when they are flying they will utter the raucous "caws". There is a wailing like sound that they give only while perched in the conifers. Sounds like "Maaaooh-wa- maaoooh". Another party is heard only while they are perched. This is a series of clucks, coughs, cracks etc. that will start slowly the sounds coming in clear

G.M. Johnston 2 May succession. The jargon continues perhaps a minute then will be increased in volume + frequency of sounds gradually increase until it will end in a frenzied garble. 22 June. Harbor Island, Alaska Kohlhase's Fox Farm A group of six were seen on the beach in the focus zone while the tide was out. The crows are still carrying on in the conifers around the farm. A raven flew across the lower tip of Har- bor Island from the direction of Benz Island - about 50ft above the tree tops. A group of fifteen or so crows arose from the conifers making a hell of a racket - Took out after the raven, diving on him flying all around him until he was a half mile away.

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Myronston 1948 Crows. 10 Aug. Harbor Island, Alaska Kohlhase's Fox Farm. The flock of Crows that did stay in the vicinity of the buildings on Harbor Island now reside on Ben's Island on the south eastern part 21 Aug. Holkham Bay - Alaska. At an hour after sundown a large flock of perhaps 400 Crows were seen flying at 1000 ft. over Graves D? toward Pt. Ashley. 23 Aug. Holkham Bay - Alaska. About sundown this flock was seen flying at about 1000 ft northwestward over Ben's Island toward Eagle Island. Perhaps this time the flock presented itself in a more loose formation, but it looked four times as big as it was on the 21st

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"W Johnston 1948 Common Loon. Gavia immer Gaviidae. 14 May Frederick Sound 3mi S of Five Fingers Light. 7mi. W. Faushaw. Two seen swimming on surface. Would occasionally dive. Length of dive 30-45 seconds. length of surface float longer than dive. 9 Aug. Holbam Bay. Southern point of Harbor Island. One heard off the west side of the island uttering the laughing call at intervals of about 5 seconds. Several minutes later (15) one was seen drifting + swimming with the incoming tide be- tween S. point H.I. & Ben's I. did not dive. A pair, first seen 500ft to S.W. of Southern point H.I. Summer plungeage. On one, the white band about neck was a shade more gray looking.. They were not making any sounds. Swimming with the incoming tide around

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J.M.Johnston 1948 Common Loon. Gavia immer Gaviidae 9 Aug.-the southern tip of the island (N.E.-ward) When I slanted my binoculars, they turned back the way they had come, surprising hard for about 10 feet. Then relaxed again & continued their previous course. About every 5 sec. they would slip their bills under the water. Traveled 100 ft before diving. Stayed under 21 sec. Up. Com- menced slipping bills again, Swimming slowly, they traveled about 50 feet then dove again (34 second between dives. Up again in 17 seconds. Dove in 12 sec. By now they were opposite the tip of the island. The dis- tance from where they dove to where they came up was about 460 feet. Down again after a float on the surface of about 7 seconds. Continued diving until were out of sight around Eagle Head. Their dive is smooth. Hardly any splash. Head goes down first. No splashes than a dive

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M Johnston 1948 Common Loon 3 29 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska Channel between Harbord. & Eagle I. A pair seen swimming and diving with the current as it passed northwestward thru Chan. Both in winter plumage. 2 Sept Holkham Bay Alaska S.E. cave, Harbor Island. Three in winter plumage seen swimming slowly around in the cove. Did not dive for 3 or 4 minutes. Dove - stayed under 28 seconds - came up about in same place. - Swimming + dipping their bills. One unfolded its wings and held them outward in a drooping arch for about 5 seconds then stood up shook its wings then settled back into the water. A second one did the same a minute later. These were within 50 ft of shore, water about 2 fathom

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J M Johnston 1948 Barn Swallow Hirundo erythrogaster Hirundinidae 5 May Harbor Island, Alaska. Kohlhase's Fox Farm. Two were seen cavorting in and around the build- ings. They frequently fly into the porch of the main residence where Mr Kohlhase has made a perch for them of a shingle protruding hor- izontally from the wall. There are very few moments when they are not chatter- ing.. A favourite spot for one of them (may be both) is on the south peak of the shop roof - where it will sit & chatter for a minute at a stretch. 7 May These two seen as they flew out of the porch. 8 May Two seen flying over shop. 19 July Petersburg, Alaska Amer Fnd Farm Petersburg Creek. A pair had made their nest

G.M. Plimpton 1948 Barn Swallow 2 19 July inside the front porch just over the door. They raised five young. A wire was stretched across the porch on the same level with the nest about a foot away from it. When the young were old enough to fly they would perch on this wire nearest the nest, side by side & just as close to each other as they could squeeze. 29 July Petersburg, Alaska Ames Fir Farm. Have not noticed the swallows. Perhaps they have been gone a day or so ago. 6 Aug Hothorn Bay, Alaska Kobliare's Fox Farm, Harbor Island. Two swallows flew out of the porch when I came in this evening about dusk (2100)

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M Johnston 1948 Barn Swallow 3 9 Aug. Holbham Bay - Alaska Koblhase's Fox Farm Harbor Is. Saw two swallows flying in the yard, about the buildings. 16 Aug. Holbham Bay Alaska. Entrance to Duck Creek. Six swallows were seen fly- ing in a scattered flock about a hundred feet high south- ward along the shore. They were cavorting along in their usual erratic flight.

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J M Johnston 19048 Old Squaw Duck. Clangula hyemalis Nyroinae 7 May Harbor Island, S.E. part. These ducks seen in groups of 4-10 in the shallow water 5ft-15ft around the southern end of the island. Identified by their melodious quacking and summer plumage. Song starts with one or several short squeaks or whistles which seem to reluctantly follow each other, then the song concludes quickly with the musical pattern which ascends in three distinct tones - o-sk-a-link. These ducks dive and will stay non-dier for 30-40 seconds. Their voices can be heard almost any time of the day.

