TECHNICAL WRITING: TECHNICAL LITERATURE

by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano

A.PROGRESS REPORT
1.

Mo Kim Cheng
2108 San Gabriel #404
Austin, Texas 78705
29 November 1983

Dr. David A. McMurrey
English Department
Austin Community College
Austin, Texas 78712

Dear Mr. McMurrey:

I am writing to bring you up to date on the progress that I have
made on my semester report project. As you know from my 20
September memo, my topic is the fundamentals of computer
structures and logic design. I have kept in my mind your advice
about narrowing this topic, but expect to solve this problem as I
continue to gather information.

After your approval of my project, I got to work right away
gathering detailed information on the four major components of
the computer system and the basic techniques of logic design.

After nearly two months of research, study, and rough-drafting,
the report project is about two-thirds complete. This letter
summarizes my work from 20 September to 27 November.






Mr. David A. McMurrey -2- 29 November 1986


The report project can be divided into three major tasks:

1. Finding information for the discussion of the four
2. major components of a computer, namely, the
3. central processing unit, the arithmetic and logic
4. unit, the memory unit, and the input/output
5. system.
6.
7.
8. Finding information for the description of the
9. logic design, which includes number systems,
10. Boolean algebra, logic gates, and logic circuits.
11.
12.
13. Developing graphics that adequately illustrate
14. as well as language that conveys these computer
15. concepts.
16.

My work on task 1 is nearly complete, although I'm still
searching for additional examples to present the concepts more
clearly. Most of the materials related to task 2 have been Mr.

gathered, and I'm working on different ways to organize and
present this information (logic design). In fact, that is where
most of my time on this project seems to be going: how explain
the basic techniques of logic design so that the nonspecialist
reader can understand readily.






David A. McMurrey -3- 29 November 1986


Project Description


As you requested, here is a review of what my report project is
all about.

Subject. The report will discuss the four major components of
the computer system as well as the basic techniques of logic
design. Logic design is a procedure for designing computer
components by using "black boxes" that perform specific
functions. The designer is not required to understand the
behavior of the actual electronic circuitry.

Purpose. The purpose of this report is to offer the
nonspecialist reader and the beginning electrical engineering
student an introduction to the fundamentals of computer
structures and logic design.


Topic 1: Computer Structures


Work completed. The library research on computer structures is
now complete. Also, I have written a complete draft of the
sections of the report involving this topic. The four major
components are described in detail; there are numerous examples
and illustrations. Several nonspecialists have read the draft and
have made suggestions for improving it.






Mr. David A. McMurrey -4- 29 November 1986


In this section, you'll learn about the central processing unit,
the "brain" of the computer, that part that controls the entire
system and processes information. You'll also learn about the
arithmetic logic unit, which performs numerical calculations at
high speed, and about the memory unit, which stores information
to be processed. You'll also see how the computer communicates
with the outside world through the input/output devices.

Work remaining. Based on the suggestions of my test readers,
I am still tinkering with finding different ways to explain
certain key events in a cycle of computer operation and with
developing better graphics.


Topic 2: Basic Techniques of Logic Design


Work completed. I'm still trying to locate up-to-date
information on logic design techniques, but most of the
information is in place. At this stage, I only have a very rough
draft and have not been able to test it out on nonspecialist
readers. Much of the writing in this draft is still in
specialist language and is going to require a good amount of
translating.

Work remaining. Currently, I am in the process of rewriting
the part of the report on logic design techniques. This may
entail some major reorganization; also I still must find or
create good examples and illustrations for some of the areas of
this part. I am particularly concerned about presenting Boolean
algebra in the clearest and the most concise way possible, since
it is one of the keys to understanding the operations of a
computer.






Mr. David A. McMurrey -5- 29 November 1986


Enclosed is a two-page outline of my report as it stands now. If
you have any suggestions about it or if you would be interested
in looking at the rough draft in its current state, please let me
know. Otherwise, everything is moving along well, and you should
have the report by or before the scheduled date.



Respectfully yours,


Mo Kim Cheng
Electronics major, ACC
2.
Progress Report: Built To Spill
Twice a week, Jessica Suarez's Progress Report updates you on what your favorite bands have been doing. Or not doing.

