Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section (Mineral) Date: June 15, 1925 Page Number: 2467

Heard a Black-headed Grosbeak in full song in willows, with twinkling aspens and lodgepole pines on either side! 11:30 a.m. - A female Audubon Warbler gave us a long chase. No male at all put in an appearance. The female showed wild solicitude, suddenly appearing as we went under some lodgepole pines at the edge of a meadow. I supposed a nest near, so for fully 20 minutes we kept her in view, she going to the tree tops, at times almost out of sight, then back down near us. Then I began to circle about; and when I got near a certain thicket of very small pines and willows, the bird came within ten feet of me, and went thru with an elaborate display to distract my attention. She spread her tail fanwise, showing the white spots to greatest effect, and quivered her partly spread wings, topping over backwards at the same time, as if unable to hold to her perch. For an instant I thought her foot was caught in the forking twigs! Of course there must have been partly fledged young in the low vegetation somewhere, tho we did not hunt for them. Certainly there was no nest close by. Heard a Meadowlark in full song out on the big meadow at 5:45 a.m. Considerable frost at that hour, even up 3 feet from the ground on the leaves of ceanothus. On way to store saw a pair each of Western Bluebirds and Tree Swallows.

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section (Mineral) Date: June 16, 1925 Page Number: 2469

feeding about our campsite. The male has frequently sung from a young fir tip scarcely ten feet directly above the nest, also from the brush all about it, and when hopping on the ground between or thru the bushes. The rim of the nest is 360 mm. above a mat of yellow pine needles; the nest itself is ensconced among the leaning stems of a rather sparse ceanothus integerrimus. It is a large structure, of much coarse pine and other twigs externally, and lined with shredded bark. There are two young, about 3 days old I think, helpless and downy rather than feathery. The old female is very solicitous, coming within 6 feet of us when at the nest; but the male shows little concern, and sings volubly immediately we leave, from within 20 feet of the nest. Mountain Chickadee's nest, with young, in woodpecker hole opening on under side of a leaning stub a foot in diameter and some 15 feet long. Entrance just my height from the ground - 5 ft., 7 in.; diameter of entrance, 44 mm. - so probably was made by a White-headed Woodpecker. Site open, surrounded by dry ceanothus slope; some very small yellow pines nearby, also two yellow pine stumps, sawed off so long ago they are rotting, cleft. The old chickadees come with food freely, altho I am only about 15 feet away under a bush on the dry (?) hill side. Each bird dives directly into the hole, as it arrives,

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section (Mineral) Date: June 16-17, 1925 Page Number: 2470

without loitering at the threshold. But as it emerges, it looks about a moment, before flying away. Usually when leaving, an adult carries a pellet of excrement in its bill, taking it to a distance, beyond my range of sight. At times both old birds are in the nest hole together. The young must be very small, as I can hear no notes from them when being fed. Such food as I can see brought, consists of green caterpillars. Western Chipping Sparrow's nest: rises 65 inches above ground; in small yellow pine, one of a close growing clump of these out in open away from larger trees, bare ground predominating in vicinity, some clumps of ceanothus (snow-bush). Nest very shallow in outside proportions, resting on needles and two 1/2-inch branches and against main 1&1/2-inch stem of pine. One of the branches forming the support comes from an adjacent tree, but in adjoining against the other so as not to move in ordinary breeze. Bird was sitting closely, and there are four eggs, opaque when held towards the sunlight, so far incubated. June 17 Mollie and I left camp at 6:45 for Berkeley Mountain, via the trail to Viola which leaves the vicinity of Mineral on the gently rising ridge just east of Martin Creek. The trail is a good one tho little traveled, not at all yet this year, save by a horseman up as far as the snow allowed,

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,