THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



KADIAK ISLAND 



A CONTRIBUTION TO THE AVIFAUNA 

 OF ALASKA. 



(Continued from Page 79.) 



Tringa couesi 

 ALEUTIAN SANDPIPER 



Large flocks of these birds were seen 

 during February 1893, but were not met 

 with during other winters They were 

 met with on a low sand bar, after a pro- 

 tracted storm which had thrown up 

 millions of sand fleas, upon which they 

 were feeding so industriously as to be easiiy 

 approached and to which feast they return- 

 ed several times, even after their ranks 

 had been thinned by raking charges of 

 fine shot. 



Tringa bairdii 

 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. 



One immature female obtii led 

 November 15, 1893. No others seen 

 Totanua melano/eucus 

 CREATE!^ YELLOW-LEGS. 



This bird was found on the isiand from 

 May to September and undoubtedly breeds 

 there although no nests were found. 

 Numerous specimens were taken, all being 

 found either singly or in pairs and feeding 

 on the rocks of the ocean beach on sand 

 fleas andsmall marine worms found in the 

 sea weed. 



Heteractitia incanus 

 WANDERING TATTLER 



Common throughout the summer 

 months and undoubtedly breeds but no 

 nests were found. 



This species seemed to habitually 

 frequent the sand or gravel beaches in 

 preference to rocky k)calities, and had 

 regular feeding grounds to which they 

 resorted at certain stages of the tide, 

 returning regularly each day at the same 

 time. Their food consists largely of 

 decapods together with small cr^bs, 



marine worms and minute mollusks. As 

 a general thing they were not shy and 

 were easily approached. 



Numeniua hudsonicus 

 HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 



Not very common but a few remain 

 several weeks in the spring and fall but 

 pass farther north to breed. 



In the month of May they arrive going 

 north generally in company with the 

 Pacific golden plover. Tney remain prob- 

 ably a few days only, but specimens of 

 this species may be met with throughout 

 the month frequenting the bare spots on 

 the uplands from which the snow has 

 melted. 



Charadrius dominicus fuluus 

 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER. 



Like the last this species only stops on 

 the island a short period during migration. 

 The earliest flock to arrive in the spring 

 was noted April 28, but the main body 

 did not arrive until tne first week in May, 

 bv which time they were present in 

 thousands, chiefly on the hills but a few 

 on the beaches. By the sixteenth they 

 had all left passing to the northwest. 



In the fall migration, the first flock seen 

 was on August 28 and from then until 

 October 10, flocks continued to arrive and 

 depart leaving in a southeast direction. 

 During the fall migration they do not 

 remain so long nor gather in ?uch 

 numbers as in the spring, which may be 

 accounted for by two reasons: First, in 

 coming north they must make a longer 

 flight to reach the island than they do in 

 going south and consequently would rest 

 longer; secondly, as a general thing they 

 arrive in the spring just as the winter's 

 snow begins to leave and the country 

 to the northwest of Kadiak is still frozen 

 up, so that they have to wait until their 

 breeding grounds on the mainland thaw 

 out. %■ 



As far a^known none breed on Kadiak 

 Island. 