JM Johnston. 1948 Old Squaw Clangula hyemalis Nyrocina 7 May. Holkham Bay. Harbor Island West Cove. Almost at any time of the day, these ducks may be seen and heard around the southern tip of the island where the water is about 2 fathom deep, diving or flying about. They usually travel in small flocks of 5 or 10. Each flock will dive at about the same time & surface together. As soon as they surface, immediately the musical sound is uttered. Dive is fast, head over quick & down with a plink. 21 May. Same place Not heard or seen as frequently as the first part of May. 15 June - Same place None to be heard or seen. 9 Aug. Same place North -

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G M Johnston 1948 Brouse 15 May. Seymour Canal, Alaska Pleasant Bay - Since we entered the Bay and anchored about 8 PM. a continual whoooomp, whooomp, whooomp, a low, resonant sound that seems to come from all directions around the bay, has been heard. It has no breaks - contin- ues steadily.. Mr. Kohlwus said it was the Brouse. Whether it is one or a num- ber of brouse making the sound I can't tell. It sounds as though it would be made by only one because of its constancy * but yet it is heard from all parts of the woods perhaps its resonant qual- ty gives it this non- directional aspect. * and unglues of sound coming consecutively in rhythm. 17 May Holkham Bay, Alaska N side Sundum Pen. Same sound heard.

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"M Johnston 1948 Otter Lutra 15 May Seymour Canal, Alaska. Pleasant Bay - In the late dusk about 10.30 an Otter was seen swimming about 100 feet from our boat. Mr. Kofhave identified it as an otter saying that it could be distinguished from a seal by the small neck of the head and that only an inch of head was seen above the water. Also, he said the size of the ripple away from the headol was smaller than that of seal. To me it looked like a black object on the dead calm water. It dove - came up in about twenty seconds swam about 50 feet, in a N.E. direction across the Bay, generally near the deep channel of the Bay, dove again and we saw it no more.

I.M Johnston Otter Lutra 2 16 May. Stephens Passage Alaska 1.5 mi S of entrance to Snellisham 1400 A warm sunny day, gentle breeze. An otter was been standing on a rocky about four feet above the water, part of a rocky point that jutted about 30 yds out from shore. It was facing the water. After remaining still for about a minute, it began humping its rear end up and down. Kept this humping motion up for about ten seconds, making one up & down motion per second. It disappeared over the rocks.

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Swainson Thrush 17 May Holkham Bay - Alaska North shore Dundum Peninsula. One heard singing in the woods. 9 June Juneau, Alaska 2 Blocks N of Small Boat Harbor. At 11:30 PM it is as light as it would be in California (L.A.) a few minutes before dawn or after sunset. A Swainson Thrush was singing as though it were mid day. It is the only one I hear singing thought at this time. 22 July Petersburg, Alaska Ames Fish Farm, Petersburg Creek. Hear one singing most every day. 14 Aug. Holkham Bay - Alaska Kohlhases Fish farm - Huler Lake Haven't heard any since I arrived here on 6 Aug.

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JM Johnston 1948 Black Bear 17 May Holkham Bay, Alaska N side Dundon Pen. An adult Black Bear was seen on the beach from the boat. There were three cubs with her, two black and one brown. The cubs cavort ed about the adult. 26 May. Holkham Bay, Alaska Cove, N shore, entrance to Tracy Arm A big Blackie was rolling in the wheat like grass just above the beach. It tumbled off into the wood as we neared the shore. 28 May Holkham Bay, Alaska W side, peninsula, near Bar Light A blackie was seen on the shore in the grass belt just above the beach, eating the grass.

M. Johnston 1948 Hair Seal. 19 May Holkham Bay, Alaska Chan. 0.5 mi S of Chundum Pen. These seal have been seen frequently, perhaps at the rate of one a day sometimes as many as fifteen in a day since we have been fishing in these waters. When they are seen they are usually about 100 yds from the boat, with only their head show- ing. Occasionally one will raise its head & neck out of water about a foot, to see the boat. They are always looking toward the boat when they raise that high out of the water. They will stay raised high out of water only for a seconds at the longest. usually shorter. If a motion of one's arms is made while they are watching in this raised stance, they will submerge immediately. Usually they are seen mor-

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JM Johnston 1948 Hair Seal 29 May ing along the surface with only their nose and the crown of their head showing. They move at a rate of about 1 ft/sec. If they are not disturbed they will swim along the surface 20 to 30 feet before submerg- ing. On days when the water is smooth they are seen more frequently. On rough days it is difficult to see them when surfaced because of the choppy surface. Today we were moving along at about 5 knots when a seal surfaced 30 feet ahead of us. Seeing the boat it immediately flopped itself forcefully on its side in order to submerge quickly. 12 June Endicott Arm, Alaska 1 mi SW Dawes Glacier. On the drifting icebergs

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JM Johnston 1948 Hair Seals 3 12 June that break off of the Glacier, and mill around in the counter current near the north wall of the Arm, a herd of about 150 real lay like large saus- age. They lie on the low flat topped bergs which afford places for them to crawl up onto the bergs. This was about 1:30 P.M. The sun was shining bril- liantly, the reflection of the side of the almost vertical walls of the Arm intensified the heat so that we had to strip to our T-shirts to feel comfortable. Wind was dead calm. Within three seconds after the first shots were fired at them, the whole herd was in the water. We hunted them in this area for the next four hours About 4:00 P.M. a wind commenced to blow off the glacier made us put on every available piece of clothing. It blew at about 125 Kts and was icy cold. Sun still shining

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McGonnet 1948 Hair Seal 4 12 June. About 5:30 P.M. the seal became scarce wouldn't see one for fifteen minutes at a stretch. We then left that area and went up into a branch fjord off Endicott Arm to escape the wind. A turbulent torrent perhaps 100 feet wide poured down into this inlet from a dead glacier a mile or more back up in the deep canyon. A shallow shelf existed at the end of this inlet due to the gravel mud that was brought down with torrent from the dead glacier where the stream emptied into the inlet we noticed violent splashes along the surface near the shore. These splashes were made by seal that were surfacing with such force that they would hurl themselves half out of water. One of these was shot. The contents of its stomach

McGilmour 1948 Hair Seal 5 12 June showed that it had been feeding on shrimp. The shrimp showed little sign of being digested which indicated that they had not been eaten more than a half hour before the seal was killed. These seal are yellowish gray with dark brown spots about the size of a 50c piece scattered at about 1 foot intervals over their body. A gradation of gray tends from a yellowish gray to a dark blue-gray. Occasionally a pup will be seen swimming immediately behind its mother. The mother's head shows normal size & the pup's head is about 1/2 size. The pup will swim within 2 feet behind the mother. It is fairly easy to run a sow and her pups down. That is, chase them with the boat until firing range is reached because the pup can not swim fast and

JM Grinchen 1948 Hair Seal cannot stay or does not stay. 2 June can not stay under as long as the adult. The sow will stay with the pup even though she realize that danger is near. We chased one particular sow & her pup. The pair would submerge and the pup came up about fifty feet away. about 10 seconds later then the sow came up. About five seconds later they both submerged. Thirty feet away the pup surfaced. The sow came up a second later, grabbed him in her mouth just behind the head & pulled him under. About fifty feet farther on they came up again and we shot them. The mother sank. The pup was 2 1/2 inches long. It's umbilical cord still attached 2 inches long. Mr Kohlssee said that new born pups are about 1/2 the length of the mother.

