ANAKTUVUK PASS 69" 



The earliest records of lesser yellowlegs are May 15, 1949, May 16, 

 1950, May 18, 1951, May 16, 1952 and May 23, 1953. Thereafter they 

 are conspicuous summer residents. No large numbers were noted in 

 spring. They proceed rapidly to nesting in the wet marshy areas near 

 willows and the nest collected by Tom Brower with the female bird 

 contained 4 eggs already developed by several days incubation. This 

 nest was on a dry ridge under short willows near the river and made 

 of short fragments of grass and small leaves. It contained numerous 

 pieces of the equisetum which grows abundantly in the marshy places 

 which they frequent. This nest was visible from 10 feet away. 



The Nunamiut name Ovingoayooh means "whistling." Yellowlegs 

 are not a numerous population, but they are conspicuous in habit and 

 appearance. As one approaches a wet marshy area the yellowlegs 

 may rise close at hand and fly fluttering about to land and balance on 

 a slender willow branch, there continuing its sharp whistling call. 

 Soon it may leave to flutter and repeat the balancing and calling. 

 Even at a distance too great to explain the disturbance by intrusion 

 of the observer, yellowlegs may rise, fly about, and balance upon the 

 willows calling so that their restless behavior reveals the location of 

 the population. 



Although very attentive to human interference, they are apparently 

 not deeply agitated by contact with man because captured yellowlegs, 

 like tattlers, readily accept a prisoner's life and soon learn when 

 released within a tent, to run about among and over the children and 

 people. They feed readily upon bits of meat or crumbs and some have 

 been kept for several weeks in this close association with the families. 

 Their gentle behavior in captivity is like that of well-mannered guests. 

 This and their demonstrative attention to human company when free 

 makes them well liked by the children and adults, who appreciate their 

 dainty friendliness. Their behavior contrasts with that of the sullen 

 jaegers, which can also be kept for a time, but only as inexpressive 

 captives showing no sentiment but greed. 



The population of yellowlegs is conspicuous but not numerically 

 large in comparison with that of the northern phalaropes. Judging 

 from the frequency of summer calls of the Wilson snipe, they are as 

 numerous as yellowlegs, but a snipe is seldom seen in summer. The 

 spring numbers of yellowlegs are somewhat greater than in summer, so 

 that there is a migration northward, where there are many marshy 

 areas among; willows resembling those inhabited in the mountains. 





Erolia melanotos (Vieillot) 



18 males 



May 18- June 3 weight (25), 64-105, 





average 86 g. 



9 females 



May 18-July 29 weight (10), 58-69, 





average 60 g. 



