
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
Feb 16, 1936 Slept late & then out on the boat from Portland harbour. We had a hard time getting out to open waters on account of the floe ice & it was exceedingly rough outside with a long ground swell coming in. Saw few birds but those few very interesting 1. [[underline]] Eiders. [[/underline]] about 20,000 more or less feeding around the outside ledges. Very heavy bodies - low direct flight. These were the first eiders I'd ever seen. 2. [[underline]] Cormorant. [[/underline]] 6-8. also my first of this species. Flight much like the double crested species I know. 3. [[underline]] Purple Sandpipers. [[/underline]] about a thousand in 3 or 4 flocks. Collected six also my first. Much like Black Turnstone in habits 4. Great Black backed gull. 6-8. Also my first. Very dark & big & powerful. 5. Herring Gull 50-60 6. American goldeneye. Scattered & common over the entire area except on outside ledges. 7. White winged Scoter c 8. American " [[Ditto for: Scoter]] several flocks 9. Red breasted Merganser several 10. Black Duck. about a thousand These were red legged variety and are larger & heavier birds than those further south. Returned to shore & drove about to see black ducks