KILBUCK AND AHKLUN MOUNTAIN BIRDS 



69 



were thought to be of short-billed dowitchers (Pitelka 1950); we found 

 adult short-billed dowitchers giving alarm calls there on 14 June 1974. A 

 few small flocks (up to 37 birds) of dowitchers passed Nanvak Bay 

 between 5 and 30 May in 2 of 3 years (1970 and 1973). Field identification 

 of dowitcher species was difficult and only positively made in mixed 

 species flocks and when calls were heard. During the 1977 fall migration, 

 dowitchers (some giving alarm calls) were common near Goodnews Bay 

 on 23 July and were still in the area on 14-15 September. Based on 

 observations of adults, both species were suspected to be present. In fall 

 1981, short-billed dowitchers appeared at Nanvak Bay in late July-early 

 August (D. R. Herter and D. Lloyd, personal communication). They were 

 there around mid-August in 1970 and 1973, but none were seen there in 

 1976. The greatest number was found in 1973 on 24 September (124 

 birds), and they were present until at least 25 September 1973. 



Long-billed dowitcher (Limnodrotnus scolopaceus). Rspm, Rsr?, 

 Cfm (5 May-22 September). Specimens: UAM2638, UAM2639, 

 UAM2640, and UAM2641. 



As with short-billed dowitchers, long-billed dowitchers were found 

 only at coastal locations. Bull thought that both species bred at Ilanik 

 Lakes (B. Huffinon, personal communication). We identified a long-billed 

 dowitcher in spring 1973 (5 May) at Nanvak Bay, but positive identifica- 

 tion of most individuals was not made (see short-billed dowitcher sec- 

 tion). D. R. Herter et al. (personal communication) found a dowitcher of 

 unknown species at Cape Peirce on 24 June 1984. Most or all of a flock 

 of 30 birds in prebasic molt, photographed on 23 July 1974 at Goodnews 

 Spit (Fig. 15), were long-billed dowitchers. Long-billed dowitchers gen- 

 erally arrived at Nanvak Bay beginning in late July and peaked during the 

 third or last week of August; up to 91 birds per day were seen during 

 peak migration in 1973. 



Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago). Csr (28 April-21 Septem- 

 ber). Specimen: YDNWR(MHD 69-2). 



Snipes were common throughout the study area each year. We found 

 breeding birds at the Tuluksak River and suspected nesting at other inland 

 locations. They were seen in summer near Nyac (Mindell 1983), at the 

 Kisaralik River (Mindell 1983; M. Brown et al., unpublished; B. J. McCaff- 

 ery, personal communication), at the Eek River (R. Baxter, unpublished; 

 M. Brown et al., unpublished), at the Kwethluk River (M. Brown et al., 

 unpublished), at Kagati Lake (M. J. Fry, unpublished), and in the Kanek- 

 tok River area (White and Boyce 1978). Along the coast, birds nested at 

 Nanvak Bay (this study; MHD specimen), probably nested at Chagvan Bay 

 (D. F. Parmelee and J. M. Parmelee, unpublished), and were suspected 



