SCHREIBER 
CHRISTMAS ISLAND 
\ 
May . 
Visited several islands in the Manulu lagoon today ,1 
wpent the whole afternoon doing this. It ir really 
interesting how the different islands so near to 1 
each other and so seemingly similiar have different 
birds nesting on them and the same birds in differt 
ent parts of the nesting cycle. 
SOOTY TERN: in the morning went to look at the 
sooties down along the carver way, they were on 
the ground in some places and in the air over appros 
the same area as a week ago. The places that they 
are on the ground seem to change from day to day. 
No eggs or chiks seen. 
In the evening went to Hack Islet and worked on 
Frigates. SEE DATA SHEETS FOR INFO. 
May. 
Today Dudley Cook arranged to hare his native boys 
take us to the islands of the lagoon. It was a res 
lly neat day but i forgot to take my camera so 
nixsed many good pictures. Visited Cook island 
and made a pilgrimage to Philip Ashmoles old camp. 
Was surprised at how few banded birds i saw, Ashmol 
es nest markers are still in tack and visible and 
readable. It seems that he had alot of birds marks 
d for individual study. Cook tells the story of 
how he ahd been watching a RTTB for quite some tims 
and one day was sitting watching the nest kxz when, 
a brown arm reached through the brush and snatched 
the bird off the nest. By the time AsaiAshmole got 
going and caught the guy the bird was skinned and 
almost into the pot... Measured some eggs but m j 
ostly just sfit and watched and ate coconuts and 
fish cooked by the natives over an open Fire... 
SOOTY TERNS: est some 100,000 around the island 
of cook, saw only one nestling, or almost fledged . 
chick, Dudley says the nesting cycle ended here 
about a month ago, the last of the cy&le on the 
■ 
whole island. 
Also visited Moto TAbu- think can wade here from 
swimming lagoon... Many Birds, see diescription. ■ 
Just do not know what to do with these islands, 
culd spend all my time here but i assume that 
ashmole has pretty well covered everything... 
schreiber 
Christmas island 
Vj 
4 May. A^ain spent day visiting islets in Manulu 
lagoon... 
5 May. Visited one islet in manulu lagoon, on the 
north side and the biggest that i have been on. 
Then in the evneing spent the time on Hack islet 
working on the frigates. This that these are the 
most interesting birds on theislaet and so am 
spending most of my time on them, probably a mista 
ke but someday maybe will come back and be able to 
do a real study of them, and will have birds 
banded. Whish i had someone to tik bird with. 
The guys here are fun and interesting but just 
lack the stimulus to get me out and doing things. 
Lazy bastard that i am... 
17 May. Visited Moto Upua today, took pictures and 
little else. Could not find White throated storm 
petrels. The sharks inthe water aibng the pipe 
are too mcuh to ever get me to wide out there at 
night... Again there is just too much that could 
be done a that island. 
GOLDEN PLOVER: on the road to cheek the sooties 
near carver way counted 21 winter plumage and 3 
summer plumage birds, in a space os eorae 20 miles. 
At moto upua were some 15 in the tide flats as the 
tide went out. 
SOOTY TERN: during the day the birds near carver 
xexhxkkxk way were abotu the same as last time. 
Some on the gorund take off very readily when 
rover still more than 75 yards away, in isolated 
spots on the gournd, different again today, and 
still birds in the air, but more to the north of c« 
rver way, and for the first time are on the ground 
north of the road. In the evening th birds betweei 
lon^on s til in the same places, none on the gorund. 
and at 45 minutes after sunset still none on the 
ground or even near it for that matter. Very high 
and i doubt if they will come down, tonight £e or 
for the nest nights. Saw some hover flights but 
not many. 
V 
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