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JM Johnston 1946 Pigeon Guillemot Cephus columba Alcidae 23 May Holkham Bay - Alaska Bite, N.E. corner of Ben's Island. A black duck like bird with red feet and legs, white patch on wing, but with a slender bill, flew in thru the channel between Ben's I. + Harbor I. from outer bay, turned toward Ben's I. and swooped upward alight- ing in the rocks about 30 ft. above the water. It had been flying about 6-8 ft above the water. These rocks are rugged, nearly vertical up from water. This bird would be safe here in the rocks from the foxes that inhabit the island. 25 May Harbor Island Alaska. southern pt of Harbor Island. (Hand) This same bird was seen flying about 8 ft off the water from the rocks at the N.E. corner of Ben's I. (S.westward) out thru the channel between Harbor I.

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Pigeon Guillemot 1948 25 May (cont) and Ben's do. to the outer bay. It flies fast about 30 mph, with a peculiar tilting to the left & right of its course. It looks as tho the bird intends to make a wide sweeping curve to the right, naturally tilting its body in that direction. Then after following this curve to the right for 100 yds it will tilt its body to the left making a wide curve to the left. This alternating of course continues. 8 July Petersburg, Alaska Mid channel Wrangell Narrows between Petersburg Creek & the Town. Saw two of these ducks. They were swimming on the surface but took off flying eastward thru the channel when our ship approached to within 100 ft. of them.

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M Johnston 1948 Pigeon Guillemot 3 12 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaskan Chan. Between Benis D + Harbor Is. Saw a P. Guillemot swimming and diving about 100 ft off the Seal rock at the S. pt. of H.I. It was progressing out thru the channel with each successive dive - Current running out. 18 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaskan Pt mid part of East shore of Harbor Is. About 200 yds off this point which is high & rocky I saw four P. Guillemots swimming and diving. Their dives are about 30 seconds in duration but their float on the water after each dive may be three or four minutes. They are wary and will start swimming away from me when the skiff approaches within 300 ft. When I come within about 100 ft of them, two flew away westward toward Stephens Passage and set

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M Johnston 1948 Pigeon Guillemot 18 Aug (cont) slow in the water about 50 yds from where they had been. When I came within about 75 feet the remaining two flew toward the St. Harbor Island, and alighted perhaps 100 yds off shore. 19 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska Chan. East of Harbor Island. Saw three P.G. about in the same place that I saw them yesterday. They were diving the same flying- just swimming + diving. 24 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska Chan. east of Eagle Island. tainer When the P.G. takes off, it's body up to about 30-40° angle from the horizontal, flaps its wings quickly and paddles with its feet along the surface of the water for about 4 ft. Then lifts into the air staying close to the water at first - gradually attaining visual flying height (6-8 ft)

M Johnston 1948 Turdus migratorius 27 June Juneau, Alaska 1.5 mi N. of Douglas Bridge, W Juneau Rd. One seen flying from clump of low bushes on one side of road to the conifers on other side of road. It is rare that a robin is seen in comparison to the large flocks that one is used to seeing in states 28 June Same as above. A group of about twelve were seen flying, in a scattered flock, in the area on the north side of the road that had once been burned off but had now grown up with alders, blue berries, eldeberry and salmon berry bushes. Some of this flock were seen to fly into the conifers on the west side of the road. We called this new growth area "the prairie" because of its open expanse in comparison to the dense woods.

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C.W Johnston 19048 Turdus migratorius. 10 July Petersburg, Alaska. Ames Fm Farm - Petersburg Creek Immediately following a heavy down pour of rain, a robin emerged from a fifteen foot bush with the feathers of its head, back & breast thoroughly wetted. It proceeded to comb them out with its bill. They are frequently seen around the farm, that is, they may be seen singly or in pairs when ever one looks for them. 21 July. Same place as above. A group of about ten robins were flying in & out of shrubs & large bushes covering an area of about half an acre to the West of the milk sheds. They seem to be making more of a rumppus with their chattering call. Perhaps they seem most noisy than usual because they rather the chattering

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Johnston 1948 Turdus migratorius 3 21 July (cont) when they take off in flight, and they are mov- ing about in rather restless fashions. 24 July Petersburg, Alaska Anes Fod Farm, Petersburgsk. A young robin flew against the glass window today killing himself. I would not have noticed that it was a young one had it not been killed so that close examination could be made. 7 Aug. Hokhlam Bay - Harbor Island. Hohlase's Fod Farm. Aladria A group of 8-10 robins seen flying about in the Alders + Devil Club near the shore on the south-eastern part of the island. 9 Aug Same place One robin seen from back porch

J.M. Johnston 1948 Robin 4 18 Aug. 15:30. Hollsham Bay, Alaska Kohlhase's Fd Farm, Harbor Island A lone robin was perched squarely on the top most bough of a 70FT conifer. It nearly dsat with its head drawn down on its body, uttering a thin, high plaintive note at about 4 second intervals. 20 Aug. Same saw two near the sand beach, NE end of island. 27. Aug. Hollsham Bay, Alaska Sundrum Pen. two heard & seen in the tops of the conifers - old, slap Sawood.

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J M Johnston 1948 Varied Thrush. 7 June Juneau, Alaska 0.5 mi N of Douglas Bridge, W. Juneau Rd. A Varied Thrush has been seen frequently around the back yard. It gathers crumbs & table scraps that have been thrown out from the house into the conifers to the west of the house. It always flies to [illegible] the same place about half way up the 75 ft Spruce trees and disappears as it flies deep into the woods. 27 July. Petersburg, Alaska Ames Fair Farm, Petersburg Creek One killed itself by flying into a window. I seen short [illegible] every day about the ranch. 15 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska Kohlhase's Box Farm, Harbors. One was to seen fly from the potato patch to the conifers to the north of the yard.

