% 
* 4 . 
} 
i 7 
Midivay Island - Sept, b, 1965 
Arrived here and was immediately impressed by the helping had ol* all the naval 
personell. Aparently the v/elcorne mat is out for everybody thqt comes here, and it is 
damn-bit better than the callous treatment which the Aimiy gives the civilians that deal 
v/hich them. At happy—hour I met most everj^ne, received a dinner invitation, and was 
asked ( collared? ) into speaking to the Midway Chamber of Commerce; these people are so 
damn nice to me I can say no?^On arriving was impressed by Fairy terns and Red-tailed 
Tropicbirds which are still nesting and seem to be everywhere. At 2000 I caught ray first 
shearwaters — collected two banded ones and ended a long and satisfying day on a happy 
satisfying note. 
Midway Island, Sept. 7» 1965 
Went shopping at the PX and managed to piece together enough e(iuipraent to finish 
putting up the shearwater skins: These were moulting heavily and were not ( Thank God ) 
too fa^ - hope they don’t leak. Scouted much of the civilized part of the island and 
found fairy terns nesting in almost every Australian Pine: However, there is much that 
isnt being used and something other than available nest sites must control their numbers. 
Red-tailed Tropicbirds v/ere not observed about the island or attending to their chicle 
until 1000: The peak of tropicbird ^ctivity occurred between I500 and l400 today and I 
captured several adults on the groud with chicks then. Went to the Shearv/ater night roost 
at 1900,1 First Shearwaters overhead at I908, their numbers increasing rapidly - perhaps 
100 flying about by 1915; 1925 flying within 5 feet of their roosts; 19212, first Shearwater 
on the ground, Bulk were on the ground by I95O although some were still flying. In an 
hour I had captured 4 banded birds: Three collected for skins. One was taken for a skeleton. 
Midv/ay Island, Sept. 8, 1965. 
Spent much of the morning finishing up the shearwater skins. After lunch I walked 
around the Island and saw a lot of things which I could not name : Again, I am in need of 
a geterson . There are at least five kinds of terns and Hoddies here. Three Frigatebirds 
were seen. Many Tropicbirds as they are apparently in the height of their nesting now. 
Many Fairy Terns. Counted 51 Bristle-thighed Curlews, many Golden plovers, and five other 
shorebirds which I did not recognize in their v/inter plumage: One Turnstone seen. One 
Shorebird caught aloiVe at the end of a runway - v/ing on left side had been sheared off - 
saved for a Skin ( maybe a Stilt Sandpiper ? ). Most of the Curlews were on the East end 
of the island in a trough to the Right of the Navy Pier there. Most of the Terns were on 
the South end of the island* Albatross and Boobies were conspicuous by their absence. 
In the evening I stopped again to catch and watch the Shearwaters. Overhead 1905, flying 
low over ground at 1921, first on ground at 1951, bulk on the ground by 1950. This roost 
is located just behind the school where the grass is deep and mxderlain by sand. There were 
60 birds on the location by 2050, and in 2 hours I caught about 40 with bare hands and 
stealth: Got 6 more returns for a total of 11 to date on this species. A listing of the 
returns with status follows: .. joir-r- n, , 
645 - 48455 Trapped and Relesed Sept. 8, 1965 
643-48811 Trapped and Released Sept. 8, 1965 
-^645-49085 Trapped and Released Sept. 8, 1965 
>/ 645-49086 Trapped and Released Sept. 8, 1965 
' 645-74506 Trapped and Released Sept. 7, 1965 
\ 645-74509 Trapped and Released Sept. 8,19b5 
# 625-45182 Skinned Sept. 7, 1965 
# 645-48706 Skinned Sept. 6, I965 
# 645-48715 ■ Skinned Sept. 7, 1965 
# 645-49098 Skinned Sept. 7, 1965 
# 645-74506 Skinned Sept. 6, 1965 
( NOTE: Maryanna, as I do not have the forms here yet for the bird banding 
people to report these recoveries and returns, would you please do so for me. 
All of these birds were taken from a nocturnal roost ( used only at night ) 
at Midway, Sand Island. ) 
These crazy shearwaters have territory at night. They fight when they come together 
and chase intruding shearwaters away whith their terrible iaoaning call ( Thej^ remind me 
of trurapting Herring §ulls after a successful territorial dispute* ) They walk around in 
the grass groaning loudly, and v/ill approach one another and fight: The victor groans the 
