The Surf-bird 
Its nesting haunts, indeed, are still unknown, being vaguely surmised to 
exist somewhere in the interior of northwestern Alaska. Grinnell came 
nearest to striking the Aphrizine gold-ledge when he secured three 
specimens on the 29th of May, 1899, some forty miles up the Kowak 
River; for his Indians recognized the bird by name and affirmed that it 
nested about certain small lakes in the tundra near the Selawik Moun¬ 
tains. Unfortunately, he was not able to visit the indicated spot. 
On a blowy day in May, 1912, the 3rd it was, one of my boys and I 
lugged the camera across a plowed field toward a rocky point some ten 
miles west of Santa Barbara. Peeping cautiously over the brow of the 
cliff we descried a large company of mingled Shags and Surf-birds 1 . 
The cormorants rose hurriedly and after them the Aphrizids, but the 
latter settled again while we accomplished a long detour which brought 
us up, panting, behind a line of rocks substantially on a level with our 
prizes. I snapped hurriedly at 150 feet, then set out more carefully to 
make a series of photographic approaches. First, I crept on hands and 
knees across the upper beach to a jutting rock which offered a little 
shelter; then advanced by slow stages in a direct line. What matter 
though the sand was wet and plastered here and there with blobs of crude 
oil! Were they not Surf-birds! Ever and again I snapped. At the 
sixty foot range a jealous wave engulfed me as I squatted Turk-fashion 
upon the sands. No matter. It would not do to put the cause to hazard 
1 The substance of this account was published in The Condor, Vol. XV., January, 1913, pp. 5-8. 
Taken near Santa Barbara 
SURF-BIRDS FEEDING ON REEF 
Photo by the Author 