NAME:Built To Spill
PROGRESS REPORT: Doing final mixing for There Is No Enemy at Kingsize SoundLabs in Los Angeles with producer David Trumfio
About five years went by between the release of Built To Spill's fifth album, Ancient Melodies Of The Future, and 2006's You In Reverse. By that measure, the wait for There Is No Enemy seems short. Still, Billboard reported that Doug Martsch, along with his new lineup, were ready to wrap up their album back in May -- 2007. As you might guess, Martsch says their schedule was pretty relaxed: The band began recording in March last year, but, after recording 15 songs in Los Angeles, they re-recorded them at an old theater that was converted into a studio. "And we tried it there because we were going for a live sound. We even had a little show, invited some locals and performed the songs live in front of people and recorded those as well," Martsch explains. "But we ended up not really using that." The band returned to their original studio once every six weeks or so to do overdubs, vocals, and additional instruments before leaving for a tour last year. Martsch spent the last few months returning to the studio without the band to work on mixing. "And that's where we are now," he says. "It wasn't a year of hard work. It was a year of every once and while coming out and working. I like to sit on stuff for a while."
If you saw Built To Spill on tour last year, you heard some of the new album tracks, slower, pared-down songs like "Done" and "Hindsight." Martsch, says he's been working on these new songs too much to know if they'll sound as they did last year. "I don't think they've changed very much, but they probably have changed a lot because change is so gradual and I'm just working on it all the time," he says. While he wrote all the songs on his own, he says the rest of Built to Spill helped the tracks evolve over the recording sessions. Members traded off parts seamlessly, meaning that, if you followed Martsch as well as related Built To Spill bands like Caustic Resin, you might be able to pick out guitar players. At other times, Martsch says he couldn't tell you who was on each guitar. And because BTS edited via ProTools for the first time, Martsch had unlimited tracks and takes to use, making it even harder to pick out individual takes or players. But the band only used ProTools to edit and mix; Martsch says all the recording and effects were put on tape: "I'm pretty careful not to overproduce things. The time we're spending is not being spent tightening things and making things more pro at all, making them more slick."

That final recording may be the first chance everyone else will have to hear There Is No Enemy. Martsch says the band will likely not play any new songs this summer since they haven't had a chance to rehearse them: "Like I said, some of these songs have changed a bit. We never bothered learning them, so we kind of have our old songs to work with." In fact, he says he had a peek at some of the songs in contention for their Pitchfork Festival Write The Night show, and he was happy to see that most of the songs people voted for were "basically just the stuff we always play all the time anyway," without requests for newer songs. But that's just fine for Martsch. In fact, it also explains why he likes to take his time with recording. "We have a bunch of records out. There's no hurry for us to sell music. We can put out a a record every five or six years, and that's plenty of Built to Spill music. The world doesn't need a new Built to Spill record every year," he says. "A new band, I could totally see that. It's exciting to hear them put out a couple records in a hurry, but a band like us, we're just fine."


B.SURVEY REPORT

1.
2008 National Utilization and
Compensation Survey Report
Introduction and Table of Contents
The Participants
The data is based on analysis of the responses to the 2008 National Utilization and Compensation Survey report which was collected by a web based survey from October 15, 2007-February 15, 2008. There were 1434 responses received and utilized for this report. 5% of the population are males; 95% are females. The average age of survey participants is 45. 66% of the participants are members of NALA; 67% have received the Certified Legal Assistant/ Certified Paralegal credential.
Respondents are from a diverse geographical area. Forty-eight states, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia are represented by the population. Among the regions of the United States, the Southeast region was represented by 42% of the respondents; Southwest region was represented by 20%; Far West was represented by 11%; Plains States was represented by 14%; Great Lakes was represented by 5%; Rocky Mountain states were represented by 4%; and New England/Mid East was represented by 4% of the respondents. The average population of the cities represented is 544,897.
The respondents have about 18 years of legal experience; 8 years with the same employer. Most (64%) of respondents work for a private law firm, and, of those, 61% work in firms of 1-10 attorneys; 18% of the respondents work for corporations. With reference to educational backgrounds, 42 of respondents have a bachelor’s degree; 36 have an associate’s degree.
The 2008 National Utilization and Compensation Survey presents information concerning the work environment, duties and responsibilities, billing rates and compensation levels of legal assistants. Conducted bi-annually since 1986, the survey analysis includes a review of current findings in comparison with findings of previous surveys. Economic data is presented in terms of such factors as size of city, size of firm, educational backgrounds, years of experience, and specialty area of practice.
Please click on any of the following sections for reports of the survey findings. The files are in pdf format. If you do not have this already, download the Adobe reader - at no cost - from the following web site.