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JM Golmston 1948. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Ardeidae 26 July. Petersburg, Alaska Ardea Fur Farm Petersburg Creek. One was seen flying northward from the flats up the creek. It was dusk, 1/2 hr after sundown. The heron was flying at about 100 ft Elevation. It alighted on the top of a conifer that had had the upper branches knocked off, so that the branches on which the bird perched were stout (2-3 in diam). 29 July. Same as above. This G.B. Heron was wading at the waters edge in the mud flat like slough south west of the ranch. The tide was flooding. 8 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska. Southern point of Harbor Island. One flew from Bens' Is. to Harbor Island perched on the limb of a spruce 20 feet from the ground. 75 ft from where I stood. stayed a minute, then flew west over ths.

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F.M. Johnston 1964+8 Great Blue Heron 2 2 Sept. Holkham Bay Alaska. Wohlhases Fox Farm At dusk, three were seen flying northwestward along the southern shore of the island

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JM Johnston 1948 Brown Bear 1 July Holkham Bay, Alaska Mainland shore N. of Dundum Island This bear was walking about on the Fucus flat, the tide was low. He had its head down to the ground as if he were grubbing in the fucus beds. A shot was fired over the bear's head to scare him. It began running toward the wood but slowed to a walk after proceeding a hundred feet - another shot spurred him into a gallop again & he slowed again - finally disappeared into the bushes at the base of the wood. When the bear galloped, it's hind feet would be brought forward & spraddled apart. His front legs straight down between his spraddled hind legs. Next step these legs would be stretched forward & backward.

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Johnston 1948 Brown Bear July, then brought together as described before. This brown bear was about the same size as the other black bears that were seen. Perhaps these brown + black bears are color phases of the same species

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M Johnston 1948 Pandion haliaeetus Osprey Pandioninae 3 July Entrance of Wrangell Narrows 1 mi west of Petersburg, Alaska The gray cod were numerous and engaged in feeding on shrimp shells & scrap shrimp from Sheldon's Shrimp picking plant. They would break the surface. An Osprey took its observation position at a height of about 75 feet from the water - Flying (at times soaring) into the wind (5 kts.) Never keeping a vigilance, when a fish was sighted he would fold his wings almost back to his body & plummet at about 75° (into / toward) the water. Often he would swoop up again before hitting the water because the fish had vanished. A few times he would dive clear under, after about 20 minutes & approx. 20 dives he caught a fish.

FM Johnston 1948 Porpoise. 15 July Entrance to New Post Walter Baranof I. Alaska. A school of about eight met the Yakobi about 3/4 mi off the en- tiance. They dart back & forth in front off the bow in a tack ing fashion. Will swim about 6-10 feet below the surface. Movement of the horizontal tail flukes is about 4 to the second. Our boat was traveling at 10 Kts & the porpoise would exceed our speed by half again that much (15 Kts). They turn sharply, rolling slightly to the inside in the direction they wish to take. The front flippers are extended down tail an angle of about 20° from the body while swimming on the straight-a-way - but when a turn is executed, the front flippers are raised almost to a horizontal position. While swimming in this fast manner they will

Porpoise 5 July. break water every 15-20 seconds. The rear dorsal flukes are kept in continuous rhythmic un- dulation, except when breaking water for a breath. During the time that the air is expanded & a new breath taken the flukes are held still or almost so. When they turn the magnitude of the turn is seldom more than 45° This is because of the difficulty in check- ing their forward motion. Sharper turns can be executed at the fast speed, but are more likely to occur at slow speeds 27 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska 337° T, 1.6 mil from Bar Light The porpoise have been seen every day about the Bay. They are roll- ing & blowing in the slow man- er that indicates they are fish- ing or traveling slowly. This one particular one is the first one that I have seen blow-

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J.M Johnston 1948 Porpoise 27 Aug. differently than the usual roll breaking the surface & exhaling immediately, followed by an immediate inhalation & x and inhale re- quire a second, or less to complete. This one rolled to the surface exposing the upper part of his head and about two feet of his back centewise - Highest part 6" above the surface. Made four complete exhaleds + inhales before submerging... 25 sec- onds later, it surfaced about 50 yds from first place of surfacing and re- peated the blowing - Ex+In 3X. Exhaled and inhaled 3 times before submerging

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M Johnston 1948 Baleen Whale 18 May Stephens Passage, Alaska 1 mil N of Pt Arden, Admiralty Is While lying at anchor cleaning fish, a whale blew a waterspout 30 feet into the air about 100 yds off shore. The sound was terrific like a 5 in 50 going off. First came the initial explosion sound followed by a woosh. It Submerged almost as soon as it had blown. About three minutes later it blew again, this time about the same distance from shore but about 500 yds farther north along the shore. It was probably traveling northward following the shore line as it went. 5 June Juneau Alaska 0.5 mi N Eastinear, Chan. of Town A whale was seen blowing at intervals as it proceeded northward thru the channel.

JM Johnston 1948 Baleen Whale 5 June (con't) The channel gets more shallow just north of here so the whale has only about 5 miles to go before he'll have to retrace his path. He is probably following a school of Herring up the channel. He will surface about every 300-400 yds, sometimes blows only once, usually he blows twice 10-15 seconds apart; once he blew three sports. He stays submerged anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes

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Baleen Whale Johnston 1848 7 Aug Fredrick Sound 1400 2/3 distance between Kake & Tyee. A whale spout about 20 feet high drew our attention to this whale that was floating with only a small portion of his back showing (1 ft high + 20 feet long). The spouts occurred regularly every 25-30 seconds. Six spouts were seen before our boat approached close enough to alarm the whale. The spouts came from the forward part of the whale that was submerged about 10 feet forward of the visible part. We approached to within 300 yards. The whale raised the visible section so that about a half of the vertical distance of this body showed like a large black lump. This lump rolled forward & downward until the tail erected up out of the water and submerged vertically.

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Jim Johnston 1948 Baleen Whale. 4 Aug. This humping over & submerg- ing in a vertical plane is called sounding by the natives (denizens) of Alaska. The operation req[uires] 3-4 sec- onds for the whale to submerge.

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M Johnston 1948 Baleen Whale 11 Sept. Juneau, Alaska During a discussion of the whales in Holkham Bay, Mrs. Kohlhase said that she had seen whales jump completely out of water on the channel just north of Eagle Island. (whales) They would fall back onto the water making such loud sounds that they would (sounds) reverberate from the mountains around the Bay.

