Nesting Time. 



little song which is a characteristic strain 

 during the early springtime, ranking 

 well among the performances of our 

 minor and more obscure songsters. Its 

 usual call-note is somewhat after the 

 style of the chickadee. Its nest is 

 made in a hollow tree or in a deserted 

 flicker's hole, where it lays from six to 

 nine white eggs sprinkled with reddish 

 brown dots. The plain titmouse may 

 be readily recognized by his excess- 

 ively severe quaker dress of gray, 

 combined with his topknot and his 

 lively manners, bobbing about on bark 

 or spray, head up or down, pecking 

 away at rotten limbs in search of insects 

 and leading a bustling life generally. 



The birds of prey are the only other 

 species which begin nest building during 

 the month of March. By far the com- 

 monest of these about Berkeley is the 

 western red-tailed hawk, whick may be 

 seen at almost any time sailing in easy 

 circles above our hill crests. He is a 

 most useful bird to the farmer, feeding 

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