96 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 76 



communication) saw one hatching-year bird at Cape Peirce on 1 August 

 1981. P. D. Ameson and D. B. McDonald (personal communication) saw 

 a homed lark on Crooked Island on 24 June 1977. 



Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor). Cspm, Asr (13 May-25 Au- 

 gust). Specimen: RMS 1962/36/28. 



Tree swallows were found throughout the study area. We saw 

 swallows at Cape Peirce during spring migration (16-23 May) and foimd 

 nests at the Salmon River, the Tuluksak River (DNW photo), Cape Peirce 

 (MRP photo), and Platinum. B. J. McCaffery (personal communication) 

 found swallow nests at the Kisaralik River on 16-21 June 1987. Tree 

 swallows were at the Kwethluk River on 10-26 July 1985 and at the Eek 

 River on 17-29 June 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished). Swallows were 

 also seen at Cape Peirce on 27 June 1970 (three birds; H. P. Brokaw, 

 unpublished), the Kanektok River in June 1977 (White and Boyce 1978), 

 Round Island on 17 July 1974 (two birds; T. J. Eley, unpublished), and 

 Crooked Island on 27 June 1977 (two birds; P. D. Ameson and D. B. 

 McDonald, personal communication). 



The Tuluksak River had more than 100 pairs each year along 48 km 

 of major streams. Platinum mining camp had two pairs nesting each year, 

 and Cape Peirce had one pair nesting beginning in 1973 after installation 

 of a nest box. Birds nested in nest boxes, old woodpecker holes, and tree 

 crevices from sea level to 300 m asl. Birds foraged over water but also 

 over other habitats to 450 m asl. 



Some tree swallows had begun nesting at the Tuluksak River by 

 29 May-3 June 1962 when many birds died during a series of snowstorms. 

 In other years at the Tuluksak River, birds were in nests on 2-6 June 1974; 

 fledged young were first seen on 21 July 1962, 24 June 1974, and 1 1 July 

 1976; and most birds were gone by 12 August 1962, 28 July 1974 and 

 1987, and 5 August 1976. At Cape Peirce, nesting birds remained in the 

 area until 29 July 1976, and single birds were seen on 19 and 25 August 

 1976. D. R. Herter and D. Lloyd (personal communication) reported them 

 there until 12 July 1984, and D. R. Herter and D. Lloyd (personal commu- 

 nication) reported them until 26 July 1981. 



Violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassirm), Usr (27 May- 12 Au- 

 gust). 



Violet-green swallows nested in the Kilbuck Mountains at the Tu- 

 luksak and Salmon rivers. Numbers of pairs of swallows (DNW photo) 

 varied at the Tuluksak River from 30 to 50 in 1962 and 1 to 4 in 1974, 

 1976, 1978 and 1980 to 15-25 in 1981, 1983, 1986 and 1987. Birds 

 nested in nest boxes, holes and crevices in poplar trees, and on cliffs. 

 They foraged over lacustrine and fluvial waters near riparian woodlands 



