WESTERN VESPER SPARROW 883 



W. H. Behle, J. B. Bushiium, and C. M. Greenhaigh (1958) also 

 emphasize the artemisia associatiou as a major habitat of the western 

 vesper sparrow, but note also that the race occurs in the pinon-juniper 

 association and in the low grass of alpme and subalpine meadows. 

 For the southern llocky Mountains, F. Al. Bailey (1904, 1928) reports 

 breeding populations commonly in meadows as high as 9,000 feet, and 

 occasionally as high as 12,000 feet. S. G. Jewett et al. (1953) mention 

 breeding populations at 5,000 feet in the Blue Alountams of eastern 

 Washmgton. 



The wmtering grounds of the western vesper sparrow extend from 

 southeastern California, southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, 

 south through Baja CaUfornia and west central Mexico to Oaxaca 

 (casually east to Vera Cruz, Louisiana, and Mississippi). The 

 migi'ation between wintering and breeding grounds is very sparsely 

 documented. N. Criddle (1921) reports the mean date of arrival of 

 vesper sparrows at Aweme, Manitoba (lat. 49°42'N.) as April 18, 

 based on 25 years' observation; the earliest recorded arrival date is 

 April 12. Records for migrants and summer residents in eastern 

 Washington (Jewett et al., 1953; Hudson and Yocom, 1954) extend 

 from March 10 to September 19. W. B. Davis (1935) reports 

 autumn migrants on November 4 at Rupert, Idaho, but this is excep- 

 tionally late. Migrating western vesper sparrows may be observed as 

 far east as western Kansas. 



Nests with fresh eggs have been found from April 5 to June 3 in 

 eastern Washington (J. H. Bowles, 1921) and from May 24 to June 20 

 in eastern Oregon (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940). In New Mexico 

 (Santa Fe County; Jensen, 1923) fresh eggs have been reported from 

 May 15 to July 15. W. Weydemeyer (1936) mentions two "unusually 

 late" clutches hatched in Montana on July 19 and 25. Other fresh 

 egg dates from Idaho (Davis, 1935) and Utah (Behle, 1958) faU within 

 the above spans. In certain parts of the breedmg range, at least, two 

 annual broods are reared. R. B. Rockwell and A. Wetmore (1914) 

 mention a first brood m May and a second one in July near Golden, 

 Colorado. 



The nest of P. g. confinis (and P. g. affinis) is described by B, R. 

 Headstrom (1951) as "rather bulky, thick-rimmed, well-cupped but 

 not tightly woven; of dried grass, rootlets, and hair." Mean dimen- 

 sions: outer diameter, 4.5 inches; outer height, 1.8 inches; inner diame- 

 ter, 2.2 inches; inner depth, 1.4 inches. F. M. Bailey (1928) describes 

 the eggs as gi-eenish or brownish white, and often blotched and 

 streaked with reddish brown and lavender. She mentions clutches of 

 four to six eggs in New Mexico. J. K. Jensen (1923), also reporting 

 from New Mexico, cites only clutches of three to four eggs. R. Hoff- 

 mann (1927) and E. Stevenson (1942), probably referring also to P. i/. 