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Myelwaton 1948 Northern Phalarope lobipes fo patus. Phalaropodidae 4 Aug. Chattam Strait and Fredvck Sound. From Fawkaw Five Finger light - down through the Straight to Port Alex - on an average of about one flock in every half hour, a flock of these (banndeling size) shore birds have been seen. They fly in flocks of 25-100 keeping always about 6-8 feet off the water. They fly fast with quiple (wavy beat) their bellies are white - back a dirty gray-white. They have the character- istic flocking flight of Sandpipers - all wheeling together to the left or right. These birds seen as much out in the open passages as well near the shore lines. Frequently seen floating on the water.

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M Johnston 1948 Salmon 23 June Holkham Bay Alaska Harbor Island southern tip. In schools that would measure 15-20 feet in diam there would be thousands of fry salmon 1 3/4" to 2 1/4" long. They would keep as close to slibe as possible. This was the safest place for them since the water is calm as a lake. In deeper water they would fall prey to larger fish and fish eating birds.

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Humphrey Aug 8. Humpback Salmon. Aug Little Port Walter Sashin Creek this study made by Mr. Olsen, Keeper of the Fish and Wildlife station at Little Port Walter. Principally a salmon counting station Development of Embryos 22 Sept 1944 Embryo started to develop. Shows a con-centrated mass at one pole of egg. 2 Oct. Practically same. Eye spot slightly more concentrated. 12 Oct. Same. Embryo in about 24 hr stage comparative to chick. 22 Oct. Slightly bigger. 1 Nov. Comparable to 72 hr Chick. Eye spot black definitely formed. 11 Nov. Emb. 1/4

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Humpback Salmon 1 Dec. Slightly larger than 1/2 again the length that it had attained by 21 Nov. 11 Dec. Some same size as embryos in the jar a week ago. One Emb, comparatively a larger one, had grown to an much long Egg-(yolk sac) peeling from its abdomen. 24 Dec. All embryos now longer than egg diam. about 1" 1/4. Yolk mass located about 2/3 forward. Greatest measure in size. 31 Dec. Slight level. Yolk sack slightly smaller. Looking longer in proportion to body length. 10 Jan. Slight more growth. About same proportion. 20 Jan. Slight more level.

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M Johnston 1948 Humpback Salmon 30 Jan. 1 1/2" long. Definitely taking on "fish" appear once more. Yolk sac almost gone. Tail's fins definitely formed. From anal line along body, a definitely darker dorsal seg- mentation. Fins are clear scale. 9 Feb. Yolk sac slightly small. Dorsal side darkening, tread still largest part. Embryonic pro- portions. 19 Feb. More gen. level. 1 March Only slight bridge of yolk sac showing. Or the time shows pig- mentation thru the more translucent abdominal half.

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J M Johnston 1848 Humpback Salmon 24 11 March Body taking on more fish like proportions than it had again. 21 March More - 1 April 14 Aug. Holkham Bay Alaska Duck Creek, At a place in the creek where the stream spreads out over a bar, where the rocks are fist size or less, it is about 25 ft wide x 6 in. deeep. Small channels in this bar will run about 10 in deep. In one of these small channels there was a hollow 2 ft wide x 3 ft long that ran about a foot deep. In it were two Humpies, a ♂ and a ♀. [The female usually measures about 18in long, 4.5 vertically.

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W. Grimston Humpback Salmon. 5 14 Aug. and 2,5->3 in horizontally. Her shape is trim & well proportioned. The male is larger measuring about 24" long, 3 -> 3,5 in. wide, but varies greatly through the vertical depth. Most all the males will have a hump some (very few) will be mistaken for a female. On the average male, the hump is half again as deep as the vertical depth. Sometimes the hump is as deep as the whole width of the body of the fish, the hump & body together at the thickest deepest part measures 10 -> 12" ] Both the female & the male were facing the current with the male swimming an inch or so behind the female. At intervals of about three minutes the female would flip over on its side, to the left or right.

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MM Johnston 1948 Humpback Salmon 14 Aug.; showing her white belly. Twice another male made an attempt to enter this little hollow but the male that was first there with the female chased him away by biting his tail. Then a third female came up from below Downstream and chased out the original male - taking over place The female stayed in the hollow all the while, and was not molested by any of the males. I frightened them so that they both left the hollow. The female ven- tured to return to the hollow but when she saw me standing near it she turned + swam quickly up stream. In pools that measured 100 x 25 x 3 ft there would be about 100 -> 200 fish.

Myrton 1948 Field Notes Holkham Bay, Alaska 14 Aug From my skiff as I look shoreward in a northerly direc- tion toward the flats just west of Duck Creek. Hundreds of Herring gulls moving about in the water as far out as fifty feet off shore. They are not feeding - just dab- bling. Kelp beds more are standing on the beach which is working more than a vast fucus bed extending from a thousand to 3000 feet wide. A flock of about 400 Canada Geese were moving slowly about in the grassy zone of the beach above the fucus beds - some of the geese were in the fucus beds. As I landed on the east shore they flew west, setting up a honking chorus as they flew about soft altitude. I can still hear them honking perhaps two miles down the beach.

Field notes 14 Aug. One wading bird (crane or heron 3ft tall) is wading at the waters edge by himself wit of where the gull flock is. Two Bald Eagles are perched atop large boulders in the intertidal zone, tops of which are in zone 1. They are preening their feathers in the warm sun. A flock of about 25 Mallards flew west ward out of the creek mouth. An occasional squirrel will trill in the tree. Also an occasional Steller Jay will give his clam or chattered call. A flock of about ten Crows are con- stantly vocing their jargok in the tops of the conifers near the point east side Duck Creek. Short billed gulls can be heard screaming over toward the west shore. A continual chorus of cries of Bonaparte gulls & ducks comes from the

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Field notes 3 14 Aug. Sundum flats to the west. A large flock of American scoters flew eastward over Bay? Two large flocks, 200-300 A. Soters each lying toward Crow Island in water off shore. A seal bobbed its head two times 300 yds off shore. Several porpoise rolling & blowing slowly about 500 yds off shore. Weather warm 75° no wind. Bright Sun- Cumulus clouds scattered in distant skies.

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M. Johnston 1948 Sand Pipers 14 Aug. Holkham Bay - Alaska Shore East of Duck Creek. Here the shore slopes down at its normal angle 15° from horizontal. canfers spruce + hemlock Elymus mollus grass like wild wheat. stoney beach. barnacle + fucus zone In the barnacle fucus zone a small sand piper size shore bird is moving about, picking at the rocks on the beach presumably feeding on the sand fleas & bugs. There are five ma scattered group. Some are merely standing still either facing the shore or the beach! Oc- cassionally one will take a few steps - stand - then raise its hinder part in an upward bob. Back is all gray-brown - belly white. White extends up in front of wing modestic.

