- 8 - 
Sooty Tern (1579 & 128 nocturnal) 
Sooty Terns were the most abundant bird in the Grid. Birds per line 
or mile was 3.12 compared with 6.23 last month. This decrease is probably 
the result of the birds moving out of the area at the end of the nesting 
cycle. Although large numbers of Sooties are now swirling over Howland 
they have not reached the point where they are present in large numbers at 
sea. This would be a situation similar to the Northern Grid in January when 
large numbers are over Sand Island but not seen commonly m the Grid a, ea. 
Last year 1,5U8 birds were seen which may have represented a population from 
the Phoenix Islands. 
Fairy Terns (2 & 1 nocturnal) 
Common Noddy Tern (38) 
Thirty Fairy Terns and 3U Common Noddy Terns were seen last month. The 
Fairy Terns may have moved out of the area to the Phoenix Island nesting 
grounds. 
