Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section Date: June 11, 1925 Page Number: 2458

Left Berkeley in the Ford with the "family" (Hilda, Molly and Dick) at 5 a.m., reaching Red Bluff at 4 p.m. on the highway near Gerber, Tehama Co. (and within our "section") saw a smashed Boyle King Snake (Lampropeltis boylii). At several of the culverts beneath the highway (Corning to Red Bluff) were Barn Swallows, a pair flying about each culvert. Even when these were only about 2 1/2 feet in height of space beneath, the swallows appeared to be nesting within. Continued on from Red Bluff east to Dale's, where we had supper. Out of Red Bluff about 4 miles, just on to the lava country, saw a Raven in flight overhead from direction of Tuscan Buttes. At Dale's we were impressed with the abundance of birds, just as last May. I saw, among others: Western Yellowthroat; Long-tailed Chat (a remarkable mimic - for instance, one gave the "pe-ark" of a Pacific nighthawk perfectly, so that I peered aloft for the author until the chat above my head in an oak whistled); Willow Goldfinch (several, males nearly fully yellow); Killdeer (nearly fullgrown young in vegetable garden, tufts of down on ends of tailfeathers showing plainly); etc. Citellus douglasi seem more numerous along the road than last year. Saw an Gray Squirrel near the creek about a mile below Dale's, near where Willard shot the one last winter.

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Mineral Date: June 23 Page Number: 2493

Mt. Chickadee (2); Western Tanager (5); Fox Sparrow (2); Chipping Sparrow (18); Hermit Warbler (3); Tolmie Warbler (1); Calaveras Warbler (1); Warbling Vireo (8); Calif. Purple Finch (4); Wood Pewee (13); Lazuli Bunting (3) Pileated Warbler (1); Spotted Sandpiper (2, along sparsely pebbled margins of creek); Traill Flycatcher (1); Yellow Warbler (2); Robin (29+, one seen carrying mud up to nest 50 feet above and on lowermost branch of huge yellow pine); Cassin Vireo (1); Audubon Warbler (7); Blue-fronted Jay (1); Turkey Vulture (2, one circling above vicinity of store (?), and one above woods at this end of the meadow) Brewer Blackbird (1, [female symbol] bathing and preening, as if just off nest); Pine Siskin (1); Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2); Canada Nuthatch (1); Crossbill (1, loud "chup" note heard from tips of yellow pine, given persistently, until bird flew, and also then); Killdeer (2); Meadowlark (2); Sierra Creeper (1); Western Bluebird (2); Western Lark Sparrow (1, [male symbol] singing volubly from well up in yellow pine at edge of meadow); Wright Flycatcher (2); Olive-sided Flycatcher (1); Solitaire (1); Pygmy Nuthatch (2, in different places, in upper parts of large yellow pines); White-headed Woodpecker (2); Modoc Hairy Woodpecker (2); Red-winged Blackbird (1+, heard from willows along stream, far out in meadows); Cassin Purple Finch (2, mating pair).

Total, for 1 1/2 hrs., 8:15-9:45: 38 species, 133 individuals.

1 p.m. Still at west end of Battle Creek Meadows. Have heard a Black-headed Grosbeak singing, and a Red-shafted Flicker. Just saw a Black-tailed Jack Rabbit (Lepus c. californicus) lope up the hill thru the snow bushes, from

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: San Jose, 2500 ft., lat. 31 degrees Date: October 18, 1925 Page Number: 2595

at 5:30 (broad daylight) I went up on the hills. Heard a Bell Sparrow give its melodious tinkle; and at least 3 Calif. Thrashers were singing in abbreviated style. At daybreak I heard, in addition to the cries of Killdeer, the “scaipe” of a Wilson Snipe. Tonight at dusk I heard a Screech Owl in the willow-bottom, and heard a Poor-will in the ranch yard.

6550 Sierra Junco (male sign) im. 12.4g. Shot from flock among willows. 6551 Western Chipping Sparrow (male sign) im. 12.4.g. Shot in open ground among small buckwheat bushes. 6552 Nuttall Woodpecker (female sign) 34.0g. Shot from willow trunk. 6553 Calif. Thrasher (male sign) ad. 83.5.g. Shot from rhus laurina bush. 6554 Brown Towhee (female sign) ad. 40.1g. Shot from top of towhee. 6555 “ “ (male sign) ad. 43.6g. Shot from sage-bush.

Oct 19 Put out 22 rat and mouse traps last night on a gently rising open hillside west of the ranch where I had seen dipodomys workings. Took 4 Dipodomys and 2 Periomyscus maniculatus; the latter ((male sign) and (female sign) with 4 embryos) and one of the former ((male sign)), discarded.

6556 Gerrhonotus Total length, 370 mm. Caught in tangle of dead brush under willows in creek bottom. 6557 Dipodomys (male sign) 59.5g. 284 x 167 x 40.5 x 11.5. } Note broadness 6558 “ “ (female sign) 47.5g. 262 x 156 x 39 x 11. } of black markings, narrowness of 6559 “ “ (male sign) 51.5g. 265 x 157 x 40 x 11.5. } white tail-stripe. This forenoon, 7:30 to 12:00, I went horseback 3 miles west of the ranch, up onto the mesa and on to the live-oak ravine where the “arrastre” is.

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: to Colnett, Sat. 31 degrees Date: Oct. 28 Page Number: 2608

6641 Savannah Sparrow (female sign) im. 16.7g. Shot in salicornia. 6642 “ “ (female sign) im. 16.8.g. Shot on stem of clump of juncus.

Was out early 5:15 to 6:30, and again 9:20 to 11:30, the last time to the beach, the bluff, and the salt flats. Saw following birds: Turkey Vulture (4+); Poorwill (heard calling last evening); Valley Quail (2 large coveys near camp); Cactus Woodpecker (one heard); Say Phoebe (2); Anna Hummer (2, around blossoming Lycium); Brown Towhee (4+); Spotted Towhee (2); Rufous-crowned Sparrow (2); Intermediate Sparrow (12±); Calif. Thrasher (2, singing); Linnet (6±); Wren-tit (4+); Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher (2); Bewick Wren (2); Red-winged Blackbird (a pair visited camp, and others in small companies in flight out in the valley); Raven (within hearing most of the time); Meadowlark (4 or more, out in salt flat); Marsh Wren (common, a dozen or more, in dense mats of Salicornia (unknown 1) sloughs just back of the cobble-stone beach-barrier (which is fully 8 feet higher than the flats inland from it)); Savannah Sparrow (scattered troupes on open ground among small bushes back from the salicornia); Belding and Large-billed Sparrows (on salicornia marshes, not many, the latter also on beach at high-tide line of drift); Pipit (flock of 10± on bare alkali flat); Killdeer (one heard - the only wader, where we saw so many on the beach when we were here in September); Song Sparrow (2, in big juncus clumps up the valley from the salicornia. Of mammals, I saw one Jack Rabbit on salt flat and 2 or more Brush Rabbits.