PRELIMINARY REPORT SIC NO. 11 (ISLAND) 2 
by 
Max 0. Thompson 
SIC 11 departed Honolulu with a complement of nine per¬ 
sonnel aboard, including Max C. Thompson (Biologist-ln-charge, 
island work), Richard S. Crossin (Biologist-in-charge, at-sea 
work), Brian Harrington, Norman Heryford, Robert DeLong, James 
Lewis, Dayle Husted, Frank Smith and Jeff Tordoff. Tordoff 
was returned to Honolulu from Canton Island due to illiness. 
DeLong returned to Honolulu from Pago Pago# The second half 
of the trip was made with a complement of seven personnel. 
Support was given by the USNS Shearwater (T-AG 177) with G. 
Krull, Master# The usual cooperation was received. 
Bird populations were generally low. The first half of 
the trip resulted in the banding of approximately 900 birds. 
The second half of the trip showed an improvement with about 
28,000 birds being banded, mainly on Christmas Island. The 
trip banding total of 28,755 was an all time low for the POBSP. 
This season of the year has consistently produced low banding 
totals and represents that period in which most of the birds 
are between nesting cycles# The second half of the trip was 
beginning to show signs of a population Increase on Howland 
and this will be discussed below. 
A brief summary of the island work and the more important 
elements in the avifauna are discussed below# Tables listing 
the different complilatlons from the islands can be found at 
the back of the report. 