2.
Online Survey Report
This report is intended to be a short summary of the most interesting results from the online survey. It isn't a complete report by any means. For more information, you can view the response statistics.
Our methods were simple. We devised the short survey and publicized it through multiple channels for maximum exposure. We received 591 responses. Results were calculated as a percentage of the total responses for a question. Open-ended responses were collected, normalized (i.e., categorized under a controlled keyword), and counted. Cross-correlation was not performed, but may be at a future date.
Caveat: Nearly half (48.8%) the respondents were librarians, library staff, or information professionals. These respondents are generally more versed in information retrieval methods, which may be reflected in the data.
1. A majority of respondents indicated they were most interested in online journals and reference materials when they went online to look for information.
More than 80% of respondents selected these two types of digital resources (online journals 88.8%, reference materials 80.1%). None of the other responses for resources listed matched these high percentages (e.g., data 56.2%, images 53.2%).
2. Additionally, respondents indicated that these were the digital resources they were unable to find online.
This seems to point to an apparent trend, however, without further data analysis we don't know if these responses reflect differences in respondent roles. For instance, librarians might make up the majority of the 88.8% of respondents who indicated they were interested in online journals, while students might make up the majority of the 20.7% of respondents who indicated they were unable to find online journals. Cross-correlation may indicate that appropriate interfaces and publicity would be needed to reach certain audiences.
3. Top problems that respondents noted when looking for information online included not retrieving the resource itself, not finding older materials, having rights problems, not knowing of a comprehensive service for finding resources, and the ever-present problems with searching.
Respondents are clearly interested in being able to access the complete digital resource (67.1%), and not having to view the citation and take an additional step, whether that is performing another search or finding the resource in the physical library.
When respondents mentioned not being able to find older materials (32.2%), we considered this a plea for having more materials online. As one respondent put it: “It's great to have so many online journal articles! More please! I'd love to see more pre-1900 texts available in this format.” It seems we have a duty to perform, as the demand is clearly there.
Rights issues (8.9%) are sticky ones. Respondents want copyrighted items, which are often unavailable for digitization. A respondent states that he wants “free access to all the quality materials.”
One respondent says: “There are so many sources that I'm overwhelmed. I don't know what's out there.” A service that could offer one-stop, comprehensive access to all digital resources (8.2%) is, naturally, something OAIster hopes to address. Another respondent noted: "Can find most of what I need – but then again there may be resources out there I don't yet know I need." A comprehensive service could also benefit users interested in serendipitous searching.
Searching problems (13.7%) are nothing new. Particular problems that respondents noted were that they:
• don't have enough information to describe something
• don't know what words to use
• don't know how to narrow searches
• don't find relevant materials
• don't know where to start looking
One respondent puts it rather bleakly: “It's not that I haven't found them, it's the usual difficulty of finding the correct key word/phrase to bring it up. I think this is just an unsolvable problem.” That's probably an entirely separate discussion, but it's worth noting that we need to address these issues through a combination of designing appropriate interfaces, education and assistance.
4. Surprisingly, a number of respondents (5%) indicated that they were generally successful in finding resources online.
Typical responses included “I've been able to find what I need” and “So far have found all I wanted.” These comments could reflect the abilities of expert searchers, but could also point to the fact that searchers might not be aware of what they are missing, aren't looking for in-depth or comprehensive results, or, of course, are generally satisfied with the resources they retrieve. This would be a fascinating area for further research.
5. Several potential features of a service like OAIster were of interest to respondents, including looking for resources in a certain subject area, using a service that is continually updated, and searching the full text of the resource.
Respondents wanted to be able to narrow or limit their searching scope to a particular subject area (82.6%). The high percentage of responses to this question points to a pressing need for some type of subject categorization so that users can perform their searches within certain subject areas. We hope to research this issue and its solutions towards the end of this year, and hopefully into the next.
Respondents also indicated that using a service that featured a wide range of subject areas was not one of their top features (53%). One interpretation of this result is that it indicates that while we wish to offer an all-encompassing service for all types of audiences and all types of uses, we also need to make specific subject area access available and easy to use.
The desire for continuous updating of the service (78.4%) implies that respondents don't want to use a service that does not add resources on a regular basis or that is stagnant in the types of services it offers. Naturally, this is a challenge, but one that needs significant attention for the continued popularity of a service.
The desire to search full text (78.2%) is also nothing new. Providing the option to do so can be problematic as it can result in way too much information for the user. Our desire is to provide users with more tailored results by having them search within metadata that has been created to reflect the content of the resource. One respondent put this succinctly: “Tagged information so I don't get fire hosed.” If time permits, we hope to research the potential for offering even better search results through metadata normalization.
We particularly liked one comment we received: “You will never beat Google. No way.”
Probably true. However, it's not our intention to beat Google, but to provide an adjunct method for accessing information online. Our hope is that by providing a comprehensive service that caters to user needs – e.g., finding resources by subject, finding resources by format, retrieving the full resource – and addresses multiple searching problems, we can provide access to more, and more varied, useful and informative digital resources that are currently difficult to find.

A. Status Report

1.
Project Information
TODO: Copy this file for each status report. Fill in the information below. Email a notification to stakeholders when this report is made available.
TODO: Edit the rows in the following table. In some rows, multiple examples are given, you should select/edit only one.
Project: PROJECTNAME

Status Report Date: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Next Internal Release Number: X.Y.Z
Release Date: Original estimate: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Current estimate: YEAR/MONTH/DAY
Change Since Last Report: No change
Change Since Last Report: Slipped 2 days
Change Since Last Report: Saved 4 days
Open Issues:
(needing development) 17 defects
8 enhancements

