Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral Date: June 17 Page Number: 2476

tree up from the ground 60 feet or more. Nothing more was heard from her. As in the other case, I could hear the muffled "pumping" of a mile in the distance, probably nearer than it sounded.

We got back to camp at 6pm.

June 18

8:15 a.m -- Wright Flycatcher's nest, the one found four days ago and which Dixon has been photographing. The 3rd and 4th eggs were laid on successive lays, so probably an "egg a day"; the 4th egg was laid within a few minutes of 10:45 a.m.; the bird was apparently sitting continuously from at least the time when the 2nd egg was deposited. Nest in nearly upright clump of stems and twigs of Ceanothus cordulatus; rim of nest 950 mm. above ground; tallest sprigs of ceanothus 490 mm. directly above rim. Nest site in middle of rather open clump about 15 feet across, part of a general growth of this chaparral on a gently south-facing hill-slope; 4 big yellow pines and a white fir within a 100-foot radius. Nest itself rather easily seen from head-height in most directions. Male "sings" high in nearby yellow pines. Female always leaves by ducking down and off thru the chaparral on side away from intruder, not heretofore reappearing. Female shot, and nest and eggs (1/4) taken. Eggs show no incubation.

One old male California Purple Finch flew down onto the ground in camp this morning at 7; possibly some of my "Cassins Purple Finches" have been "California's". Yet the songs are appreciably different.

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 18, 1925 Page Number: 2477

9:50 am -- Tolmie Warbler's nest, which Dixon has been photographing, and which Mrs. G & I found 3 days ago, then with four nearly fresh eggs in it. ^^{[But now incubated about 1/4.]} Nest in scraggly, open growth of ceanothus cordulatus, in dry ground, a small yellow pine within 10 feet, but site sunny during the hottest part of the day. Rim 190 mm. above ground surface, nest snugly resting among five dead twigs of the snow birch, with a slanting live stem of same 80 mm. overhead. No single twig directly supporting nest, but compact structure of latter enables it to rest securely among the fine twiggery aforementioned. Female rather shy; sneaks off along ground and keeps quiet and out of sight. Male not noted in vicinity. Nest & eggs taken (1/4). 6259 Sierra Grouse (male) nat. 13.8g. ^^{Iris hazel; toes and unfeathered portions of tarsi, dull yellow; iris hazel.} Taken yesterday (see p. 2475). 6260 Wright Flycatcher (female) 12.2g. With set 1/4 (see p. 2476). Breast glandular. 6261 Gerrhonotus found ^^{on the 16th} squirming along among stems under ceanothus near mom; Dixon has had it for photographing. 5:10 p.m. -- Fox Sparrow's nest with 3 fresh eggs -- complete set because same number on 16th when I first found it. Nest not on ground but up in ceanothus integerrimus ^cordulatus bush, in large tract of same; rim 490 mm. above ground; two slanting green ceanothus stems partly shaded it from above, and a small dead pine stem stood up thru the tangle 10 inches away. Even though the outer portion of the nest is of very loose construction it was well supported by the close tangle of ceanothus twiggery

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 18 Page Number: 2478

between the nest and the ground. Dixon has tried to get photos of the bird in the nest, but she was too shy for good results, tho frequently came upon sitting. The seeming freshness of the eggs may have meant that they had chilled and failed to start incubation. Nest and set 1/3 taken, but bird not shot. Will see if a second nest be not built shortly, as the site (?) is within 100 yards of camp.

June 19 8:00am - Yellow Warbler's nest, rim 1280 mm. above ground, in nearly upright tree for three-forking stem of ceanothus cordulatus, in sea of same plant on north facing dry slope, with firs and pines nearby -- not a willow in sight! Nest rather conspicuous, near top of tallest spray of ceanothus in vicinity, 450 mm. from upper most leafage directly above. Four eggs, that look far-incubated; not taken. Female going thru brush all about us, tripping anxiously. Male has been seen singing daily all about the vicinity, often from pines and small firs! Just now both (male) and (female) are low in brush within ten feet of me.

9:10am -- Fox Sparrow's nest: two half-fledged young left it as I looked in and still 6 feet away. They were tolled out by the frantic actions and voicings of the two parents, which flopped along the ground under and thru the bushes, giving their "klinks" in rapid succession. Other, sympathetic fox sparrows have also arrived. The rim of the nest is 530 mm. above the ground,

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 19 Page Number: 2481

3:00 p.m. - Watched a White-headed Woodpecker drink. It flew down from a yellow pine to some shallow running water in an open road-side, alighted in horizontal position on the ground, and dipped it's bill 6 times, after each dip raising its billed skyward at an angle of fully 80 degrees from the horizontal. The bird then flew to a prostrate log, and foraged horizontally along its lower curvature.

5:00 p.m. - Mrs. G found a Mountain Quail's nest yesterday with two eggs in it, and we showed it to Dixon. This was close to a flycatcher's nest which Dixon is photographing; and he found that the third egg was laid this morning between 8 and 9. At 4 this afternoon he reported all the eggs gone. I came over to see if I could learn the cause of the loss. Examination disclosed all three eggs there, but covered up all but a small part of the surface of one egg, by the fine ceanothus leaf (dry) litter! Had the quail done this intentionally, like a grebe? I doubt it; so I have left the eggs in their hollow uncovered, so they will be in sight to "lay to" tomorrow. This is merely my theory! The "nest" is merely a depression in the dry loose litter on top of a prostrate rotting log, overspread from one side with ceanothus cordulatus stems, twiggery and green leafage. The nest is 480 mm. above the ground on either side of the log. We have seen the quail within 50 yards of the site several times.

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 19 Page Number: 2482

7:30 p.m. - Sultry today and thunderstorms around us but only a sprinkle here. First Pacific Nighthawk out at 6:45, in flight overheard - earlier than usual, probably because partly cloudy.

A Chipping Sparrow's nest at camp is (about) 18 feet up near the outer end of a horizontal limb of a middle-sized sickly yellow pine - about 6 feet out from bole of tree, pretty well concealed and sheltered by tufts of needles. On the 13th this nest contained two fresh eggs. It was discovered that morning early from my bed, by my seeing the bird spiral down from much higher in the tree and then go out on the limb to the nest - a very elusive mode of approach. Even now, after the bird has begun to sit closely, we rarely see her. Indeed for a day or two, I suspected the nest to belong to a warbler, since my first view of the bird was toward the bright sky light and disclosed only a smallish form in rapid motion.

June 20. A vagrant (?) [male symbol] Black-headed Grosbeak (only the second I have noted in the vicinity of Mineral) made himself conspicuous by singing loudly and continuously around camp before sun-up.

8:00 a.m. - At Hermit Thrushes' nest (see p. 2468). The young, all four, hatched on the 18th. They already look huge, but with eyes yet closed. Mrs. G. found the two segments of an eggshell about fifty feet