Hi folks,

Just received the Autumn 1996 issue (Volume 77, No 2) of the =
Northwestern Naturalist, which is the tri-annual publication of the =
Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology. There are only two =
bird-related contents in this issue. Enjoy.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net

Pacific and American Golden-Plovers breeding in southwestern Alaska. =
Alan J Bennett. pp 49-51.
These two tundra-nesters converge and breed sympatrically in western =
Alaska. Results of Bennett's surveys between the Alaska Range and =
Kuskokwim Mountains greatly expand the known breeding range of both =
species in Alaska. 131 individual P. dominicus, 3 nests and 14 =
prefledged chicks located at 9 sites; 37 P. fulva at 5 sites, along with =
3 downy young and 1 nest with an addled egg. P. dominicus found =
throughout most of survey area, but were most numerous north of Lake =
Clark on flat plateaus and fell-fields vegetated with alpine mat and =
cushion forming shrubs, grasses and sedges and were scarce/absent on =
steep, barren or rocky slopes. Only found 1 P. fulva near Lake Iliamna; =
all sightings were associated with tussock tundra interspersed with =
black spruce dwarf woodland on elevated knolls.

Body mass and lipid levels of shorebirds collected in western =
Washington. Joseph B Buchanan, Leonard A Brennan, Charles T Schick and =
Steven G Herman. pp 51-54.
Sanderling, W Sandpiper, and Dunlin collected (along with Semipalmated =
and Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Red Knot) as part of study =
of organochlorine levels in shorebirds were analyzed as to their lipid =
levels. Small sample sizes (43 birds of 7 species) precluded =
statistical comparisons among groups or seasons; During spring =
migration, lipid percentages were higher among semipalmated plover and W =
sandpipers than among 4 larger species (Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, =
Knot, Turnstone). Despite this difference, the lipid mass of all species =
were similar, except for black-bellied plover, which carried more =
lipids.

The non-bird articles included:

Spilogale gracilis in upland forests of western Washington and Oregon. A =
Carey and J Kershner. (spotted skunks)

Observations of weasels in second-growth Douglas-fir forests in the =
Puget Trough, Washington. T Wilson and A Carey.

Comparison of the effectiveness of Sherman and modified Fitch live-traps =
for capture of small mammals. J Hayes, M Adam, RG Anthony and J Witt.

A survey of small mammals in Wood-Tikchik State Park, Alaska. K Nolan =
and J Pierce.

Winter observations of Tailed Frogs in northeastern Oregon. E Bull and B =
Carter.

Aggregations of Sharptail snakes (Contia tenuis) on the east slope of =
the Cascade Range in Washington State. W Leonard, D Darda and K =
McAllister.

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