Resolved Issues:
(pending verification) 0 defects
2 enhancements

Closed Issues: 34 defects
3 enhancements

Resources used this period: PERSONNAME: 18 hours.
PERSONNAME: 15 hours.
PERSONNAME: 10 hours.
PERSONNAME: 12 hours.
Status Summary: Project completed. This is the final status report.
Low risk. Project on track.
Medium risk. Problems are being dealt with.
High risk. Advice from management and stakeholders needed.
Project canceled. This is the final status report.
Related Documents: Project plan > Resource needs
QA plan
Glossary

Process impact: This helps keep stakeholders informed of project status so that they may correctly set expectations. Reasoned explanations of slight changes in schedule are much better than major unexplained slips.
Detailed Status
TODO: Provide 1-4 paragraphs describing what has happened on this project. The text below is just an example, replace it with your own words.
This week we focused on...
Two major problems have been uncovered...
We are approximately 30% of the way through the project plan, and running about 2 days ahead of schedule...
The reason for the change in estimated release date is...
To stay on schedule, we have slipped enhancements issue 92, issue 101, and issue 129 to a later release. These issues were selected because ...
Risk Management
TODO: List 3-10 of the top project risks that are still outstanding. This list may be an updated copy from plan.html or a previous status report.
• We could face major difficulties with the technology chosen for this project. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• We could have low quality that demands significant rework. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• We could incorrectly assess our progress until it is too late to react. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
• There may be a mis-alignment of stakeholder goals or expectations. HOW TO AVOID/MITIGATE?
Upcoming Activity
TODO: Provide a few bullets describing what you will do between now and the next status report. The text below is just an example, replace it with your own words. Link to open issues in the issue tracker whenever possible.
• Fix issue 130
• Fix issue 133
• Verify issue 102, issue 103, issue 107, and issue 109
• Conduct regular team meeting: Tuesday, 1 hour
• Conduct review meeting: Wednesday, 2 hours
• Make major progress on COMPONENT
• Work through next release checklist
• Continue functional testing
• Revise our integration procedure
• Release version X.Y.Z
Tracking to Plan
TODO: Copy the WBS from the project plan and paste it here. Add a new column for actual effort spent so far by all team members.
Step Description Planned
Hours Spent
To-Date
1. Preparation
1.1. Developer training 30h 0h
2. Inception
2.1. Requirements gathering 30h 0h
2.2. Requirements specification 20h 0h
2.3. Requirements validation 10h 0h
3. Elaboration
3.1. High-level design 5h 0h
3.2. Low-level design (break down by component)
3.2.A. Object design 10h 0h
3.2.B. User interface design 10h 0h
3.2.C. Database design 3h 0h
3.3. Design review and evaluation 5h 0h
4. Construction
4.1.A. System implementation
4.1.A.1. Implement Component 1 25h 0h
4.1.A.2. Implement Component 2 25h 0h
4.1.A.3. Implement Component 3 25h 0h
4.1.A.4. Implement Component 4 25h 0h
4.1.A.5. Integrate Components
(mostly done during component implementation) 5h 0h
4.1.B. Technical documentation (break down by component) 10h 0h
4.1.C. User documentation (break down by component) 10h 0h
4.1.D. Testing
4.1.D.1. Test planning 10h 0h
4.1.D.2. Test code implementation (break down by component) 30h 0h
4.1.D.3. Test execution 10h 0h
4.2. Implementation review and evaluation 15h 0h
5. Transition
5.A. Release packaging 3h 0h
5.B. Documentation for other groups 3h 0h
6. Reflection
6.1. Postmortem report 10h 0h
Total 329 hours 0h

2.

