Three rookeries of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at Coulman Island, Antarctica, were last reported in 1964. Their size was then only roughly estimated and their positions were incorrectly mapped. They were relocated and photographed during aerial photographic surveys of Ross Sea penguin breeding areas on 6 December 1981, 29 November 1982 and 2 December 1983. This paper reports the correct position of each colony, together with detailed description and photograph and an accurate count of occupied nests. Numbers of breeding pairs in 1983 were assessed as Northern Rookery 2,157, Middle Rookery 3,989, Southern Rookery 22,743.
In 1983, 4,559 kilometres of coast were patrolled and 5,991 dead seabirds were found. A new record for the Beach Patrol Scheme was a Pomarine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus). Unusual finds were Yellow-nosed Mollymawk (Diomedea chlororhynchos), Stejneger’s Petrel (Pterodroma longirostris), White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus), Lesser Frigate Bird (Fregata ariel) and Grey Ternlet (Procelsterna
cerulea). A wreck of Long-tailed Skuas (Stercorarius longicaudus) occurred mainly on Auckland West beaches in January and February. A summary is given of the coastal and monthly distribution for each species and subspecies of the 2,401 albatrosses found during the 1960-1983 period. Of the various coastal regions, albatrosses were found most frequently (number of birds per 100 km covered) on Southland beaches. The most frequently found albatross was the Grey-headed Mollymawk (Diomedea chrysostoma).
The measurements of the Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) in Canterbury, New Zealand, were investigated. Variation in plumage colour are compared with study skins and published data for British Redpolls. New Zealand and British Redpolls are shown to differ and it is suggested that differences may be due to ‘founder effect’ rather than ‘hybridisation’ between two or more introduced races, as had previously been postulated. The occurrence of light-coloured plumage was more common in males. Females showed a much wider range of poll colour.
From available records ranging from systematic surveys to casual observations, the known distribution of Buller’s Shearwater (Puffinus bulleri) in the North Pacific Ocean is described. The birds arrive in subarctic waters in June and slowly expand northward and eastward as far as the Gulf of Alaska by August. The mid-ocean distribution after August is poorly known, but many birds, presumably non-breeders, are along the west coast of North America, at least from British Columbia to southern California, until late October-early November. Numbers observed along this coast have increased since the mid-1960s.
Early accounts of Little Barrier Island by Andreas Reischek emphasise that the Stitchbird (Notiomystis cincta) was very rare there in the 1880s. Re-examination of the original accounts, in conjunction with dated specimens, suggests that the Stitchbird was in fact very rare in 1880 and 1882 but increased markedly in 1883 and 1885. The rarity of the species on Little Barrier in 1880 and 1882 coincided with its extinction on the mainland and may have been due to introduced disease. However, several fluctuations in population size have taken place since. At least 78 and up to 130 of the 181 extant 19th-century specimens were taken by Reischek.