Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern AlaskaBee, James W.
Science
Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern Alaska
Bee, James W.
Birds -- Alaska
The nest, approximately 60 cm in diameter, of sedges, grasses and an
assortment of plant debris, was on a mound of soil 23 cm above, and 40
cm from, the open water. The cup of the nest measured 37 mm in depth.
The site of the nest (southeast corner of the lake) was near the area
supporting the most lake trout (_Cristivomer namaycush_). Between open
water of the lake and the shore, 20 feet of sedges and grasses
deterred wolves (_Canis lupus_), red foxes (_Vulpes fulva_), and
caribou (_Rangifer arcticus_) from molesting the nest; tracks of these
mammals were numerous on contiguous shore areas.
The early run-off entering the lake created a variable water level
(the overflow decreased 60 per cent in the period July 2 to July 11).
The loons lay their eggs when the lake's level is fairly well
stabilized. The cotton-grass (_Eriophorum_) at the latter date was
developing white flowers and the sedges, growing in dense stands, were
showing springtime green.
The force with which the excrement of the loon is expelled while
standing on land, accounts for long white lines upwards of one meter
in length. These lines of dried excrement, reaching as far as one and
one-tenth meters landward, were noted at several places along the
shore.
At Topagaruk on July 9, 1951, a single yellow-billed loon was
observed. At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) the yellow-billed loon
was occasionally heard at night and, at times in the day. On July 18,
an Eskimo, Atanak, accompanied by two companions from Wainwright, shot
two loons of this species approximately two miles down the Kaolak
River from our camp. They had planned to prepare the birds for their
evening meal. With the exception of twelve pebbles averaging 3.5 mm in
diameter in the one, the stomachs of the loons were empty. The female
was given to us by the Eskimos. It measured 870 mm in total length,
1600 mm in wing spread, and 5897 grams in weight. The ovaries
contained many ova, the largest eight mm in diameter. Many of the
individual ova were black.
At Porcupine Lake a yellow-billed loon was seen every day (July 13-18,
1952) but was not heard until 8:00 P.M. on July 17; its call was the
first since our arrival on July 13. Thereafter its long drawn-out wail
or raucous, hilarious call was uttered at intervals in the evening and
well toward midnight.
A yellow-billed loon was on the south end of Lake Peters on August 4,
1952. At 9:00 A.M. it caught a small fish at the mouth of Carnivore
River. The loon flew north approximately five miles to Lake Schrader
where it was known to have young.
Of the three species of loons observed on the Arctic Slope, the
yellow-billed loon is the least numerous. Owing to its large size this
loon is more often taken than either of the others. Eskimos consider
its dark, fine grained flesh a delicacy. On the more isolated areas of
the Arctic Slope the yellow-billed loon remains common; elsewhere it
needs protection.
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