07.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-33
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Clay Anderson this week finished preparing their spacesuits for a planned July 23 spacewalk.
+ Read More 06.29.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-32
After the departure of the space shuttle Atlantis, Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov returned to their daily operations aboard the International Space Station this week, while newly arrived Flight Engineer Clay Anderson began conducting scientific experiments.
+ Read More 06.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-31
The Expedition 15 crew completed the second spacewalk in eight days and continued preparations for space shuttle Atlantis' arrival at the International Space Station.
+ Read More 06.01.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-30
The Expedition 15 crew completed the first of three planned spacewalks this week and prepared for the upcoming arrival of space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station.
+ Read More 05.30.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-29
Two International Space Station cosmonauts stepped outside Wednesday for a 5-hour, 25-minute spacewalk, installing Service Module Debris Protection panels and rerouting a Global Positioning System antenna cable.
+ Read More 05.25.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-28
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov prepared this week for two spacewalks while Flight Engineer Suni Williams prepared for her return to Earth.
+ Read More 05.18.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-27
The Expedition 15 crew this week unpacked supplies and began preparing for the arrival of the next visiting spacecraft and two spacewalks at the International Space Station.
+ Read More 05.15.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-26
A spacecraft automatically docked to the International Space Station early Tuesday, delivering 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the residents on board.
+ Read More 05.11.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-25
A new cargo freighter launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 10:25 p.m. CDT Friday with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, air, water and other supplies and equipment aboard.
+ Read More 05.04.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-24
Marking the second week working together, the Expedition 15 crew wrapped up various maintenance tasks, science experiments and preparations for the May 15 arrival of the Progress 25 supply ship.
+ Read More 04.27.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-23
The Expedition 15 crew aboard the International Space Station completed its first week of station orientation as the crew worked with experiments and hardware maintenance.
+ Read More 04.21.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-22
The 14th crew of the International Space Station, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, along with spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi landed their Soyuz spacecraft in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 7:31 a.m. CDT Saturday.
+ Read More 04.20.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-21
The crew members aboard the International Space Station spent this week finalizing handover operations, conducting experiments and preparing for the departure of the Expedition 14 crew.
+ Read More 04.13.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-20
Two Expedition 15 cosmonauts spent much of the week in handover activities with their Expedition 14 predecessors. Their new crewmate, Sunita Williams who has been aboard the International Space Station for more than three months, also is helping them learn the ropes.
+ Read More 04.09.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-19
Two Expedition 15 cosmonauts and a spaceflight participant aboard a Soyuz spacecraft docked with the Earth-facing port on the International Space Station's Zarya module at 2:10 p.m. CDT Monday.
+ Read More 04.07.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-18
Two cosmonauts and a space flight participant launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:31 p.m. CDT Saturday for a two-day flight to the International Space Station.
+ Read More 04.06.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-17
The Expedition 14 crew of the International Space Station was busy this week performing fitness evaluations, working on scientific experiments and preparing for the arrival of the Expedition 15 crew.
+ Read More 03.29.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-16
The Expedition 14 crew continued preparations for the April arrival of a new station crew by boarding their Soyuz TMA-9 craft and taking a 24-minute flight from one station docking port to another.
+ Read More 03.23.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-15
The Expedition 14 crew continued work this week on scientific experiments and increased the bandwidth on the International Space Station's computer network.
+ Read More 03.16.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-14
The Expedition 14 crew was busy this week moving trash into the ISS Progress 23, installing a new window and preparing for upcoming missions to the station.
+ Read More 03.09.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-13
Science and setup for assembly highlighted the week on board the International Space Station, where the Expedition 14 crew members performed experiments related to human adaptation to space and made preparations for upcoming additions to the orbiting outpost.
+ Read More 03.02.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-12
The International Space Station's Expedition 14 crew continued work this week on scientific experiments, station maintenance and clean up following a Feb. 22 Russian spacewalk.
+ Read More 02.22.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-11
Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin retracted a stuck antenna on a cargo spacecraft during a 6-hour, 18-minute spacewalk that ended at 10:45 a.m. CST Thursday.
+ Read More 02.16.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-10
Following Sunday’s unexpected circuit breaker trip and subsequent reset and repowering of affected equipment, the International Space Station had no further incidents.
+ Read More 02.12.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-09
An unexpected circuit breaker trip early Sunday caused a power outage on the International Space Station, but the safety of the Expedition 14 crew and the complex was never an issue. All systems were back up by Monday morning with no impact to operations on board.
+ Read More 02.08.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-08
With all scheduled tasks accomplished, International Space Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams wound up a 6-hour, 40-minute spacewalk at 2:06 p.m. CST Thursday.
+ Read More 02.04.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-07
For the second time in four days, two residents of the International Space Station stepped outside for a spacewalk to complete connecting cooling loops from a temporary to a permanent system.
+ Read More 01.31.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-06
Two residents of the International Space Station stepped outside their orbital home Wednesday for a 7-hour, 55-minute spacewalk to begin the connection of recently activated cooling systems from their temporary to their permanent locations and to conduct other station assembly work.
+ Read More 01.26.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-05
The crew aboard the International Space Station focused this week on preparing for an unprecedented series of spacewalks set to begin in a few days.
+ Read More 01.19.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-04
New supplies arrived at the International Space Station Friday night as an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment.
+ Read More 01.17.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-03
A shipment of supplies began its journey to the International Space Station today as the ISS Progress 24 cargo ship was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
+ Read More 01.12.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-02
After a three-day holiday to celebrate the Russian Orthodox Christmas, astronauts on the International Space Station spent the week packing trash into the ISS Progress 22 cargo craft and unpacking items delivered by ISS Progress 23 as they prepared for the arrival of new supplies.
+ Read More 01.05.07 - International Space Station Status Report #07-01
New gear helped the astronauts on the International Space Station kick off a new year as they prepared a second oxygen-generating system, upgraded soundproofing in the living quarters and unpacked supplies delivered just before Christmas by the space shuttle.
+ Read More

B. TRIP REPORT
1.
Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu
Site: Barangay Nug-as, Alcoy, Cebu
Qualifier: approx. 2 km trail from N09 43.305 E123 27.427 to N09 42.679 E123 27.304
Elevation: 695masl (start of trail); 755masl (end of trail)
Conditions: 2-3-2/8 cloud cover; chilly Date: December 31, 2004
Time: 7:55am to 2:10pm
Birders: Mads Bajarias and Nug-as forest warden Pedro Villarta Trip report & bird list by Mads Bajarias