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M Johnston 1948 Sandpiper 2 14 Aug patch. Bill + feet black. Bill about 1in. long. Gray- brown of back extends up over head. As they walk they give the characteristic upward bob of the tail.

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M Johnston 1948 Sandpiper 3 14 Aug can't. 2030 The tide was now coming in - had reached the upper level of the focus zone! These same birds were doing the same that was des- cribed. They flew off shore about a hundred feet then came back & alighted in about the same place on the beach. In flying they will sometimes give a glide then a few quick wing beats then a glide. This specially just before landing.

Myhston 948 Porcupine 14 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska 1/2 mi east of Bay on Duck Creek. 6:30 Porcupine came up from sand bar in the stream bed to the grassy, flat plateau (rise of 3 feet) via a trail thru the brush that we had trampled yesterday when fishing. His head was down near the ground - waddled as he walked. Came within ten feet of me - sat up with his back to me and nibbled on a small alder brush. Back down on all fours. He turned his head toward me saw me, then still taking his amply time he walked into the clump of small conifers (spruce) and alders along the stream. His quills were black. The under hair was a dirty yellow color. Head appeared black - body dirty yellow. Body is bloated just of proportion to whole frame. Head - tail 3 ft. 1.8 feet at back about 1.5 feet wide. Warm sunny day

M Dunton. 1948 Duck Hawk? 1 16 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska Kohlhase's Fox Farm, Hubbardland. A hawk that resembled a small Cooper's Hawk except for pointed wingtips was seen to fly from the conifers just east of the house & alight on the roof of the wood shed. It flew from here to a post behind the wood shed, then up into the top of the coni- fers to the north of the house. Later that day a hawk of this same type was seen flying over the Bay in the direction from Duck Creek to Crow Island. 17 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska. 0.5 mi west Crow Island. I was drifting along in my skiff when this hawk flew by 100 ft. away. It turned & flew directly toward me. 50 feet from me it changed course, flew off 500 ft. & made another flight straight for me at about 20 ft high. Then flew toward Crow Island.

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Gymnorhinus 1948 Duck Hawk? 2 27 Aug Hollabam Bay Alaska 005 T, 1.9 mi from Bar Light The hawk heretofore mentioned was seen emerging from the top of gliding the conifer wood, in the pos- tion. It assumed a gliding angle of descent 10° and maintained this glide in the straightest, steadiest and truly most beautiful glide I have ever seen bird make. It did not make the slightest motion (other than the glide) until it broke the glide to swoop down on a flock of sand pipers at the water's edge. When it was, perhaps 20 feet from them. It did not make a catch, and proceeded to chase one of the small bird. Made 3-4 passes at it then abandoned the chase & returned to the tops of the conifers. From top of conifers where glide began to the water's edge where glide was broken was about 400 yds.

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M Johnston 1948 Canadian Goose. Branta canadensis 16 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska West Bank Entrance to Duck Creek. nellia utkaenesis This area is a large flat covered with a short grass similar U.X varius to blue grass; a small plant 2-3 to Artemia inches high, one central stem and leaves paired alternating up the stem so that the plant appears symmetrical ly quadrangular, and salsicoria. For the past three mornings a flock of about 50 geese have been routed out of this area by my approach. They usually fly out in two groups, the first leaving 36 sec. to a min ute after before the second. They have flown away each day westward along the south shore of Dundum Pen. at about 50 ft elevation, honking as they flew. I have been drifting westward along the south shore of Dundum Peninsula with the tide for about 3/4 an hour. In that time, three flocks of about 10-15 each have flown eastward along this shore, not venturing out over the water.

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1916 Holmster 1948 Canadian Geese 2 27 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska Flats of intertidal zone, south side of Sundrum Pen. I had hid myself in the tall wheat like grass at the edge of the conifer wood and was watching a small group of about 30 geese that were walking slowly around in an area about 300yds out on the grass & duck weed flat. They made very little honking noise. Another group app proached (8) flying from the south part of the bay. They followed the shoreline as they flew northward get- ting closer & closer to where the first groups was. I heard them when they were about 2 miles away - honking as they came. They alighted in the duck weed flat half way between me and the first group. They appear- ed to be a little restless just after alighting, walking about with their heads up.

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Mjolnaton Canadian Geese 3 Aug (Can't) And continuing to honk now and then. One by one they started to feed, putting their heads down into the duck weed. Honking became less & less till all was quiet. One big one kept his head up, looking all around as if he were a guard, but soon he put his head down and fed like the rest. I shot one. Its stomach intestine was full of ground up green plant. In the gizzard was a little of the ground grass or weed. In the crop was the broken parts of the duck weed and short grass like blue grass. Also there were amphipods. I broke up a clump of this grass + duck weed. The soil around the tangled roots was about 80% sand. There were quite a number, perhaps 50 amphipods to the square foot. Found one earthworm like animal. It had a tougher outer cuticle than regular earthworms.

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C.W. Joranson 1908 Field Notes. 16 Aug. Holbham Bay, Alaska. The tide has been ebbing about an hour and a half. The day is bright, warm, changing breeze, cumulus cloud hanging over Adm-ralty Island toward the West. A large iceberg has been crack- ing up leaving the mid section of the bay littered with chunks about fifty feet smaller square, 4-5 feet high. Four days ago, this big berg floated passed Dundum Island & ran aground several hundred yds south of the light house. It was then about 400 ft long wide and 50 ft high - Every 30 minutes or so either a large por- tion of it will crack off with a loud report, then a roaring sound will continue until the pieces have come to rest this may take a minute because the pieces when turning more comparatively slowly like the roll of a ship. A flock of perhaps 600 Herring gulls have been sitting on the spit of sand that protrudes out into the bay from the southern shore of Dundum Pen. They have

Johnston 1948. Field Notes Aug. been voicing their crying so that scarcely a moment goes by that their crying is not heard. The flock has not moved as a body for about an hour - Occasionally members will come and go. There have been two large flocks of Bonaparte Gulls, one near the bay end of Radium Pen. The other near Duck Creek. At intervals of about five minutes these flocks will take to the air and fly sometimes close to the surface - at times at 200-300 feet high. Sometimes the whole flock will swoop & turn in crazy fashion, other time only individuals will go through all sorts of antics, swooping up or down. The Herring Gulls prefer to sit on the higher places of the sand spit - but the Bonaparte Gulls, when they did alight did so close to the waters edge.

