Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

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: 2479

and the structure is ensconced in a tangle of dead twiggery in part supported by slanting ceanothus cordulatus stems - in a thicket of same - well shaded by green leafage above.

9:30 a.m. - Just followed a Ruby-crowned Kinglet's "yerruping," and found a pair upon the summit of a fir assaulting vigorously a Blue-fronted Jay. Nearby, a (female) Western Tanager was flying about and at another jay in the top of a fir. One of the Blue-fronted Jays seen plainly was a full-grown young-of-the-year.

10: a.m. - Mrs. G. just found a Yellow Warbler's nest, 8 feet up, saddled on crossing stems in midst of willow thicket on meadow - perfectly typical site and construction for the species. Contents, 2 fresh eggs.

10:45 a.m. - Across the highway from camp, on a portion of Battle Creek Meadows that has had no cattle on it yet this year; grass and flowers a foot high; blue camas abundant in places; here and there clumps of willow; and many lodgepole pines, singly now and then, or in tracts. Birds I hear are: Western Meadowlark, two in full song; Robin, 2 or more in song; Lazuli Bunting, 2 singing; Warbling Vireo (one singing); Audubon Warbler (a (female) close by in a l-p pine); Calif. Purple Finch (one singing); Junco (one singing); Traill Flycatcher (pair close to me, and Mrs. G has seen one carrying a billfull of something into the midst of a willow thicket and in investigating); Lincoln Sparrow (a singing male centers within 3 acres about us).

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 20 Page Number: 2483

along the open cow-trail from nest, to which point we surmise the (female) thrush had carried them, then attached together at one part of the periphery. They were on the ground; color and size make them hermit thrush and nothing else. The adult just appeared with insects in bill, but proves shy.

The Mountain Chickadee brood (p. 2469) had left their nest this morning, and were scattered about in the snow-brush, even though rather feeble of flight. One I tried to catch hid himself down in the tangle effectually.

8:30 a.m. - We are trying to line up the flight of a Pileated Woodpecker thru the (unknown1). He has passed each way along a definite route, with nest probably at one end or the other. We are struck with the bird's quietness of flight even when passing within 100 feet over head. There isn't the faintest swish of wings, as, for instance, with a crow. If we hadn't seen the Pileate we would have known nothing of its transit, for it gave no note.

8:45 a.m. - Just found another Hermit Thrushes' nest: rim 1090 above ground; of usual construction, beside a small fir, but entirely supported by the stem and twigs of a broken-down young cedar. Easily seen for 50 yards in any direction. Of usual construction.

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral Date: June 20 Page Number: 2484

for the species. Bird was on, sitting very closely; put my hand within two feet of her, when she left for the ground, and trotted off hesitantly on the ground and over logs, but without uttering a note. Site is in heavy shade of firs and lodgepole pines, about 100 feet from edge of willow bog. Contents of nest, four helpless young, of almost exactly same size as those in other nest examined this morning.

10:10 a.m. - Yellow Warbler's nest just found by Mrs. G. in dense willow bed of creek bottom. Rim of nest 1580 mm. above ground; nest insecurely cobwebbed to several slender willow twigs which happened pass each other there. Surely, a very moderate breeze would have dislodged it. Female bird tripping very close about solicitously; male singing around in willow tops, both before and after our taking of the nest. The four eggs apparently but moderated incubated (about 1/2) and taken (set 1/4). Site of nest but 6 feet or so from creek which here runs in a deep channel beneath the interlacing willow tangle.

11 a.m. - We followed up a grouse "boonting"- traced it to somewhere overhead in a tract of large lodge pole pines. "Boonts" given in series of 4 to 6 audible notes - very low pitch, 2nd loudest, trailing off toward inaudible; so there may have been one or more "potential" throbs at the end that we couldn't hear. Having passed beneath the trees, we were retracing our steps, when with startling wing-

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral Date: June 20 Page Number: 2485

whir, an old grouse rose from the ground hardly ten feet from us and made off without cluck or whistle, thru the trees out of sight. We then marched and shortly heard the peeping of chicks, and the two were seen. They had started to run away from us, evidently having not been told to "freeze"! The one youngster caught is much bigger than the ones found on the 17th; the wings are well-feathered.

11:30 a.m. - Spent much time searching the meadow for the object of concern of a pair of Lincoln Sparrow. Finally flushed a bobtailed youngster of this species from the grass; it fell in the water, and rapidly flopped across it into a willow thicket beyond.

3:00 p.m. - Collected a Wright Flycatcher nest and both parents. Found several days ago by Mrs. G, and since the set (2/4) was completed on the 17th, Dixon has been photographing it and the bird; several trials necessary. Rim just 800 mm. above the ground; nest supported by stem (and innovating twiglets), one of an ^^{open, low} clump of chinquapin growing on a southwest-facing gentle slope. No other chinquapin about this clump; other brush ceanothus and amelanchier; firs a few yards away. Nest but slightly sheltered from above by the leaves of scarcely a foot of chinquapin spray. Female sitting closely, and when she flew off close along ground with soft "pit"s, male flew down from fir to a bush 50 feet off.