100 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



While many pairs were established in the dense willows along Con- 

 tact Creek by May 31 they were elusive in the thick brush and I have 

 only one explicit record of nest building on June 11 in addition to the 

 set of eggs which was collected on June 22. Nesting thrushes are 

 about as numerous as robins but nest somewhat later. At Umiat a 

 family of nestling thrushes left the nest on July 6, four days later 

 than a family of nestling robins (Karplus, 1952). 



Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus) 



14 males May 21-July 31 weight (15), 21.0- — 



28.1, average 23.9 



g. 

 6 females June 27-July 31 weight (6), 19.9- 



26.3, average 23.5 



g. 

 4 young males July 13-31 weight 29, 24, 24, 25 



g. 



2 yoimg females July 22-29 weight 24.6, 24.2 g. 



6 downy nestlings Jime 28, 1951 weight 6.4-7.9 g. — 



These birds correspond to the specimens of European wheatear in 

 the U. S. National Museum. The earliest record is of the specimen 

 taken May 21, 1949, May 23, 1951, May 23, 1953, and June 1, 1954, 

 but in their mountainside haunts they cannot be closely observed. 

 They occupy in summer a narrow band of dry ground along the wall 

 of Anaktuvuk Valley starting just above the level of the Valley floor. 

 There they may sit quiet but alert on a short willow or rock and when 

 approached, rise nervously high into the air like the Alaska yellow 

 wagtail, but usually they fly more directly away and for a greater 

 distance. When one of a family group thus darts into the air, the 

 others are likely to follow. Their rapid, periodically swooping flight 

 along the Valley walls makes the Nunamiut name Tikmiakpaurak, 

 "little eagle," easily appreciated by one who has pursued them over 

 this steep, rough terrain. 



Because of their location above the Valley floor, our information 

 upon their arrival is uncertain. We also failed to discover nests until 

 1951, although the Nunamiut said that they were there but well hidden 

 beneath rocks. Three males and three females taken June 25-29 had 

 bare brooding areas and behaved as if their nests were nearby. A male 

 watched on July 9, 1950, made two trips to the low willows along the 

 depression of a small creek. It perched for some minutes on the same 

 sharp stone before and after each trip. It returned one time carry- 

 ing a moth and appeared ready to watch me indefinitely before moving 

 again. Its earlier, although repeated visits to the willows gave me no 

 indication of a nest or young family. No signs of a nest could be 

 found, nor did the place look favorable. 



On June 28, 1951, 1 saw a wheatear on the west side of the Valley 

 and about 800 feet above its floor. After about a half hour it went to 



