THE OSPEEY. 



pond near by a pair of clucks [Anas boschasf) 

 South Fork two miles above camp, I noticed a 

 nest in a laurel about thirty feet above the river. 

 Approaching-, the parent quietly stole off the 

 nest and disappeared in the heavy timber. It 

 was placed far out on the end of a branch, and 

 was composed of twig's, mud and moss, and 

 lined with fine rootlets. Although this was a 

 very late date, it contained no eggs. 



One morning a trip was taken down the river 

 to the mouth, along- the ocean shore to the Big 

 Sur River, returning to camp by a mountain 

 road. On leaving camp we were greeted with 

 the loud chatter of the Blue-fronted Jay. Cali- 

 fornia Creepers (Cerlhia familiaris occidentalis), 

 and California Chickadees [Parus rufescem 

 lectus) were quietly searching the branches for 

 their breakfast of larvae and insects, and from 

 a dead twig Vigor's Wren I Thryothorus b, 

 kit spil urus i gave forth a burst of melody. Cali- 

 fornia Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus 

 bairdi) are crying from the dead treetops, and 

 occasionally in the tall redwoods a Band-tailed 

 Pigeon (Columba fasciata) was seen high above 

 the forest giants: -caring in graceful circles, 

 was a pair of Western Red-tails [Bnteo borealis 

 calurus), and ever and anon came their loud cry 

 keah. Continuing along the river, we saw a 

 Western Wood Pewee (Contopus richardsoni) at 

 his post in an alder and Towhees (both Pipilo 

 maculatus megalonyx and Pipilo fuscus crissalis) 

 scudded to the brush. A Red-shafted Flicker 

 [Colaptes cafer) left a dead sycamore, and the 

 nest fifteen feet up contained five fresh egg—. 

 and, curiously enough, on the other side of the 

 tree, in the softer decayed wood was a nest of 

 the California Chi with four young. 



Passing- a deserted cabin, a Black Pewee 

 [Sayornis nigricans) announced his presence by 

 a feeble "peweet" and a bob of the tail, anil in 

 one of the rooms, plastered against the wall. 

 was the nest, and four large young. The only 

 trees now besides the thick brush were the 

 alder, willow and scrub-oak. 



Black-headed Grosbeak- {Habia melanoce- 

 phala), Russet-backed Thrushes (Hylocichla ustu- 

 lata), Yellow Warblers i Dendroica aestiva), Pilea- 

 ted Warbler- i Wilsonia pusilla pileolata), Cali- 

 fornia Bush-tits (Psaltriparus minimus califor- 

 nicus), Mourning Dove- (Zenaidura macroura), 

 Song Sparrows [Melospiza fasciatal) and Park- 

 man's Wren i Troglodytes aedon parkmanii) were 

 abundant, and an occasional Belted Kingfisher 

 [Ceryle alcyon), Roadrunner (Geococcyx cali/or- 

 nimiits) and Green Heron [Ardea virescens) were 

 seen. 



Further on, surrounded by a grove of Mon- 

 terey cvpress trees. stood an occupied house, 

 and a number of barns. Here birds which fre- 

 quent the habitations of man were numerous. 

 Arkansas Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis), 

 House Finches i Carpodacus mexicanns frontalis), 

 Brewer's Blackbirds (Scolecophagus cyanoce- 

 phalus), Willow Goldfinches (. Xstragalinus tristis 

 salicamans) and Arkansas Goldfinches (Astra- 

 galinus psaltria) were observed. A number of 

 nests were noticed; one of the House Finch con- 

 tained unspotted eggs. At the mouth of the 

 river among the rocks a pair of Killdeers (jEgia- 

 litis vociferus) were nesting, and from a large 



took flight. Near the mouth, where a sage-bush 

 canon extends to the river bottom, Sage Thrash- 

 ers (Oroscoptes mon/anus) were abundant, and 

 in the low scrubby willows were the nests made 

 of twigs and lined with rootlets. At the head 

 of these arid canons the merry little Canon 

 Wren t Catherpes mexicanus conspersus) shares its 

 lonely habitat with the ratlesnake. 



Where a grassy plain extends along the shore 

 up to the foothills, the Mexican Horned Lark 

 [Otocoris alpestris chrysolama) and the Western 

 Meadowlark (Stumella magna neglecta^ were 

 seen in large numbers. About the beginning 

 of June the former were noticed in small flocks, 

 and two weeks later a number of nests were 

 found containing- fresh eggs. The nests were 

 placed in hollows among- the grass and scantily 

 lined with fine grasses. Nearly opposite the 

 Point Sur Lighthouse an unfamiliar bird attract- 

 ed 1113- attention. On shooting, it proved to be 

 a Western Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus 

 savannarmn perpallidus) and dissection show- 

 ed they were breeding-. They were somewhat 

 scarce, but two pairs being- seen. Further on we 

 came to a bridge over a dry creek bed, and as 

 we approached, a perfect cloud of Cliff Sparrows 

 (Petrochelidon lunifrons) rose in the air. Al- 

 though it was only 110 feet across, we counted 

 nearly one hundred nests. Some were freshly 

 built, many with eggs, and others with young. 

 These birds seemed to show a decided preference 

 for the sides of tall straw stalks as feeding 

 grounds and large flocks were observed, alwavs 

 riving- about one side. In the willows, along 

 these creek beds, the Lazuli Bunting (Cyanospiza 

 amoena) was common, and the young in most 

 cases had left the nest. About two miles further 

 on we reached the mouth of the Big- Sur River 

 where a number of nests with young of Nuttall's 

 Sparrow (Zonoirichia leucopkrys nuttalli were 

 found. American Crows (Corvus americanus) 

 were numerous, nesting, as they generally do, in 

 laurel trees. 



Suddenly, without warning. Old Sol sank 

 behind the horizon, and we started for camp. 

 Squirrels scurried in front of us as we returned, 

 arrd a pair of Mexican Horned Larks were alter- 

 nately flying arrd alighting ahead of us. As we 

 reached the summit, we heard the loud rollick- 

 ing- call of the Black-headed Grosbeak, and the 

 soft though clear ventriloquistic notes of the 

 Russet-backed Thrush down the canon, and one 

 was loath to leave this pleasant spot with its 

 varied and interesting bird life. 



While in Monterey, on our way dowrr, irr a 

 large salt water pond I noticed a number of Red 

 Phalaropes (Crymophilus fulicarius). On ap- 

 proaching, several more flew from the tules, 

 where they had been feeding, and hovered over 

 my head. Returning to Monterey on June 15th, 

 I agaiir visited this poird, but not a Phalarope 

 was to be seerr. 



It is interesting to note the difference in the 

 avifauna of Monterey and Idlewild. At Monte- 

 rey the pine arrd cypress are the principle trees 

 while these are both absent at Idlewild, 25 miles 

 down the coast, where the redwood predominates 

 arrd a number of birds seen at Monterey are not 

 to be found at Idlewild and vice versa. 