Olive-backed Sunbird
Thanks to Godo Jakosalem of Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, I was able to locate forest warden Pedro Villarta about 12 kilometers uphill from the poblacion of the town of Alcoy in southern Cebu. Pedro lives with his wife and small children in a hut on the edge of the Nug-as forest. He is one of the 22 forest wardens employed by CBCF to monitor the approx. 800 hectares (This is Pedro's estimate. Mallari etal's figure is c.582ha.) of forest here where exciting flora and faunal discoveries have occurred in the last couple of years, and where more scientific breakthroughs are surely to be made, as more local and foreign researchers visit the area.
After conferring with my habal-habal driver for a pick-up time, Pedro and I started walking along a trail that goes through an old reforestation site by a carbon-mining company called Manguerra. The company planted mahogany, gmelina and pine trees in the area, although now that another set of owners have taken over the company, it seems unclear if the reforestation is still on.

Pedro told me that we will walk 2 kilometers to get to a particular tree where he, Godo, Lisa, and other CBCF personnel have recorded Cebu Flowerpecker, and that the walk will take maybe 1 hour tops. I thought that 2 kilometers won't pose much of a problem until I found out (while huffing and puffing) that our tree was on the top of the next hill which means descending on loose and slippery limestone bits down a gully and then a taxing climb to 755masl.

Along the trail on three different locations, we encountered singing Black shama individuals but managed to get a glimpse of just one. Briefly, I tried luring them out with playback but met no success.

When we reached our target tree, loud shouts of alarm greeted us, I turned to Pedro who told me that those were the resident monkeys.

Artic Warbler
2) On flowering vine where CBCF has recorded Cebu Flowerpecker. After reaching the particular tree where CBCF and other researchers have recorded Cebu Flowerpecker and the (it seems to me) even more rarely seen bird-the local subspecies of the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Pedro said that the tree is a local (not part of Manguerra's parade of exotics) species called "Mala-iba." However, it was not the "Mala-iba" itself that attracted the birds but a parasitic vine (Pedro said he's seen host trees die) that grafts itself on to the host tree. The vine is called "Mampur" and its bright red flowers (the "Mala-iba's" is white) provide food for the sunbirds and flowerpeckers.

Checking out the state of the Mampur's flowers, Pedro said that there were more flowers last November, and back then the place was very busy. Today, I counted the bright red flowers I could see with my binocs and came up with only 8. Pedro guesses that by the looks of it, the next big flowering may occur in February so we were in the "off" season in terms of visiting birds. Despite the low turnout for nectar-feeders, I was happy to get excellent views of a brilliant male Lovely sunbird (bonita spp) which kept going back to get nectar from the "Mampur."

I racked my brain and figured that the only memorable view I've had of this species was a male in the Kokos-Nuss resort in Coron, Palawan (shelleyi spp.) but this "Mampur"-feeding male in Nug-as (bonita spp.) is far more beautiful.

I've read an account of the "Sampinit" vine in Tabunan visited by the Cebu Flowerpecker. The article said that the "Sampinit's" flowers are greenish-white and the vine itself has been described variously as "leguminous" and "thorny." I didn't see any thorns on the "Mampur" and I'm not in a position to say if it was "leguminous."

An interesting project would be to catalogue the vines, months when they blossom, and the host plants where the rare flowerpeckers have been observed.

3) On Cebuano bird names learned from forest warden Pedro Villarta.

1. Bag-hak (Slaty-legged crake)
2. Boriringon (Elegant tit)
3. Bulay-og (White-eye)
4. Buga-ongon (Pied triller)
5. Waw-ha (Pitta)
6. Aniniho (Whistler)
7. Salak (Balicassiao)

For Cebuano speakers, "bulay-og" means an uncoordinated person, and when I was growing up it was a term of derision reserved for athletes lacking in agility. I asked Pedro why the white-eye may have earned this name, and he said that white-eyes at high noon seemed to get confused by the bright light, become uncoordinated and thus easily trapped.

In certain times of the year, Pedro says that "waw-has" have been encountered within Nug-as in a locality named Kaw-rik. At times when water is especially scarce (all-year round in these parts water is always hard to source), he says that pittas are so weak they can be easily caught.