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M Johnston 1848 Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia 17 Aug Holkham Bay - Alaska. Channel East of Harbor Island. 11:00 Hundreds of these gulls were scattered over the bay, feed- ing on the small surface fish. They fly about 20 feet off the water - flatter down to the surface, then dive from about a foot high. They hold their wings up high as they enter the water. Scarcely more than just their head submerges. They then will either fold their wings & set on the water for about ten sec- onds or immediately take off again without fold- ing their wings. Bright, warm day, no wind, cirrus clouds scattered. Tidal flooding almost at high water. 15:00 These gulls were flying in a massive flock at about 1000 ft. The flock was wheel- ing: Suddenly, the ones toward the lower part of the flock began swooping

John Johnston 1948 Bonaparte's Gull 2 17 Aug. in steep descent to the mud flats. The tide was now ebbing almost at low water. When most of this large flock had either landed on the shore just above the water, or in the water within 50 feet of shore; one individual seemed to take the show to himself. He would fly speedily & wildly, making jerbing turns first to the right that to the left off his course as he flew about 3 feet over the heads of the others on the water. Then he would swoop up, turn quickly at the apex of his upward swoop & swoop down again. Sometimes he would swoop up to about 25 ft., level off smoothly, then "parachute" his way back down to the water in the most graceul manner of gliding. All the while, he was uttering the muzzy rasp of these gulls.

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J.M. Johnston. 1948 Bonapartes Gull. 3 Larus philadelphia. Larinae 18 Aug Holham Bay, Alaska. Between Point Baker & Dundum Pen. These gulls were feeding like they did the other day - Covering the whole surface from a scattered flock, flying about 20 feet high, fluttering or swooping crazily down to within a foot or so of the water then diving in head only. About one in ten [is] an adult, the most of them are immature, varying from ones that are mottled with brown along the flanks & shoulders to clean white color. These immature all have the black band on the tail. A small flock (50) were standing on a point of the beach that jutted out from shore. When I lowered they flew off the point and alighted in the water within 75 feet of the point. Members of the flock kept coming and going, some went just to the eddies & swirls 100 yds off shore & back. This flock departed entirely by 1/2 hour after high tide.

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M Johnston 1948 Bonaparte Gull 19 Aug. Holkham Bay - Alaska. Beach just E of Point Coke. The B. gulls in the same size flock (50) as yesterday, were standing on the small point, or in the water such as they were yesterday. By 1/2 hr after high water they were gone. This is twice they have been congregated in the same place during the same activity during the same phase of the tide. Some did feed in the swrles that appear just off this beach on the incoming tide. On the outgoing tide the swrles appear 1/2 of a mile farther west. 20 Aug. Same - Swerls between Point Coke & Dumm Pen. The mammoth flock was feeding in a confined area 1/2 mi N of the swerls. They were massed so densely that the spot looked solid white. Most were floating + feeding, some flying. I shot a couple a few minutes later. The stomach was full of needle fish. Birds were floating in a flock when shot.

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J M golston 1968 Lesser Yellow Legs Totanus flavipes Scolopacidae 17 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska 12:00 0.5 mi up Witch Creek - East of Bay Seen in the center of a dry sand bar, walking toward the stream edge. It walk- ed slowly - taking each step with caution. About every 2-3 seconds it would tilt its whole body back- wards so that tail would drop down + the head bob backwards. This was a quick bobbing motion. It entered the much deep water and began poke- ing its bill in the pebbly sand.

JM Johnston 1948 Marbled Murrelet Grebe 6 May Harbor Island Alaska While we have been fishing in the waters around the island I have seen a small grebe that is most always seen in pairs. It has a dark brown back, black bill and legs and the sides & belly are a mottled brown & white. Occasionally, one or two are seen flying by the boat perhaps within 100 yds of the boat, fast, straight or very wide curved course of flight. Most of the times they are seen when the boat runs near them in the water. Usually they will stay on the surface until the boat is within 50 feet of them then the pair will dive, one within two or three seconds of the other. Before they dive they will move away from the boat in a skittering fashion then dive. Most always they dive to get

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JMJohnston 1948 Grebe Marbled Murrelet 2 4 May (can't) away from the boat. This afternoon we ran a pair hours and one dove while the other took off and flew away after skit- tering and bouncing on the water. Sometimes it looks as though the bounc- ing against the waves is accidental, that is, it looks like the murrelet [illegible] is having a hard time getting up flight speed and the waves impede his efforts to fly - At other times this skittering and bouncing looks deliberate, using the bounce on the waves to boost him higher into the air. 18 July Stephen's Passage, Alaska 3 mi N. of Midway Islands. Saw four of these little grebes in a group). They skittered, and bounced on the water be- fore taking off per as usual. First time I've seen four in a group

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J.M. Johnston 1948 Marbled Murrelet. Brachyramphus marmoratus Alcidae. 9 Aug. Holkham Bay, Alaska Harbor Island, southern tip. While watching for seal from the big rock on the S. tip of the island I saw one of these little birds diving in the channel between Harbor Island and Ben's Island It was about 50 yds from the rock when it passed. The tide was running out. It would dive, stay down about 30 seconds and then come up 50 yds or more farther out the channel than where it dived. This is the first time I've seen one as close to the island as this. Before, they have always been seen in the middle part of the bay where the deep water is. more over, they have been seen in all the large bodies of the inland waters, Chatham Strait, Frederick Sound, Stephens Passage and Gastineau chan, which I have been. Their dive is snappy, throw- ing up a little splash of

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JM Johnston 1948 Marbled Murrelet 9 Aug (cant) water as they go over. Their short tail seems to give a flip up. 11 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska Chan. 300 yds N of Ben's Island. Row 12 in what might be called more or less a group. The bunch was scattered, some close within a few feet of each other, others were 30-40 feet apart. Some shuttered & flew away as I approached them, others shuttered away and dived. They dive not simultaneously but a few seconds apart and will surface within seconds of each other. They stayed down about 20 seconds. I chased after them rowing hard, and they disbanded more or less in their efforts to get away, flying off in somewhat the same general direction toward the wider part of the bay by Harbor Island. Their flight ca fast (35mp/h)

