162 



THE OOLOGIST. 



The nest was a beautiful structure com- 

 posed almost entirely of dry blossoms 

 of the live oak in which it was situated, 

 with a lining of a few feathers. 



While investigating a group of live 

 oaks on a hill near by, my friend dis- 

 covered a large nest in the top of a tall 

 oak, and upon throwing up a club a 

 Western Red-tail left with a defiant 

 scream. After some hard "shinning" 

 he reached the nest and announced two 

 eggs, Avhich were soon lowered safely 

 down by means of a ball of twine and 

 handkerchief. 



Not long after, while gazing up into 

 some oaks, I noticed a Red-tail hovering 

 over the trees, and looking closely I 

 soon located the nest and secureil two 

 fresh eggs. 



A few minutes later my friend, who 

 was industriously thumping every old 

 tree with a mammoth stick of eucalyp- 

 tus which he carried, flushed a Sparrow 

 Hawk from a hollow limb and took live 

 beautiful fresh eggs. 



At this point it being nearly noon we 

 lunched under the shade of an old oak, 

 so large and thick that it was with dif- 

 ficulty that I found a nest of Bush Tits 

 which I knew must be there from the 

 actions of the birds. It contained sevon 

 fresh eggs. 



After a short rest we resumed our 

 search, we had gotten somewhat separ- 

 ated, and just as I was reachihg terra 

 tirma after a useless climb to a Red- 

 tail's nest which contained three young, 

 I heard my companion give a yell, 

 which I knew from its tone and em- 

 phasis betokened something rare, while 

 running across a small canon I flushed 

 a California Partritlge from seventeen 

 eggs. I found my friend up a large 

 live oak and he excitedly explained that 

 his ever active club had started a West- 

 ern Horned Owl from a hollow limb 

 that had broken off about twelve feet 

 from the ground. After peering into 

 the darkness for a few seconds he an- 

 nounced two eggs and speedily had 

 them out in the light of day. This I 



con.sider rather late nesting for these 

 owls here, especially as thej' proved to 

 be almost fresh. 



Soon aftei- we each took a set of three 

 of the California Thrasher, the nests 

 being placed in low brush. 



While scrambling through some ferns 

 and blackberry vines not long after, I 

 noticed a. small brown bird slip quickly 

 away from near my feet, and I soon 

 had its nest. It was the nest of the 

 Wren-Tit and contained three, perfects 

 ly fresh, blue eggs. I was highly elated 

 Avith this find as it was mjf^ first that 

 had contained eggs. The nest was a 

 neat, compact structure, deeply cupped 

 and composed of strips of bark, root- 

 lets, dry grass leaves and hair. 



I had hardly disposed of these eggs 

 when I noticed a freshly dug woodpeck- 

 er's hole in a short stub of a live oak, 

 and upon starting up a Gairdner's 

 Woodpecker left the nest and flew to a 

 neighboring tree. With my stick I had 

 so(>n broken o])en the hole and saw four 

 crystal white eggs lying on the chips at 

 the bottom of the cavity, which was 

 about seven inches deep. These too I 

 was very much pleased to get as prev- 

 iously I had not a full set of of these 

 eggs. When I joined my companion 

 he said he had found a nest of the Cali- 

 forhia Woodpecker in pi'oeess of con- 

 struction. 



As it was now nearly- sunset we start- 

 ed for home going by a different route. 

 I soon found a set of four eggs of the 

 California Jay in a thick elder bush, 

 and my friend a newly completed nest 

 of the California Tharsher, which was 

 marked down for our next trip. 



It was a long walk home and we were 

 tired and hungry when we arrived, but 

 we felt amply repaid for our aches, and 

 as I was fortunate enough to escape 

 getting poisioned with poison oak, I 

 shall always consider that a successful 

 and happily spent day. 



H. H. Dodge, 

 Santa Barbara, Cal. 



