Wirtz, W. March 
1963 ATP 95 
any during the day since the first day, and at night we see their eyes 
3 
frequently far ahead of us. 
This morning w« took "blood samples from immature sooty terns end 
bended 300 of than. Tonight we bled adults end banded 300 more h matures, 
njpd bled immature frigates from the great roostover on the northeast side. 
Bob collected 2 of the odd red-footed boobies which are nesting in the 
dead trees with frigates. While in that colony today I noted e red-foot 
on a nest, all Sray-brown with only the feet and bill showing the 
colors characteristic of the species. It had an egg in the nest. 
The sooty tern colony at night 15 truly amazing. Evidently most 
of the adults are out to see during the day, and come beck at night to 
feed the chicks. The ground is covered with adult end young birds 
throughout the whole colony area, 5 or 6 per square yard before we 
disturb them. The young are being feW small fish and squid, which they 
% 
inva^bly regurgitate while they ere being bended. Cnee we move into 
the colony the noise from the adults which rise over our heads i§ 
deafening. You have to shout at a person next to yon to be heard. 
J 9~" c _ 
And all that can be seen in the headlight beam in eny direction are 
sooty tern heads. We banded our 300 tonight in a circle about 75 feet 
in diameter when we finished* with the birds moving out away from us as 
they were banded. The colony was alive with larvol end nymphel ticks 
tonight, and they quickly began crawling up our legs. Binion collected 
quite a sample of them. 
Tomorrow we will leave Bowl'-nd and go over to Baker till Sunday, 
> • 
then on to Canton by Monday night and back to Pearl by April 1. 
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22 March 1963 
