Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern Alaska Part 6

+Stercorarius parasiticus+ (Linnaeus): Parasitic jaeger.--Specimens, 3: Topagaruk River, 15548', 7034, 10 ft., 2, Nos. 30732-30733, ad.

females, July 6, 8, 1951; Kaolak, 16014'51", 6956'00", 178 ft., 1, No. 30731, ad. male, July 21, 1951.

At Topagaruk (July 5-10, 1951) parasitic jaegers ranged over nearly all plant and animal a.s.sociations, but flew more frequently over polygons with low centers than elsewhere. Data on two adult females, shot on July 6 and 8, in that order are as follows: weight, 525, 320 grams; largest ovum, 3, 1 mm; length of ovary ----, 5.5 mm. The bird killed on July 6 was in the black color phase.

At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) the parasitic jaeger was the least common of the three species of jaegers.

At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) two birds nested near camp while others pa.s.sed through the area. These pa.s.sing birds generally were seen singly or in pairs; long-tailed jaegers commonly are in groups of four or five. The parasitic jaegers were not so noisy nor so much given to chasing others of their own species as were long-tailed jaegers.

Several single birds hunted in areas of sedges and gra.s.ses that yielded lemmings. On July 21, a parasitic jaeger was flying with three glaucous gulls, and demonstrating its usual flight tactics of gliding, climbing and swooping as it accompanied the gulls. An adult male shot on July 21, weighed 460 grams.

On alluvial outwash at the southwest end of Lake Schrader (July 27, 1952) a male and female parasitic jaeger defended their territory by diving at us. Periodically both birds alighted approximately 60 feet away and each pretended to have a crippled wing for approximately a minute. The female acted as if herding the young but was not. On each of our daily inspections an adult defended the area. In a period of four days the area defended was s.h.i.+fted approximately 1/5 of a mile south in the marsh area adjacent to the lake. Parasitic jaegers were noted in the Lake Schrader area from July 23 to July 31 inclusive.

At Barrier Lake (July 30, 1951) two parasitic jaegers were hara.s.sing a glaucous gull that responded as if being attacked by a hawk. The plunging of the jaeger continued while the gull was flying 300 feet horizontally. One other jaeger chased a glaucous gull for one-fourth of a mile and finally having caught up with it dove at the gull several times, each time almost making contact. From our camp on Barrier Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) we watched parasitic jaegers hunt along the south end of the lake, following precisely the edge of the water. The wind drove debris to the south end of the lake. The long-tailed jaeger was the more numerous here; it flew along ridges and over marshes. On July 30, a single jaeger flew over the lake and after hovering above a young Arctic loon, which had strayed from its parent, dove down and picked it up. Three other parasitic jaegers arrived and competed for the prey.

A single parasitic jaeger was noted at Chandler Lake on August 10 and one on August 11, 1951. At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) there were six jaegers in one group.

+Stercorarius longicaudus+ Vieillot: Long-tailed jaeger.--Specimens, 5: Kaolak River, 15947'40", 7011'15", 30 ft., 1, No. 30738, ad.

female, July 12, 1951; Kaolak, 16014'51", 6956'00", 178 ft., 4, Nos.

30734-30737 including 2 ad. males and 2 ad. females, July 21, 1951.

The long-tailed jaeger was the second most abundant of the three jaegers at Topagaruk (July 5-10, 1951). The greatest number seen on any one day was three. At Kaolak River (July 12-19, 1951) this species was the most common jaeger. On a four hour field trip (July 15 and 18) we saw six birds. When in groups of three or more, they frequently chased each other and called vigorously. One adult female shot on July 12, weighed 300 grams. The largest ovum in the female was 1.2 mm in diameter and the ovaries were 5 and 6 mm long.

Within 1/5 of a mile of our camp at Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) there were three breeding pairs of jaegers. On a four hour trip beyond this limit we saw as many as 14 individuals. Most of these were in groups of three and were commonly seen flying over meadows and along ridges.

Single birds hunted by hovering or swinging upward. Territories vacated by our collecting adult birds were not immediately filled by other nesting jaegers. One pair of jaegers nested in a broad gra.s.sy meadow. The female was aggressive and demonstrative and called continually above her young. The male was less demonstrative but joined the female when she began calling. On July 24, four jaegers flew over areas where brown lemmings had been trapped in greatest numbers. Two adult males shot on July 21, weighed 270 and 250 grams.

The testes of these two birds were 5.5 and 8.0 mm long. Two adult females from the same area, and shot on the same date as the males, were larger than the males. The females weighed 285 and 298 grams.

