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Bird - Lore 



Full streams have again brought Water 

 Ouzels down to the lower parts of the canyons 

 from which they have been absent for several 

 years past, due to the low stage of water. 



May 10, the contributor to 'The Season,' 

 from San Francisco, honored the writer with 

 an invitation, through a mutual friend, to go 

 in search of Blue Grosbeaks. Fortune favored 

 us, not only with the desired Grosbeak but 

 also with Lazuli Buntings, Costa Humming- 

 birds, Purple Martins, an Egret, and many 

 more common species of both land- and 

 water-birds. Western Blue Grosbeaks have 

 been recorded in many different localities, 

 ranging from the desert at Thermal to the 

 hills of Whittier and ocean shores near 

 Balboa. May 30, the individual seen on the 

 10th was again found at the same place, in 

 full song and accompanied by a mate. It 

 was recognized as the same bird by its im- 

 mature or changing plumage, only the head 

 being blue, with a few traces of blue in the 

 body plumage. Four other full-plumaged 

 males were seen on that date. June 1, a 

 pair was found feeding two young that were 

 perching in blossoming mustard. 



May 14, at an altitude of about 6,400 feet, 

 in Upper San Antonio Canyon, Warblers in 

 song were the Piliolated, Yellow, Black- 

 throated Gray, and Audubon's. All ex- 

 cept the last were very common but only 

 one pair of Audubon's was seen. Western 

 Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks were 

 numerous, and Olive-sided Flycatchers called 

 from the tops of the tall spruce trees. Large 

 numbers of Pine Siskins and many Cassin 

 Finches were feeding among the alder 

 catkins. 



May 16, Miss Helen S. Pratt reports seeing 

 Black Swifts about a cliff and waterfall far 

 back in the San Gabriel range. Vaux Swifts 

 were observed with Swallows over the Arroyo 

 Seco, June 1. Purple Martins are frequently 

 seen about buildings in the center of town and 

 at Echo Park and are undoubtedly increasing. 



May 25, at Nigger Slough, Black-necked 

 Stilts were apparently nesting, as one of the 

 birds advanced to meet the observers and 

 threw itself upon the ground in an agony of 

 beseeching. Its feelings were spared, perhaps 

 the more readily as the attention of the party 

 was claimed by a curious ceremony being 

 performed by four other Stilts nearby. 

 After some passages at arms in the air, they 

 alighted, partners facing each other and 

 executed a series of bows and stately steps, 

 after which they flew away in pairs in 

 opposite directions. On this date a Pied- 

 billed Grebe was followed by two young, and 

 many shore-birds were seen, including eight 

 Long-billed Curlew. 



May 30, Least and Forster's Terns were 

 numerous at Balboa, and in the inner bay 

 were six Great Blue Herons, one Egret, and 

 five White Pelicans. The Pelicans are cur- 

 rently reported to fly back and forth from 

 tide water to Lake Elsinore daily. Seven 

 notable flights of White Pelicans have been 

 observed from Mt. Wilson and Pasadena this 

 spring, totaling many hundred birds. One 

 large flight of Swans was reported and three 

 flights of Little Brown Cranes. 



Other flights of Cranes have been noted in 

 the Colorado desert, where several parties of 

 our observers have gone this year. Lark 

 Buntings were seen in migration about the 

 middle of April, as were also Swainson's 

 Hawks. A Black-and-White Warbler was 

 taken by a local ornithologist. Other birds 

 seen by our members in various localities in 

 the Colorado and Mohave deserts are as 

 follows: Cactus Woodpecker, Cactus Wren 

 nesting, Rock Wren nesting, Sage Sparrow 

 nesting, Black-chinned Sparrow, Black- 

 throated Sparrow, Vermilion Flycatcher, 

 Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Verdin, Crissal 

 Thrasher, Leconte's Thrasher, Gambel Quail, 

 Scott's Oriole, Phainopeplas were very nu- 

 merous, feeding on the desert mistletoe. — 

 Frances B. Schneider, Los Angeles, Calif. 



