TRIP REPORT-MAY 18-27, 1982 by Zeillemaker, C. Fred .IS FWLB 1338 .! TRIP REPORT 1..l1JRAR~ ALEUTIAN ISLANDS UNIT c ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE U@i\FWS May 18 to May 27, 1982 _A;."l.Chorage Personnel: Chris J. Ambroz, Volunteer, AMNWR (Homer) Fredric G. Deines, Wildlife Biologist, AIU-AMNWR (Adak) Donald E. Dragoo, Volunteer, AMNWR (Homer) Douglas J. Forsell, Wildlife Biologist, Seattle NFRC (Anchorage) Evan V... Klett, Assistant Refuge Manager, AIU-M1NWR (Adak) Jay E. Hamernick, Volunteer, AIU-AMNWR (Adak) c. Fred Zeillemaker, Refuge Manager, AIU-AMNWR (Adak) Charter Vessel "Sea Spray" Crew: Agust Gudjonsson, Captain Ted Blenkers, Cook Ed Mosiman, Engineer May 18 Depart Sweeper Cove Pier 9, Adak, aboard.the "Sea Spray" at 0930 hours, proceeding a~ about 10 knots. Conducted periodic seabird and marine mammal transects along a course north of Adak, Kanaga, Bobro~ Tanaga, and Gareloi Islands. •·.: May 19 Passed south of Semisopochnoi Island at 0300 hours. Continued :.... ( periodic seabird and marine mammal transects along a course north of Little Sitkin, Davidof, Khvostof and Kiska islands. Arrived off the northwest side of Buldir Island at about 200.0 hours. Put a landing party ashore to inspect the Buldir cabin and tent frame. Underway at about 2200 hours for ~gattu Island. May 20 Arrived off east side of .Agattu at about 0545 hours. Prepared material and personnel for landing at Cove. All hands set up base camp in the cabin at Aga Cove. Jay Hamernick and Fred Zeillemaker remained on Agattu to complete setting up camp and initiate Aleutian Canada goose survey. The "Sea Spray" continued on to Shemya Island, but1 due to sea conditions, could not load supplies required for work at Nizki Island. May 21 "Sea Spray" picked up equipment at Shemya and proceeded to Nizki Island. All hands set up base camp on east shore of Nizki. Van Klett and Don Dragoo· remained on ·Nizki to complete setting up camp and initiate Aleutian ' ·:, Canada goose surveys while "Sea Spray" returned to Agattu Island and began circumnavigation and Aleutian Canada goose surveys at· Karab Cove (Figure 1) • Hamernick and Zeillemaker completed a 13 mile round trip hike to Karab Cove and back to Aga Cove in search of Aleutian Canada geese (Figures 1 & 2). May 22 "Sea Spray" continued goose search along south and north shores (including three Armeria Bay stream valleys) of Agattu. Hamernick and zeillemaker search Aga Cove area for geese. Klett and Dragoo search Alaid­ Nizki for geese. .. i -~." -2- May 23 "Sea Spray" checked two val·leys between Kugloi Point and Mo:uolith Point in the morning and Kohl Island (southeast corner of Agattu) in the afternoon. Hamernick and Zeillemaker completed a 7~ mile round trip hike to McDonald Cove and return to Aga Cove in search of geese (Figures 1 & 3) . Klett and Dragoo continued goose work on Alaid-Nizki. ' May 24 "Sea Spray" worked clockwise around Agattu for second time (checking three locations at "Tower" Cove, two valleys at Karab 'Cove, Otkriti Bay, two valleys east of Nile Point and Gillon Point) . Hamernick and Zeille­ maker worked the Aga Cove area of Agattu. Klett and Dragoo continued Alaid­ Nizki search. May 25 "Sea Spray" returned to southeast area of Agattu. Hamernick and Zeillemaker continued investigations at Aga Cove and vicinity. Klett and Dragoo continued Alaid-Nizki search. May 26 ·"Sea Spray" checked two West Cove locations, Binnacle Bay and four Patricia Bight locations before picking up Hamernick and Zeillemaker and spending the night along the south side of Agattu. Klett and Dragoo- completed searches of Alaid.:..Nizki (Figure 4) • May 27 "Sea Spray" dropped Forsell and Ambroz off at Aga Cove and pro- ceeded to Nizki Island. All hands assisted in breaking camp at Nizki and picking up Klett and Dragoo. Zeillemaker and Hamernick were left at Shemya Island for a flight back to Adak. Three replacement personnel (Tom Early, . :··, ..... _ ·Dana Bradley and Mark Ostwald}. were picked up at Shemya by the "Sea Spray" before steaming on to Buldir Island for additional Aleutian Canada goose investigations. ._,.:.' May 29 & 30 Forsell and Arnbroz work.ed in Aga Cove area observing geese. Vegetation Notes: Green up had occurred only in the lowland areas of Agattu and Alaid-Nizki. Green areas were primarily restricted to lower slopes above sea cliffs, high on the beaches, and in stream valleys. Aleutian Canada goose use at Aga Cove, Agattu, was on green grass (Elymus sp) above the beach in Cabin Creek Valley, midden sites near the cabin, the Cabin Creek Valley floor, midden sites above the beach in Goose Creek Valley, the Goose Creek Valley floor, Goose Lake, the . '~ ' . south facing slopes along the north side of Goose Creek Valley, and southeast and east facing slopes above the cliffs at the north side of Aga Cove. No geese were observed above 200 feet in elevation (Figure 5). Wildflowers ob­ served included Eurasian white hellebone .