4) Birds seen and/or heard.
1. Slaty-legged crake [Rallina eurizonoides] - 1 Heard in a gully with thick grass. It must be a resident because Pedro knows well its call and appearance.
2. Philippine coucal [Centropus viridis] - 2 heard only
3. Swiftlet [Collocalia sp.] - 6
4. Pygmy swiftlet [Collocalia troglodytes] - 6 5. Coppersmith barbet [Megalaima haemacephala] - 2 heard only
6. Pied triller [Lalage nigra] - 1 fem Gleaning insects on a pine tree locally called "Marabuhok."
7. Philippine bulbul [Hypsipetes philippinus] - 2 seen; at least 2 more heard
8. Balicassiao [Dicrurus balicassius] - 1 seen; at least 2 more heard
9. Elegant tit [Parus elegans] - 4
10. Black shama [Copsychus cebuensis] - 1 male seen; at least 2 more heard Call partly tape-recorded.
11. Arctic warbler [Phylloscopus borealis] - 1
12. Striated grassbird [Megalurus palustris] - 1 in gully
13. Black-naped monarch [Hypothymis azurea] - 1 male
14. Olive-backed sunbird [Nectarinia jugularis] - 5
15. Handsome sunbird [Aethopyga bonita] - 1 male; 1 fem A male kept going back to the "Mampur" the whole time we were observing; we assumed it was the same individual. The female appeared only once. In his experience, Pedro says that if the aggressive male sunbird stays close to the "Mala-iba" and the "Mampur," the flowerpeckers generally will not be able to feed there.
16. Crimson sunbird [Aethopyga siparaja] - 1 male
17. Red-keeled Flowerpecker [Dicaeum australe] - 2 males; 1 fem
18. Everett's white-eye [Zosterops everetti] - at least 10 Call tape-recorded.

Crimson Sunbird 5) From "Key Conservation Sites in the Philippines" by Mallari etal. "Nug-as forest has fewer large trees than the main forest block at Tabunan, but it is much more extensive at c.582 ha. It has been relatively isolated from habitations and more rarely visited, and therefore under less immediate pressure than Tabunan, but the ongoing construction of a road to link Alcoy with Alegria will greatly increase its accessibility. Most of remaining forests at Nug-as are on karst limestone slopes and ridgetops, and in gulleys. There are two main forest types, secondary lowland forest and scrub at 200-500masl, and transitional mid-montane forest above c.500masl. Most of the trees

have small stem diameters and grow very close together, but there are a few large trees. There is an abundance of epiphytes and moss on the trees and rocks. Around the forests and scrubland are small farms with agroforests of mostly coconuts and other fruit trees. Exotic trees planted during a reforestation program are on the adjacent slopes and along the main road.

Sightings of the Cebu subspecies of Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (D. t. pallidus) at Nug-as are apparently the only recent record of this subspecies."

2.
Nogas Island, Antique
Date: December 8-9, 2004
Site: Nogas Island, Antique
Trip report and birdlist by : Leni Sutcliffe
I went island-walking with friends and the provincial Tourism Officer on Nogas Island on 8 December 2004 between 12.30 and 3.30 and went back without them the next day, birding from 6.30 to 9.15 am. On both days, it was clear and calm, with the sea - sometimes gun-metal-blue, sometimes deep turquoise - heaving slightly. Nogas Island, with its fringe of white sand and its crown of thick vegetation is about 3 km offshore from Anini-y, Antique’s southernmost town.

Ruel Castillo (‘Wewe’), of the Philippine National Police and police officer of Anini-y, owner of Chen2 (a motorized outrigged banca) was our soft-spoken boatman, birding guide and security officer (he carried a gun on his belt)
on both days.

According to a signboard on the island, the Nogas Island Fish Sanctuary covers an area of 65 ha, including 24 ha of mangrove and a coral reef. It is a protected conservation area, and the law forbids one from taking anything off the island. A legend supports the law: it says that the forest and the sea will “hold” anyone who tries to leave with even a small thing like a pebble or a seashell.

The path from the shore to the lighthouse in the middle of the island is lined with kalachuchi puti (Plumeria obtusa L.) and its flowers perfume the air. On both sides of the path (and all over the island) are an amazing variety of wild trees, shrubs, vines, plants and grasses: a botanist’s delight, more so as the island is apparently snake-free. Ficus trees of
various species (I saw several that were 3-4 metres wide), talisay (Terminalia catappa L.), anan (Buchanania arborescens), payhod, kalapini, kamachile (Pithecellobium dulce) are everywhere. Mangrove grows on one side
of the island, and fruiting pandan (probably Pandanus tectorius) on another.

The interior is sandy. Nearer the sea, coral fragments are everywhere and the surface is lined with rough stones.
On the kalachuchi path, I got my first glimpse of the Tabon Scrubfowl (Megapodius cumingii): three small, probably young, birds scurried across. In the interior, the birds were elusive, running away as soon as they sensed our presence. But their nests were everywhere: buried deep in the sand, these were either freshly made (as evidenced by the pile of leaves on top), or had been dug out by humans (the holes were 2-3 feet deep). From afar, we heard the Tabon’s eerie drawn-out wailing. Then suddenly, as we emerged on the first day from the interior onto the shore, we saw a plump, fairly large Tabon, pecking at the sand, oblivious to our presence for about five
Pied Triller
minutes before it, too, hurried away. It seemed to me that it had a grey-brown back, becoming grey in the underparts; it had a thick body (rounder than that of the Tikling, for example, which is also present on the island) and long legs. Its short tail was up in the air as it foraged for food in the sand. We were to glimpse several groups of Tabon throughout day one and day two, but never as clearly and for as long.


