Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section (Mineral) Date: June 13-14, 1925 Page Number: 2462

forenoon nest-hunting. Found several, to be reported upon later, in suitable locations for Dixon to photograph them. Fished in the afternoon, securing 7 Eastern Brook and 1 Rainbow Trout. Deer tracks abundant thru the willow bogs, forming trails; many fresh tracks along the streams, as also up on the dry slopes among the Ceanothus cordulatus mats, where one was jumped by Mrs. G at 10 a.m. Saw a Spotted Sandpiper on a scanty patch of gravel at the edge of one of the numerous meadow channels of Battle Creek - grassy meadows on willow jungles everywhere else. A Tree Swallow in full song flew overhead - the only swallow I have seen here. A curious association of birds was evidently established for birding in the willow bog, as follows: Russet-backed Thrush, Lincoln Sparrow, Song Sparrow (subsp.?), Traill Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler (subsp.), Golden-Pileolated Warbler, Western Warbling Vireo and Lazuli Bunting. Western Robins were, of course, in the open meadows, and plenty of Sierra Juncos along the edges of both the meadows and the willow bogs, where these are bordered by lodgepole pines. June 14 Mrs. G. and I out hunting birds' nests all the forenoon, finding only two, both unfinished. This seems exactly the right season for finding most small birds' nests; few are sitting yet.

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Turner Mt., 6300 ft. Date: July 3 Page Number: 2517

consist of: Ceanothus velutinus, C. cordulatus, chinquapin, service-berry, red cherry, Sierra maple, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, A. patula, red alder, and various herbs.

Written later, from pencil notes. - Birds noted right around the top, within 100 yards of the lookout house, were: Fox Sparrow (one sang repeatedly from the dead tip of a fir, lightning-blasted); Green-tailed Towhee (one sang from the lower stubby limbs of the same fir, interests centering in the brush close to the house); Cassin Purple Finch (at least three in full song up near tops of live small red firs, one came to cleared ground within 20 feet of house); Blue-fronted Jay (heard down in the hemlocks and firs below rim of cirque); Junco (a dozen or more, flying, singing or foraging along the rim and especially around the melting snow banks); Violet-green Swallow (fully a dozen in flight under the cloudy sky within the cirque, often swooping low over the snowbanks, much twittering and, I think, young among them.

Mammals around the lookout were: Callospermophilus (two, very tame, Mr. Stark complaining that they got inside his room whenever they could, only to tear about distractedly as soon a they found themselves enclosed), Chipmunks, Eut. amoenus (3 or 4 among the rocks and in the chaparral about the house); deer (tracks and tails abundant everywhere, one 4-point buck seen below the cirque on the moraines going thru [sic] the heavy

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Broke-off Mt. Date: July 27 Page Number: 2533

foliage which the breeze kept in disconcerting agitation); Cassin Purple Finch (2 or more, distantly heard and seen in tops of hemlocks); Sierra Grouse (2, as above); Hammond Flycatcher (2 immatures, separately, seen closely in hemlocks at 8000 to 9000 ft.); Junco (2, in hemlocks).*

In the red-fir belt (Canadian), 8000 ft., about, down to 7000 ft., where we left the machine, noted: Deer (doe and fawn at edge of alder thicket); Callospermophilus (2 or more); Thomomys monticola (sign common); Fox Sparrow (one immature near patch of heather along little stream at 8000 ft., and others heard in alder patches); Juncos (commonest bird, one [male symbol] singing at tip of lofty red fir - many full-grown young in scattering troupes); Evening Grosbeak (one family of 5 or so alighted on dead lower branches of a fir and notes of others were heard now and then); Solitaire (one flushed from ground); Siskin (notes of 2 or 3 heard overhead); Blue-fronted Jay (heard several times); Cassin Vireo (2 immatures closely seen in a jungle of white alders); Hammond Flycatcher (weak call notes heard often, and one bird seen, 30 feet or so up in densely shaded branchwork of fir); Wood Pewee (pair at 7000 ft.); Pileated Warbler (song of one heard from alders); Robin (a pair at a little ^^moraine lake in the fir woods was noisily concerned at our presence); Audubon Warbler (a family, male singing, in trees at this same lake); Canada Nuthatch (notes heard in the distance).

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Mineral, 4,800 ft. Date: July 28 Page Number: 2534

Heard "pe-ark" notes of Nighthawk last evening. A Green-backed Goldfinch flew over camp. Heard a Cooper Hawk calling near camp. Blue-fronted Jays are much more in evidence now than a month ago - noisier. A circuit this evening, till dusk, down along the willows and tracts of lodgepole pines left an impression of extreme quietness; nothing was singing. Juncos in two places showed worry, as if young were near by. The squeal notes of young robins were heard. A lone Wright Flycatcher gave a two-syllabled "see-pit" a few times.

July 29 Mrs. G and I went up the Viola (Martin Cr. ridge) Trail to about the 5800. foot contour, taking the accompanying 4-hour census, 8:30 - 12:30; Mrs. G. pencil-checked on card-board; results, 31 species, 134 individuals, in 4 hours - not so bad, considering the songlessness [sic] of nearly all species. The only songs heard were: Fox Sparrow (once); Warbling Vireo (2, singing rather persistently); Mountain Chickadee (both "jumbling" burble and tee-tee, too-too); Cassin Purple Finch (merely fragmentary). Only food calls, or location notes, or clean calls of all other species heard. A brood of 3 bob-tailed frowsy-headed young Tolmie Warblers in ceanothus cordulatus patch, with [female symbol] parent. Saw where a Chickaree was working in a yellow pine - ground beneath strewn with fresh green cone scales and cores; heard at least 4 chickarees.