HUMMINGBIEDS 353 



slender drooping limb of an apple tree. The nest was saddled in a little 

 crotch where a fine twig was given off. It was but an inch in height 

 by 1% inches in diameter. The materials comprising it included tufts of 

 grayish plant down, and bud scales and seed pods, the whole bound 

 together and to the support with spider web. 



Full-grown young-of-the-year were collected at this place July 26 and 

 August 9, 1920. 



A 'poker plant' in the ranch garden was the common rendezvous of 

 all the hummingbirds in the vicinity, and here the female of the nest 

 just described and a male Black-chin not infrequently foraged together 

 amicably. But the male was forcibly repelled by the female whenever 

 he attempted to approach the precincts of the nest. Mr. McLean states 

 that earlier in the season at lower altitudes, especially around Coulterville, 

 the species nests more commonly. 



Anna Hummingbird. Calypte anna (Lesson) 



Field characters. — Largest of the hummingbirds found in the Yosemite region. Male 

 with whole top of head, chin and throat iridescent magenta or rose-red; lower surface 

 grayish green. Back in both sexes metallic green ; no rufous or buffy at all in plumage. 

 Female (plate 46b) with sides of body tinged with greenish, and with outer tail feathers 

 broadly rounded at ends. Voice : ' Song ' of male a high-pitched squeaky seesy-seezy- 

 zeesy-zec, etc., ending usually e-zeent', e-zeent' ; females utter a low-toned sucking note, 

 tsup, when foraging. 



Occurrence. — Common resident of Upper Sonoran Zone on west slope of Sierra 

 Nevada. Seen at Pleasant Valley, near Coulterville, and at El Portal. Observed also 

 in Yosemite Valley on July 15, 18, and 28, August 25 and September 5 and 6, 1920 

 (C. W. Michael, MS); also September 8, 1917 (J. Mailliard, MS). 



The Anna Hummingbird is the best known of the California humming- 

 birds, chiefly because it is resident throughout the year almost wherever 

 found, and is common in the most thickly populated parts of the state. 

 It is common throughout the year at El Portal which is at the upper 

 margin of the Upper Sonoran Zone. Although this bird was not observed 

 by our party in Yosemite Valley it has been seen there in late summer 

 and early fall by other persons as detailed above. It appeared at Smith 

 Creek, east of Coulterville, on July 13, 1920, and was present in numbers 

 at the end of that month. 



During November and December of 1914 we saw individuals almost 

 daily at El Portal. At this time of the year there were no flowers of any 

 sort to be found in the vicinity, but the Anna Hummingbirds seemed to 

 find enough good forage on the foliage of the golden oaks, about which 

 they were seen almost exclusively. The minute insects which live on the 

 leaves of the golden oak probably afforded sufficient forage of one sort, 

 but the hummingbirds had another source of food suppl3\ 



