KILBUCK AND AHKLUN MOUNTAIN BIRDS 



75 



120-360 adults gathered at the edge of the ice at the bay entrance from 

 29 April to 1 May; migration continued until 18 May. Flocks of 30 and 

 36 adults passed Cape Peirce in 2 h on 2 May 1973. Subadults appeared 

 on 12 May 1973, and spring movement continued until 18 May 1973. A 

 few singles were seen at Chagvan Bay in late May 1987 (D. F. Parmelee 

 and J. M. Parmelee, unpublished). Fall migration began at Nanvak Bay 

 on 1 1 August 1970 and by 14 August 1973- It was predominantly adults 

 that were seen during the latter half of August and hatching-year birds 

 in September. Thirty-five adults were present as late at 22 September 

 1973. 



We found mew gulls nesting in the Kilbuck Mountains at the Salmon 

 River, the Tuluksak River, the Fog River, and the Kisaralik River, and 

 along the coast at Ilanik Lakes, and possibly nesting near Nanvak Bay 

 and the Togiak River. Mindell (1983) found mew gulls to be common in 

 the Nyac area. Mew gulls were also found at the Kisaralik River by M. 

 Brown et al. (8-28 August 1985; unpublished) and B. J. McCaffery 

 (I6-2I June 1987; personal communication) and at the Kwethluk River 

 by M. Brown et al. (13-27 July 1985; unpublished). In the Ahklun 

 Mountains birds were at the Eek River in summer (R. Baxter, unpub- 

 lished; M. Brown et al., unpublished), nesting at Kagati Lake (M. J. Fry, 

 unpublished); and nesting at the Kanektok River Q. L. Hout, personal 

 communication). Mew gulls were common at Round Island in July 1974 

 (T. J. Eley, unpublished); we found adults and subadults at Nanvak Bay 

 and the Slug River between May and September. 



At the Tuluksak River, O-6O or more pairs nested along 48 km of 

 major streams. The largest and most persistent colony (1962-83) was 

 on piles of gravel tailings with ponds and channels interspersed through- 

 out the tailings. In 1962, another colony of about 20 pairs nested in white 

 spruces 8-12 m tall that were in a beaver pond complex. A similar 

 colony of about five pairs was established in spruces in 1975-78. No 

 pairs or nesting birds were found in the Tuluksak River area in 1987. In 

 1979, a pair hatched young in an old riparian cliff nest built by golden 

 eagles at the Kisaralik River. The colony at Ilanik Lakes was on small 

 islands in a complex of lakes and ponds in wet and moist tundra habitat. 



Birds at the Tuluksak River incubated eggs by 2 June 1962; young 

 fledged 20-28 July; and birds left before 10 August. At the Kisaralik 

 River, we found large downies on 27-28 July 1979- An adult captured 

 sticklebacks in a small pond near Nanvak Bay on 8 July 1976. 



Herring gull (Larus argentattis), VRv. 



Herring gulls were seen three times at South Spit at Goodnews Bay 

 and once at Cape Peirce. Two adult plumaged-birds were seen at South 

 Spit on 12 June 1974 plus four on 14 September 1977 and one on 17 

 July 1986. All birds had dark mantles. D. R. Herter et al. (personal 



