ANAKTUVUK PASS 65 



Kangomavik. Simon Paneak saw one at Contact Creek and John 

 Morry, three. In late May and early June 1952, I saw numerous 

 snipe, mostly in pairs, along Contact Creek. 



The Nunamiut know them well as Avikiak, which means "like the 

 walrus, Aivik," referring to the similarity of the far-carrying blowing 

 sound made by walrus and the winnowing of snipe. According to an 

 old story, killing a snipe would bring on bad weather, and the snipe 

 is often called "weather maker." 



Occasionally young birds have been seen by the Nunamiut in sum- 

 mer, and although nests have not been found, I believe that they nest 

 in the Valley. None have been seen at the end of summer. The 

 numbers seen in spring and the frequency with which snipe are heard 

 in summer suggests that they may approach the yellowlegs in number, 

 and that the retiring disposition of nesting snipe contrasts with that 

 of the demonstrative yellowlegs sufficiently to give a false impression 

 of their relative abundance. 



Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus Latham 



2 males June 1, 1949, 1950 weight 382, 350 g. 



3 females May 23, 26 weight (4), 407-493, 



average 456 g. 



The earliest records of whimbrels are May 20, 1949, May. 23, 1950, 

 May 19, 1951, May 26, 1952, May 14, 1953, and May 31, 1954. They 

 appear briefly in spring, often in pairs or in groups of 6 to 10, but 

 they act like transients and give no appearance of lingering in the 

 Valley. 



Two females taken on May 23 and 25, 1951, contained eggs re- 

 spectively 10 and 12 mm. in length. As this is about one-fifth of the 

 length of the eggs when laid (Bent, 1929, p. IIY), the birds might 

 easily with their swift flight reach the arctic coast before laying. 



The Nunamiut call them Sigokfovak, meaning "long-billed," and 

 they have not seen them in the mountains in summer. They know of 

 nesting places near the mouth of the Colville Kiver. One was reported 

 seen at Tuluak on August 19, 1950, but fall appearances are rare. One 

 shot on May 29, 1952, contained many crowberries in its crop. 



Bartramia longicauda (Bechstcin) 



1 femalo May 24, 1949 



The single example of an upland plover is in excellent condition 

 of plumage although it was beyond the range usually ascribed to it. 

 The Nunamiut designated it a bird which they had not previously 

 noticed. 



On June 1, 1952, Simon Paneak, Elijah Kakena, Frank Eulland, 

 and Old Hugo saw three sandpipers which they thought resembled 



