schreiber 
Talking of Sooty Terns on Moko Manu, Oaho, Hawaii 
" Here a million wings cast shadows across out 
uncertain trail. A million more reposed on make 
shift nests - in reality but lava soil or rock 
elevated to the rank of home by the mere act of 
squatting." 
Prudence Woollett 
June 1956 
Paradise of the Pacific 
Schreiber \ 
Moku Manu, Oahu, Hawaii 
Sept. Landed on the island at about 1300 after 
mr. Lester of the univ of Hawaii from Coconut isl 
pook us as near as he would with his boat. The 
surf was not at all rough but even so we had a litt 
le difficulty getting ashore with the half drums. 
If things were tied together properly and we had 
been a little organized it really would have not 
been a bad landing at all. With only slightly 
rougher surf it could have been impossible. Coming 
off on the 27th at about 0930 the surf had come up 
a bit but getting off is no problem. Simply throw 
the half drums into the water and swim out with 
them. Glad that we were all good swimmers. This 
island has real possibilities for sea bird study 
and with a little planning one could do a grea t 
study hout there. 
RED FOOTED BOOBY: during the afternoon counted 
nests and found: 30-day chicks 2 - 
60- 3 ’ 
90- 7 . .... 
120- 19 _ 
fledglings 90++ 
There were an estimated 1500 adults around the is 
land at night. Little or no breeding going on, 
all thenests are old and chicks well advanced. 
At night returned two adults from Mokapu and 1X2 
adults banded here in schxk May 67, and 2 from 
march 64. The Mokapu birds had been banded on 
1 feb 64, and 1 June 65. At night banded 55 imm 
and nestlings, and 28 adults. 
BROWN BOOBY: during afternoon counted one 30-days 
chicks being sun shielded by a female, two chicks 
at 90- days, and 3 chiks at 120 -days, and 18 imm 
atures. Probably are more immatures, in fact woiili 
say shat there are close to 50 on the island. Saw 
an adult axd feed an immature, both landed togeths: 
and theimmature immediately began begging until .tie 
ad male fed the chicks. The hx plumage catagories 
abotfe are 120- have only a little down on the body 
, the 90- has full down, being lost from thenead 
and neck with the rectirces 3 inches, sec and gr 
coverts 2-3 inches, and the primaries 3 inches. 
At night on the SE point found a nest with two 
rotton eggs in sesuvium. abandoned. 
