KILBUCK AND AHKLUN MOUNTAIN BIRDS 



37 



We found molting (flightless) birds around Cape Peirce (hundreds 

 in August 1 970 and from 8 July to 2 September 1 976), Nanvak Bay (several 

 hundred on 25 August 1970 and 8 July- 13 August 1976), and Chagvan 

 Bay (500 eiders in basic plumage and able to fly on 20-22 July 1974 [DNW 

 photo], 1,300 birds on 17 July 1986, and none on 5 August 1988); all 

 were thought to be males. J. G. King (unpublished) found 200-300 

 molting birds in Nanvak Bay on 3 September 1963; D. R. Herter and 

 D. Lloyd (personal communication) found eiders at Cape Peirce from 

 20 June- 15 August 1981; D. R. Herter et al. (personal communication) 

 found Steller's eiders at Cape Peirce on eight days from 6 June- 12 July 

 1984. We also found birds at the Walrus Islands (2 males on 9 July 1962), 

 and P. D. Ameson and D. B. McDonald (personal communication) found 

 birds at Round (about 10 birds), Summit (94 birds). Crooked (about 200 

 birds), and Hagemeister (about 175 birds) islands in June-July 1977. 



Harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), Av, Asr (27 April- 

 25 September). Specimens: RMS 1962/36/02, RMS 1962/36/03, and 

 RMS1974/1 19/13. 



Harlequins nested throughout the study area and molted along the 

 coast. They nested at the Salmon, Tuluksak, Kisaralik, Kanektok (J. L. 

 Hout, personal communication), and Togiak rivers; near Nyac (Mindell 

 1983); at Kagati Lake (M. J. Fry, unpublished); and at the Goodnews and 

 Smalls rivers (B. Huffmon, personal communication). Harlequins were 

 found in spring at Chagvan Bay on 22 May 1987 when two pairs were 

 swimming in the bay and a mixed flock of six individuals flew southwest 

 over the bay (D. F. Parmelee and J. M. Parmelee, unpublished). In 

 summer, they were seen at Nanvak Bay (400 birds; J. L. Hout, unpub- 

 lished). Harlequins were also found in summer at the Kisaralik River on 

 16-21 June 1987 (B. J. McCaffery, personal communication) and on 

 8-25 August 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished), at the Kwethluk River 

 on 12-19 July 1985 Oess than seven birds; M. Brown et al., unpublished), 

 and at the Eek River on 23-26 June 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished). 

 Harlequins were observed at offshore islands in summer (Ameson 1977; 

 R. Macintosh, unpublished; E. H. Miller, unpublished) and molted there 

 and along the coast to Goodnews Bay. 



Pairs arrived at the Tuluksak River on 10-20 May (C. Clark, Jr., and 

 J. Birch, personal communication), and males usually left in early June. 

 However, in 1978, when most females did not hatch eggs, males (DNW 

 photo) remained until 26 June or later; at least seven females were seen 

 repeatedly in June and only one brood was found that year. In each of 10 

 other years on 48 km of the Tuluksak River and main tributaries, we 

 found 5-10 pairs or single adults, and 2-4 females with broods (DNW 

 photo). Small downies were first seen on 10-15 July, and some flying or 

 nearly flying young were found by 14-22 August. Fifteen broods averaged 



