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Other Details: 
The ATF arrived at Howland Island on February 1 at 0900* The beach party 
was immediately sent ashore# Fairly heavy surf made the landings difficult# 
The outboard motors suffered damage but were repaired# 
The first night was spent with Merrill, Hackman and Thompson taking 100 
blood samples and Huber, Woodward and Kirkpatrick banding Blue-faced Boobies 
and Sooty Terns. A large colony of Sooty Terns has begun laying eggs in a 
5 acre area around the Amelia Earhart light house# The is apparently the 
first time these birds have imrtk±xx utilized this area# Another Sooty Tern 
colony was located in the same area on the east sidd of the island# The 
birds that were sitting on eggs on the ATF #6 now have young and a new group 
of birds have started laying over there# Some of the Sooty Tern* returns were 
birds banded in July 1964 (presumably on eggs then also)# This supports 
Ashmole f s theory of a 6-^onth cycle for Howland Birds# 
The Blue-faced Boobies were in low numbers and very little nesting activity 
was underway# The usual clubs on the east side of the island were present but 
with very few birds# 
Brown Boobies were present in small numbers nesting# Thirty-three nests 
were found and probably a few more were missed# 
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Gray-backed Terns were also nesting on the edge of the Sooty Tern colony on 
the west side of the island near the light house. This is the first breeding 
group in this area also# 
Lesser Frigates were still present in the area although reduced from last 
time# Approadtaately 1 § 500 chicks were left in the nesting area and were nearly 
able to fly# 
Greater Frigates were all sitting on freshly laid eggs indicating a new 
breeding cycle# A few males were displaying# 
A very thin band was recovered from a Booty Tern#kutfUutxkjpdk This is pre¬ 
sumably another bird banded by Munro# This band was recovered by Huber in the 
course of banding 3«507 Sooty Terns in one night# 
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