R. S. Crossin 
19S5 
Lays an 
7 August 
8 August 
10 August 
18-21 July 
7 August 
18-21 July 
7 Aug 
Less than 1,000 birds left. Most still appear healthy, although very 
reduced in weight. Very few newly dead individuals are to be found, 
so apparently most have at least left the island alive. One adult 
seen in the night by a chick. 
Two adults seen standing by chicks - daytime. 
One adult seen on the south end during the night. 
Black - footed Albatross - All Black-foot chicks are about equal in the 
size and weight ranges to those of the Laysan. A great many cf the 
Black-feet are concentrated on the N end of the island along the beach. 
This is apparently the center of nesting. In comparing like stages of 
young, the black-feet appear toabe slightly heavier and larger pro- 
portioned than the Laysans. Estimated number of Black-feet are about 
A-5,000. No Black-feet adults were observed coming in to feed the chicks. 
Less than 50 individuals are now on the island. A number (ca. 25) 
carcasses were found on the north end of the island where the large 
concentrations were foudn in July. Those that remain are small, light 
individuals which do not appear to have the strength to even fly. 
Wedge - tailed Shearwaters - Next to the Sooty Tern, this is the most 
numerous bird on the island. The wedge-tails nest over most of the 
island and are not confined to specific colonial areas. They are to 
be found on the larger beaches, Scaevola stretches, within the tern 
colonies and around the lake in all types of cover. 
The burrows may be up to about 5 feet deep, but most are not dug to 
this depth. Occasionally a bird will be seen incubating an egg in 
the open, but I believe these are birds which have had their burrows 
destroyed at about the time of egg laying and have chosen the handiest 
spot because those in the open usually have very fresh eggs, whereas 
all eggs checked in burrows were in varying stages of incubation. 
In certain areas, especially in the grass tuft fields about the tern 
colonies, it is extremely difficult to walk, because the ground is so 
undermined with tunnels and ? ? inconstantly as one moves about. 
Estimated 100,000 birds on island. 
New estimate of between 150,000 and 200,000. Possibly up to 1/3 of 
the occupied burrows have newly-hatched chicks on piping eggs. Some 
new burrows are constantly being dug, but whether these birds will lay 
or not is unknown. Large clubs of up to a couple at night in open 
areas. In daytime large groups are found by the lagoon shore, but 
these increase at night. 
Christmas Island Shearwater - Estimated 3,000 birds on island. Very 
very few birds seen. Those that were seen were usually In Scaevola 
? along the west beach. One pair was found with a full grown chick 
in a burrow within the Sooty tern colony on the east side of island 
in the grass clump field. This young was in a shallow burrow (about 
1 ft. deep) and completely covered with fuzzy down (blackish). Another 
young about the same size was found crawling under dense Scaevola 
