WESTERN BIRDS Phainopepla 



and again have I seen the female try to "lend-a-hand" at 

 the nest-building only to be driven away by her mate. 

 Usually she persisted and succeeded in helping but it 

 was generally under protest. 



However, I have known Madam to pay her spouse 

 back by leaving him on the eggs for over an hour, and 

 that, too, on a very hot day. It was amusing to see him 

 fidget and turn, once or twice leaving the eggs for a few 

 minutes, but always coming patiently back until his 

 mate returned. 



Near my home the birds are especially fond of pepper 

 trees as nesting sites, but oaks, elder, sycamores, and 

 eucalyptus are also used, the nest being from ten to 

 twenty-five feet from the ground. 



A horizontal crotch is usually selected, the nest being 

 a shallow, saucer-shaped one made of fine gray material, 

 mostly plant fibers. It is most interesting to see the 

 male turn and twist in the nest as he shapes it. Quite 

 often he pauses in this process to sing his warbling song, 

 which is often so low that only one near at hand can hear, 

 and perhaps then one might not fully comprehend it did 

 not the swelling throat proclaim it. 



The eggs hatch in two weeks and the young are fed 

 visible food at first. I have watched one of the adults 

 zig-zag through the air and go directly to the young and 

 feed ; also I have seen the blue berries of the Nightshade 

 fed newly-hatched nestlings. 



The young are replicas of the female, being gray with 

 pointed crests. They are fairly noisy, giving the harsh 

 scrat note. Some young birds never return to the nest 

 once they have left it, but these nestlings leave the nest 

 and scramble about the tree, then return to rest, and for 

 the night. They are about two weeks old when they 

 begin to venture into the home tree, and wonderfully 

 cunning little chaps they are. They stay about in the 

 trees until able to fly and so are fairly safe from cat 



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