At Barrier Lake (July 29, 1951) we observed three long-tailed jaegers, all chasing and hara.s.sing a glaucous gull. These jaegers hunted mostly along ridges and over marsh. At midnight these birds were still hunting and flying about. Other long-tailed jaegers were on the lake from July 29 to August 4 inclusive.

At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21-23, 1952) two long-tailed jaegers fed from our refuse pile only 30 feet from our tent. A single individual was noted at Lake Peters on July 25, 1952, and one at Driftwood on August 27, 1952.

+Larus hyperboreus barrovia.n.u.s+ Ridgway: Glaucous gull.--Specimen, 1: Topagaruk, 15548', 7034', 10 ft., No. 30739, ad. male, July 9, 1951.

Robert McKinley told us that on May 16, 1952, approximately 25 gulls, probably glaucous gulls, arrived at the Arctic Research Laboratory and remained until May 25. On July 4, 1951, there, we recorded all gulls pa.s.sing over the ice from 8:45 A.M. to 9:45 A.M. At this time the sh.o.r.e line and first 100 feet of water was free of ice; beyond, seaward, the ice was rough and dark for mile, succeeded by white ice for mile, next the high pressure ridge, and then open water of the Arctic Ocean. Glaucous gulls, singly, pa.s.sed to the southwest and to the northeast at intervals of 6(3-10) minutes at a distance of 500(300-800) feet from the sh.o.r.e line, except for one bird that was approximately one mile off-sh.o.r.e.

On July 10, 1952, off-sh.o.r.e from the Laboratory, where garbage from camp was deposited on the ice, approximately 130 glaucous gulls were present--some resting on the ice and some flying. At six P.M., four hours later, 84 gulls including several immatures remained. Birds in groups were constantly walking about or flying short distances, but lone individuals stood perfectly still for long periods. On July 11, only 22 birds remained; they were flying up and down the sh.o.r.e line.

At Topagaruk (July 5-10) glaucous gulls fed on the refuse pile at camp. The number varied from day to day, from as few as 10 to as many as 22; a few remained at the feeding grounds at all times.

The testes of an adult male (30739), shot on July 9, 1951, at Topagaruk were 15 mm long and 9 mm thick.

At Kaolak River (July 12-19, 1951) gulls occasionally cruised up or down the river, but did not remain in the area. When we flew from the mouth of Canning River Canyon to Umiat (July 16, 1952) the only glaucous gulls noted were in the vicinity of the Colville River. At the Will Rogers Monument 12 miles southwest of Barrow Village (July 18, 1951), 275 glaucous gulls were at the mouth of one of the streams entering the Arctic Ocean, and 50 miles southwest from Point Barrow along the ocean six gulls flew over the water where a muddy stream from the land was discharging into the Arctic Ocean. On July 20, 400 of these gulls were near the Arctic Research Laboratory and in the large lake southwest of camp. At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) five to eight birds remained near camp. Along the larger creeks they flew by approximately every two hours.

On an air trip along the Arctic Ocean 56.2 miles southwest of Barrow Village (July 27, 1951) we counted 312 gulls, most or all glaucous gulls, in small groups as follows: average size of flock, 34(2-70); average distance between flocks, 5.8(1.9-13.6) miles. A large flock of 188 glaucous gulls, on this date, was in the environs of Barrow Village and the Arctic Research Laboratory. On an airflight between Point Barrow and Smith Bay (July 29, 1951) we observed three groups (1-2-7) equally s.p.a.ced between the two points. The glaucous gulls were seen in only small numbers at Barrier Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) generally as individuals or groups of two or three, and frequently were hara.s.sed by jaegers. On August 3, a glaucous gull on three occasions inspected but did not touch a freshly killed pectoral sandpiper floating on the surface of the water. On a flight from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we observed groups of gulls as follows: one at 40 miles (miles are from Point Barrow), four at 34 miles, four at 10 miles and twenty-three at 8 miles. At Driftwood (Aug. 27-31, 1952) groups of from one to 12 glaucous gulls were seen every day. At Umiat (Aug. 30-Sept. 4, 1951) several birds were flying up and down the river. In 1952 (July 18) at 10 miles east of Umiat we observed a single bird. On August 25, 1952, at Point Barrow, 33 glaucous gulls flew along the edge of the Arctic Ocean.

Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Sept. 11, 1952) a group of 230 glaucous gulls rested along the sh.o.r.e of the Arctic Ocean. Glaucous gulls were noted also at the following places in the Point Barrow area (1952): west side Salt Water Lagoon, June 17; 9/10 mile east and 8/10 mile north Barrow Village, June 23; 1 mile southwest Barrow Village, September 6; mile south Arctic Research Laboratory, September 7.