(Veratrum album) not blooming, choco­ late lilly (Fritillaria comschatcensis) not blooming, Siberian spring-beauty (Claytonia sibirica) blooming, narcissus-flowers anemone (Anemone narcissi­ flora) blooming, elder-leaf mountain-ash (Serbus sambucifolia)leafing out, .'··· Nootka lupine (Lupinus nootkateusis) not blooming, cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) not blooming, wedge-leaved primrose (Primuia cuneifolia) blooming, lagotis (Lagotis glauca) blooming and willow (Salix sp) blooming. ~ '' . -· '• ,, -3- Aleutian Canada Goose: A group of nine geese was feeding on grass about ten feet east of the Aga Cove cabin upon our arrival May 20. They were extremely tame, and casually moved off toward Cabin Creek as they fed and we patiently waited with our equipment. Their tameness also gave us an opportunity to read their blue leg bands. They (band numbers 673, 726, 728, 731, 732, 733, 734, 735 and 737) were all one year old males released at Nizki in 1981. ~vo additional birds were found at Goose Creek, but they did not allow close enough approach for band reading (they would later). At 0430 on May 22 the nine geese departed to Cabin Creek area, and the other two. stayed near Goose Creek Valley, but continued to elude us. At 0745 on May 24 six geese circled our Cabin Creek Vall·ey and four (673, 726, . 731, . 735) landed north of the cabin. The two wary geese in the Goose Creek Valley area stayed up 0n the slopes above the cliffs on the north side of Aga Cove and eluded our cautious efforts to read their bands on two occasions. At 1955 hours the four geese at the cabin departed toward the south. On May 25 the four birds (673, 726, 731 and 735) returned to Aga Cove. Also on that date the e1usive pair became more interested in two newly arrived pairs at Goose Creek Valley and we were able to read all bands. Our elusive birds were 324(cf-)and 296(~J Both were Buldir transplants to Agattu on 8/15/80. The new arrivals were easy to determine due to the presence of a wild {unmarked) bird in each pair. One pair consisted of a wild cob with a very broad neck collar and a banded pen (297) while the other consisted of a banded cob (737) and a wild Cunmarked) pen. Number 297 is a Buldir transplant released on Agttu 8/15/80. Number 737 is a male NPWRC bird released at Nizki 8/16/81. on May 30- the distinctively plumaged wild male and its banded mate (assumed to be 297) were also spotted. Later that date they were joined by another bird (235) which had not been present since Agattu observations began May 20. That bird is a 1980 male Amchitka golden gosling released at Agattu 8/12/80. When we compared the Agattu band list of 14 birds to the Alaid-Nizki list of 13 birds, we discovered that all but three (335, 297, 324) of the Agattu birds and all but two (524, 543) of theAlaid-Nizki birds were utilizing both loca­ tions (Table 1)! It appears we fell considerably short of our objective to locate 18 banded birds at Agattu Ctotal 367 released 1978-1980) and 17 banded birds at Alaid-Nizki (342 released in 1981). It was also interesting to note none of the birds originated from Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. About Arctic Foxes: c.- There was absolutely no sign of Arctic Foxes on AgattuANizki. Meat scraps were left out at Aga Cove for five days without attracting any animals. No sign, tracks or trails remain at Agattu. Former trails have grown over and many are difficult to identify. Eider and gull nests were very accessible. ... Other Birds ·(5/20-5/26 only): Common Loon - Two pairs and a single bird on plateau between Karab Cove and Aga Cove 5/21. Two were on Aga Cove 5/22. Single birds flew over Goose Creek Valley 5/24-5/26. A pair was on Glass Ball Lake 5/23. Red-faced Cormorant - Very abundant at Aga Cove, north to McDonald Cove and at Karab Cove 5/20-5/26. -4- Emperor Goose - Two wary birds were at Otkriti Bay 5/24. Mallard - Up to 3 drakes and one hen at Goose Lake, Aga Cove, 5/20-5/26, 5 drakes at Karab Cove 5/21, 2 drakes at Glass Ball Lake and 2 drakes and a hen at McDonald Point Lake 5/23, and a hen with brood of 7 class Ia ducklings at a small i75' elevation lake NW of Goose Lake May 25. Four were at Otkriti Bay 5/24 and eight were at Binnacle Bay 5/26 • . (Eurasian) Green-winged Teal - Up to 4 drakes and a hen at Goose Lake1 Aga Cove, 5/20-5/26.