Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: To Mineral Date: July 25 Page Number: 2528

Last spec. no. 6292

Stu and I in the machine left Berkeley at 4 yesterday afternoon, slept on the "badlands" midnight to 4:45 a.m., left Red Bluff at 6:15 a.m. and reached the family camp above Mineral at 9:45 a.m. Notable along the highway within 12 miles below Red Bluff were the Yellow-billed Magpies, 2 to 6 or 8 in sight at once and very tame, on the ground or roadside fences with autos passing close by. At Dale's on Paine Creek, although 7:30 a.m., hardly any birds now singing; a Wood Pewee was drawling, and a Chat singing fitfully, more so than normally. Within a mile above Dale's, a Roadrunner sped ahead of us a little ways, then made off among the boulders. From Dale's clean up to the first yellow pines (at 3200 about) I was impressed by the numbers of Douglas Ground Squirrels and Jack Rabbits; numbers of partly grown young of each species were seen. Below (west of) Battle Creek Meadows along the highway up the north wall of the canyon about the bridge, I saw at least 8 Callospermophilus, one of them not over 1/3 grown. An adult was seen at the roadside close to the north side of the Meadows. This species seems to come down with the fir belt from the high mountain immediately to the north. Here at camp I am impressed by the quietness of the birdlife. Once in a while there is the broken song of a Fox Sparrow; and the Chickadee's "tee-tee, too, too" is heard; but

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: July 25 Page Number: 2529

otherwise only occasional food calls or fainter "location notes" are heard. I heard a Green-backed Goldfinch passing overheard, and a Western House Wren in the snow-brush; so the up-mountain movement of lowland birds is under way.

July 26 Last evening a Hermit thrush sang fully but only for a few minutes, from its usual post in the firs down near the edge of the first willow bog. This morning at daylight a Tanager sang in nearly full early summer measure; but that was the only singer. A little later, I heard the "bell" notes of a Solitaire up near the spring. Still later, a spotted-breasted but full-grown young Solitaire was eating Amelanchier berries within 50 feet of our camp, the bird giving ^^{now and then} an intoned, buzzy version of the bell note. The Amelanchier berries are turning reddish now, but not yet at all ripe. Even so, they are already sought after eagerly by Fox Sparrows, ^^{Calif. Purple Finches,} Green-tailed Towhees, etc; also chipmunks (Eutamias amoenus). One of the latter close to camp climbed a slender swaying stem to within 18 inches of the tip, took a berry, biting it off, then balanced himself on his hind feet, and then operated the berry with his teeth and paws in usual fashion; presently he went the stem, quietly, head first, body fully extended.

Later - A Sparrow Hawk flew over the tree-tops near camp, calling shrilly. Mrs. G. took me to see several