JM Johnston 1948 5 Marbled Murrelet 14 Aug (cont) quick wing beat. They seldom fly more than four feet off the surface. Today was calm water and some of these murrelets used the bounces after they had first skittered along the water to help themselves gain flying speed. They really look funny, executing these 4- 5 belly bounces. Some of them didn't use the bounce - just skittered along the water, flopp ing their wings and finally they get up enough speed and off they go. 18 Aug Holkham Bay Alaska Swerls - Entrance to Tracy Arm Six of these little murrelets were seen today in a group that were diving in the swerls and eddies between Pt Kobe and Sumdum Peninsula. Their voice is a plaintive

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J M Johnston 1948 Marbled Murrelet- 18 Aug. (can't) descending, wheezing whistle that lasted one sec. and duration. These were giving their whistle fre- quently when they would surface, but I have heard them whistle while flying. They have in the past week shown a change in color in some of the individuals. The white of the belly and underpart of the tail has been ex-[illegible] extended farther on the sides and over the throat and sides of the neck. This white is clean looking. 20 Aug. Hollis Bay, Alaska Channel NE side Harborland The sea was dead calm today. One murrelet when taking off, planed its body along the surface for about six feet before lifting into the air. It used its feet to paddle as well as its wings. Once in the air it did not bounce onto the water.

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J.M. Johnston 1948 Marbled Murrelet 29 Aug Holbham Bay, Alaska Between Pt Coke & Harbor Island. The foul weather does not seem to impede the habits of these little birds. There has been a strong wind blowing from the S.E. accompanied by torrential downpour. They are seen just as frequently in this weather as in fair weather.

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M Goldman 1948 Douglas Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus 23 Aug Holbham Bay, Alaska 13:00 Sundrum Pen. I heard trilling and chirping within 100 yds radius in the woods. One scampered about the trunk of a 3 ft diam spruce staying about 10 feet from the ground. The dead branches, 2-3 in diam that jutted from the trunk afforded sitting perches. The squirrel displays an energetic, alert behavior. When stimulated by a quick motion of my arm, it would dash behind the trunk making a series of loud chirps that follow one another in succession. It would remain behind the tree, chip a few single chirps at perhaps a second interval then work his way from behind the trunk into my view in perhaps 3-4 quick bursts of scampering, a foot gained between steps. It would stay anywhere on a horizontal limb, on the trunk, hanging head down or head up!

PM Johnston Douglas Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus 23 Aug. The squirrel started behind the trunk and appeared again in about 20 seconds with a cone in his mouth. Whether he got it from his cache below ground or from those lying about on the surface, I did not see. He sat on a horizontal limb, the weight of his body balanced on his hind limbs, tail lying appressed to his back, in a crouched position and proceeded to eat the cone, holding it in his fore paws. The cone was 2 1/2" x 1". Started at the base, biting off every scale at a time, one about 4 seconds. Took him 2 min. + 70 sec. to eat it.—dropped the bare core when finished. Around the base of the tree a pile of cone scales+ cores about 2 feet high sloped away from the trunk. When running, up or down the trunk or along the horizontal limbs the squirrel would keep his hind legs stretched out in back of him, not straight

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JM Johnston 1948 Douglas Squirrel. Tamiascirtus hudsonicus 23 Aug. behind, but spraddled slight- ly to the side. When he would stop on the vertical side of the trunk his hind legs stay-ed stretched out, but when he stopped on a horizontal limb he would make 6-8 quich little hops 1/4 in at a time, with his hind feet to bring them up underneath him. While sitting on a horizontal limb he would scratch him-self with a hind paw. 25 Aug Holkham Bay, Alaska 0030 T, 2.0 mi from Bar Light. Saw one being chased by another across the floor of the woods. Where ever a fallen log was handy they would run along the log; elsewher- they picked the open places of the floor, covered only by small herbs or moss, to run. 29 Aug 'Same- On 26th at dusk, which now comes at about 8:30, I shot

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J. M. Johnston 1948 Douglas Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus 29 Aug. Two males. On the 27th at dusk I shot one male. Today about noon I was out hunting them again, the day was overcast & quite dark in the woods, I had to walk about twice as far to scare up as many as I normally would in half the distance on bright days. Shot two, both of these females. There was one that I shot but it managed to get to one of the many entrances before dying that they have to their den under their tree. In the pile of cone scales and also in the humus within a 6 ft radius around the tree there were 18 holes. Four of these were about 4 inches m diameter near or next to protruding roots, and lead down to the center under the tree. I could insert my arm as far as it would go (almost to floor to the hole elder) without feeling an end. The other smaller holes

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JM Johnston 1948 Douglas Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus 29 Aug. would end about a foot from their entrances with no passages leading off that I could feel. This tree was about 2 1/2 feet in diam, with scales piled all around it, most of the trees that house squirrels have the cone scale pile only on one side. This depends on the distribution + suitability of perching branches. 11 Sept. Juneau Alaska, Douglas Island 0.5 mi N of Douglas Bridge W. Juneau Rd. 12:31 A squirrel was seen run- ning over a pile of logs & sticks in its usual man- ner of running, stopping sleable still every six to ten feet, waiting a second or two then making another short dash. It approached and climbed a 60 ft spruce. The short dashes between pauses was characteristic of his

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Douglas squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus 11 Sept. ascent up the tree. Pauses were mostly made at horizontal limbs, but not always. Twice out of the eight times of pausing during the ascent he stop- ped on the vertical surface of the trunk. The squirrel got to the very top, climb- ed out to the ends of the highest horizontal branches which were about 1/2" -> 3/4" in diam., and began biting off the cones! He would throw each cone outward away from the center of the spruce rather than just letting them drop. He bit off a cone about every 3-4 seconds. When the cones were cleaned from the first array of lower branches, the squirrel dropped down to the second array of H. branches and cleaned them of cones. The squirrel worked in that spruce for twelve minutes, then jumped to an adjacent

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J McPherson 1948 Douglas Squirrel. 11 Sept. spruce while still with in fifteen feet from the top. The leap was about 2 feet. He then cleaned the cones from that spruce top. In all, he must have thrown down about 60 cones. He then descended and began gathering them. He would scurry around the base of those two trees in slashes of about one foot length. On finding a cone he would run with it in his mouth to a stump of a 2 1/2 ft diam tree and carry it down one of the holes at the base of the stump. The stump stood about 100 [illegible] feet from the two trees he had harvested cones. 1:50 He was still gathering cones. During the time that I watched him it did not charge or trail.

[illegible] 203833

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