Magrove Blue Flycatcher In the interior: I saw a bird slightly bigger than a sparrow, and broader and more solidly built, sitting quite still in the middle story of a low tree. It had a blue-grey back; rufous throat and breast band; a distinct white streak on each side of the face; a longish blue bill; dark feet and legs; white underparts, longish blue-grey tail. I reckon this was a Mangrove Blue Flycatcher. In fact the bird I saw looked so much like Jon Hornbuckle’s Oriental Bird photograph of a bird taken in Boracay (which is off the island of Panay, where Antique is located) that I am tempted to venture that it was a female Cyornis rufigastra philippinensis.
Again in the interior, in a leaf-strewn open space on the sandy ground between the trees, was an all-brown bird about the length of a grassbird but wider of body and shorter of tail. I did not see much detail as it flew quickly into the low shrubs nearby. I guessed it was a Nightjar, but had second thoughts when Wewe said it had a “big mouth”. I opened Kennedy’s book to the page on frogmouths. “Not those,” he said. “It could be either one of these,” he continued, pointing to the Philippine Nightjar and the Savanna Nightjar, and settling for the latter. Caprimulgus affinis griseatus? Possibly. Nogas certainly has the features of its habitat: sandy ground, beaches, occasional open scrub.
A heavy flapping of wings drew our attention to a flock of about 40 Pink-necked Green Pigeons (Treron vernans), punay to Wewe. There were about 5 males; the rest looked like females. The birds had yellow-orange/red feet and legs; a yellow wing band, followed by a dark (black) wing band just before the yellow-green underparts; yellow-green thighs; darker olive-yellow upperparts; grey bills. The males had pink-orange breasts and what seemed to be dark undertails. We saw these birds several times as we moved around the island: they perched conspicuously on tree tops and they flapped their wings loudly as they flew from perch to perch. Wewe pointed out their nests: these were bowl-shaped baskets of twigs built on forking tree branches. He says the island has about 80 of these birds.
So in addition to the:

1. Tabon Scrubfowl (Megapodius cumingii): about 15
2. Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis griseatus): perhaps 1
3. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra philippinensis): 1 female
4. Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans): 5 males and 35 females

We also saw the following:

5. Pied Fantail or Maria Kapra (Rhipidura javanica): about 15
6. Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier): maybe 101
7. Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis; kee-yaw to the guide): 2 seen, 5 or more heard
8. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): about 20
9. Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica): maybe 20
10. Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), male and female: common; also seen feeding on coconut flowers. According to Wewe, this sunbird builds narrow pitcher-shaped nests which hang from branches of trees. (If he is right, then one of the nests I've seen in my garden at Westgrove belongs to the sunbird.)

Pink-necked Green Pigeon
12. Swiftlets (Collocalia spp.), possibly Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) (because of their white underparts): maybe 20.
13. Pied Triller (Lalage nigra); male and female; common; a flock of about 10 was feeding on a kamachili tree.
14. Barred Rail (Gallirallus torquatus): 2
15. White-collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris): 3 seen among the mangrove, many more heard. In addition to their usual ka-ka-ka-kak, the kingfishers of Nogas had another call which the guide pointed out to me: a repeated tik-rek, tik-rek. I had not noted this call before nor associated it with the kingfisher, but have heard it since in Westgrove right after the ka-ka-ka-kak.
Heard but not seen:
1. Coucal (Centropus spp.)
2. Zebra dove (Geopelia striata)

Seen and heard, but not identified:

A small bird like the golden-bellied flyeater (it had dirty yellow underparts, grey upperparts and a short bill; its call was similar to, but not quite the same as that of the Gerygone). I thought I had the ID down pat, until I checked Kennedy, whose map shows that Panay is one of three islands where the Gerygone cannot be found.

One last note:

Antique is a beautiful (if somewhat dusty and grubby in its towns and along its horrendously bumpy main roads) and underdeveloped province. Having seen how “development” in the Philippines often produces the ugliest of urban areas, I hope I can be forgiven for wishing that Antique can long remain rural in character and aspect. It is bounded on one side by the lovely Cordillera range of mountains, and on the other by the (Sulu?) Sea. They tell me that the Sibalom Natural Park on the Cordillera is home to the rare Visayan Hornbill, among other birds (and also, for example, the endangered cloud rat, the palm civet and the Rafflesia Manillana with its enormous flower). They also tell me that birdwatching is an exciting experience in Pandan, a town in northern Antique.

I have names and telephone numbers of contact persons to suggest to anyone interested in venturing into the Antique wild bird land.

Leni Sutcliffe

Prepared by;
Ralph Louise G. Soriano
Group 4