BIRDS OF SHORE AND SEA 67 



immediately cease its luuitin«i' activity and after a brief survey of the sit- 

 uation, hurry back to the protective margin of the pine woods or even for 

 a short distance among the trees if these are scattered, but none of these 

 birds are seen in the main woods. Tliey show a marked tendency to travel 

 along the roadways and paths, probably on account of the freedom of 

 movement permitted there. Also, it may be easier to sight prospective 

 food objects in such a situation than amid the dense tangle of grasses. 



Not all of the time is spent by road runners on the ground, for each 

 individual seems to have certain favored perching places where it may be 

 found often. Road runners give a series of cooing notes in the breeding 

 season. At other times the}- have a rattling note. 



Bush-tit 



The flock behavior and peculiar nesting traits of this Western bird make 

 it one of the permanent attractions, especially to visitors acquainted with 

 birds in other regions. 



Bush-tits are present continuously throughout the year at Point Lobos. 

 About 100 are around at the beginning of the nesting season. All through 

 the winter, bush-tits are seen in flocks averaging about 15 birds each. 



Their nest-building season starts late in February and most of the nests 

 contain young as late as the latter part of April. Bush-tits build nests in 

 a wide variety of plants, nearly every kind of tree and bush in the area 

 being used, which is a peculiar characteristic in any bird. 



Linnet 



The fact that the linnet is so widely abundant through the farmed por- 

 tions of California makes more significant the added fact that it is also 

 a prominent feature of the landscape at Point Lobos. At this locality we 

 may expect to learn the true nature of the adaptation of the bird to its 

 normal surroundings. It is one of the few kinds of animals to make im- 

 portant use of the cypresses. 



The linnet is one of the most conspicuous singing birds, and is just about 

 the last species of bird to be quieted by a cold and overcast sky. In the 

 building of nests, the usual procedure seems to be for the female to gather 

 and carry to the nest most of the materials, and for the male to accompany 

 her and sing. The linnets use lichens chiefly for the main construction of 

 the nest, generally building on the limbs of trees, although sometimes they 

 use cavities and crannies in stumps. Both pines and cypresses are occupied 

 by their nests, which are usually well concealed among lichens or masses 

 of trash on tops of flat limbs or boughs. Approximately five weeks, starting 

 generally in April, are required for nesting, from the beginning of building 

 until the nest is left. 



Ordinarily linnets exhibit a marked preference for open places, exposed 

 to the sunshine. They frequently feed in compact flocks of fifty or more. 

 Their fare is ripening seeds and other parts of the plants, particularly of 

 the mustard and radish. Often they hull and discard outer coverings of 

 the seeds. 



Linnets are present at Point Lobos throughout the year, but in varying 

 numbers. The linnet population is greatest during the early part of the 

 nesting season, when this is the most numerous species, with the possible 

 exception of the colonial cliff swallow. It is estimated that around the 

 middle of May at least 800 linnet individuals live in the Reserve. 