+Larus ca.n.u.s brachyrhynchus+ Richardson: Mew gull.--Specimens, 2: SE Lake Peters, 6920'56", 14509'26", 2950 ft., 1 imm. female No. 31314 (Aug. 6, 1952) and one adult female 31313 (Aug. 9, 1952).

At the southwest end of Lake Schrader, from July 23 to 31, 1952, a pair of mew gulls defended a territory and two young in the marsh bordering the edge of the lake and flew to meet us whenever we approached. They were active day and night. On August 3, 4, and 5, the female of this pair fed at the mouth of the river that flowed into the south end of Lake Peters 4.9 miles south of the nesting territory. On August 6, both adults and the two juveniles were at the south end of Lake Peters. The young called frequently and the adults, when we came near their young, called loudly and dived at us, but remained higher in the air than they did when protecting their young on the nesting territory. On August 6, the female (435 mm long and 290 grams in weight) was shot and prepared as a specimen. The two juveniles and the male remained in the area and on August 9, one of the juveniles (female) 422 mm in length and 362 grams in weight, was shot. On August 12 the male and one juvenile were still in the same area, and active day and night.

+Pagophila eburnea+ (Phipps): Ivory gull.--Pete Savolik told us that whenever the pack ice came near sh.o.r.e at Point Barrow, a few ivory gulls were generally present.

+Rissa tridactyla pollicaris+ Ridgway: Black-legged kittiwake.--Specimen, 1: 7 mi. S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 15649', 7117', sea level, 1 (skin) No. 31315 of an adult of unknown s.e.x, September 6, 1952.

The kittiwakes (Sept. 6, 1952), were in the air along the Arctic Ocean at Barrow Village and all along the coast at least as far as a point 10 miles southwest of Barrow Village (only a few were seen northeast of Barrow Village) and were feeding on material floating in the pre-breaker area of the ocean and to a lesser extent on debris washed up on the sands of the beach.

+Xema sabini sabini+ (Sabine): Sabine's gull.--Specimens, 8: 7 mi.

S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 15649', 7117', sea level, 1 (skin) No.

31316, ad. male, Sept. 6, 1952; Topagaruk, 15548', 7034', 10 ft., 7, Nos. 30740-30746 including 4 ad. males and 3 ad. females, July 6, 8, 9, 1951.

At Topagaruk the species was seen daily from July 4 through July 10, 1951. Six adults were nesting on July 5. They const.i.tuted less than one per cent of the avian population inhabiting stabilized lakes of medium size. On July 8, one nest held young. When we approached the nesting grounds they flew 150 feet to meet us and then returned, hovered, or flew directly over their nests. One nest was on an island one foot in diameter; other islands inhabited were as large as one square meter. The vegetation at the nest was bright green and lawnlike because of trampling and fertilization of the gra.s.ses and sedges by the birds. Correspondingly green, lawnlike areas of gra.s.s were noted on the resting grounds of ducks and geese. The Sabine's gull and Arctic tern are compatible and nest within 20 feet of each other. The young freely circulate through each other's territory. The average weight of three adult males (July 6-8) was 202(190-214) grams. The average length of the testes of these birds was 10(8-14) mm. Four adult females collected at the same place and time weighed 177(158-190) grams. The ovaries averaged 8 mm long and the largest ovum was 2.8(2.0-4.5) mm in diameter.

At Kaolak River on July 17, 1951, one gull flew along the river but did not seem to be nesting in the area. On July 20, 1951, 105 miles southwest of Point Barrow, we observed Sabine's gulls, Arctic tern and several pairs of loons on one lake. On a return trip from Kaolak to Point Barrow by air (July 27, 1951) we found Sabine's gulls generally distributed across the Coastal Plains. On an air trip from Point Barrow to Teshekpuk Lake on July 29, 1951, we noted two Sabine's gulls, one 9.7 miles southeast of Point Barrow and one 5.9 miles northwest of the central western edge of Smith Bay.

Three miles east of our camp on Barrier Lake (Aug. 3, 1951) a Sabine's gull had been eaten by a gyrfalcon. The gull was a bird of the year with the downy feathers extending beyond the ends of seven primary feathers. Three primary feathers were newly molted and of full length.

On an air flight (Aug. 4, 1951) from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow we saw two Sabine's gulls 63 miles southwest of Point Barrow and two at 23 miles southwest of Point Barrow. At Point Barrow (Aug. 26, 1952), 250 Sabine's gulls were resting or flying in the area. On September 6 at 7 miles south and 7 miles west of Point Barrow, Sabine's gulls const.i.tuted 60 per cent of the larger birds that were flying and feeding along the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic tern const.i.tuted 20 per cent, the kittiwake 5 per cent and the glaucous gulls 15 per cent of the population. An adult male shot here (Sept. 6) weighed 213 grams.

Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Sept. 11, 1952) we counted 17 Sabine's gulls feeding and resting along the sh.o.r.e of Elson Lagoon.

+Sterna paradisaea+ Pontoppidan: Arctic tern.--Specimens, 11: 7 mi.

S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 15649'15", 7116'52", sea level, 2, Nos.

31315 and 31318, ad. male, Sept. 6, 1952; NE Teshekpuk Lake, 15305'40", 7039'40", 8 ft., 3, Nos. 30750-30752 including 2 ad.

males and 1 ad. female, Aug. 1, 1951; Topagaruk River, 15548', 7034', 10 ft., 3, Nos. 30753, ad. female, July 7, 1951, and 30754, ad. male, July 9, 1951, and 30637, male, July 9, 1951; Kaolak River, 15947'40", 7011'15", 30 ft., 3, Nos. 30747-30749 including 2 ad. males, July 14, 18, 1951, and 1 ad. female, July 12, 1951.

Adult males and females prepared for specimens at Topagaruk (July 7, 9, 1951) showed signs of molting, especially in the primary wing feathers. Three adult males averaged 92(87-93) grams in weight (the largest male collected on the Arctic Slope was from Teshekpuk Lake on August 1, 1951, and weighed 106 grams). The testes of these males averaged 4.2 (3-5) mm in length (in late autumn testes recede to approximately 1.0 mm in length). Two females from the same place and shot on July 7 and 12, weighed 99 and 100 grams. The average diameter of the largest ovum was 2.0 mm and the longest ovary was 6 mm.

At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) an adult hunted day and night over shallow water on a sand bar approximately 500 yards from its nest.

Water from lakes in an abandoned section of the river valley caused a creek to flow at night into the river. In the day ephemeral pools were formed because more water evaporated or sank into the sands. As pools were formed, small fish one inch in length were trapped. Before the pools disappeared, the tern captured all these fish. One of the terns that had been feeding on these fish flew out over the upland tundra approximately 500 feet from the river valley. This tern dove at us twice and then returned to the river valley and its nest some 800 feet away.

The nest of this bird was on one of three islands in a small lake. The nesting island was three square yards in area and had been built to a height of four feet above the level of the mainland by many years use of the island. The nest was within 30 feet of a nest of a red-throated loon, which was accepted in the territory of the tern without molestation.

Northeast of Teshekpuk Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) a pair of terns had young on a small island in a chain of lakes opening into the south end of Barrier Lake. The adults hunted small fish along the south end of Barrier Lake but especially in small lakes surrounding their nest.

These birds seemed to be the only terns nesting on this large lake. As food was plentiful, available nesting sites may have governed the size of the tern population.

Six pairs of Arctic terns, const.i.tuting less than one per cent of the avian population in the area, were nesting on small islands of the larger lakes at Topagaruk in the period July 5-10, 1951. On July 8, one nest held both eggs and young; other nests held either eggs or young. These birds and the Sabine's gulls showed no hostility to one another. On July 9, three miles north of camp 13 terns were among sedges in standing water. They seemed to be nesting but we could not reach them.

On June 23, 1952, at a point 9/10 mile east and 8/10 mile north of Barrow Village, Arctic terns were in flocks; one of eight flew northeast across the tundra. At a point 105 miles northwest of Point Barrow on an air trip to Kaolak (July 20, 1951) we saw Arctic terns, Sabine's gulls, and several pairs of loons in the same lake. The trip from Point Barrow to Kaolak was characterized by relatively few large birds. On the return trip (July 27) on a straight line flight from Kaolak to Point Barrow, only two terns were seen, one 33 miles northeast of the junction of the Avalik and Kaolak rivers and another 9.7 miles beyond. On our return trip from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we saw only a single tern; it was 63 miles southeast of Point Barrow. At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) there were three pairs of terns. At 8:00 A.M. three other pairs appeared and then left. No young were observed. At Point Barrow (Aug. 26, 1952) 130 terns fished or rested on the lee side of the peninsula. Arctic terns were the second most common bird flying and feeding along the sh.o.r.e line of the Arctic Ocean 10 miles southeast of Point Barrow on September 6, 1952. a.s.sociated species were Sabine's gulls, kittiwakes and glaucous gulls.

+Nyctea scandiaca+ (Linnaeus): Snowy owl.--Harmon Helmericks told us of seeing a snowy owl catch a brown lemming that was swimming in open water 30 nautical miles north of Thetis Island in April of 1946.

On a 1000 linear meter transect (1000 1) east of Barrier Lake we collected (Aug. 3, 1951) 19 pellets from the edge of the uplands and from prominent mounds on the lowlands. One pellet contained a complete radius-ulna of an Arctic fox and another a foot of a ptarmigan.