^"IgS''^] Bailey, Birds of the Upper Pecos. 361 



Wilsonia pusilla pileolata. Pileolated Warbler. — Mr. Henshaw 

 says, "So far as we could ascertain, this bird did not breed in the locality," 

 but higher up the mountains, at 11,000 feet, on July 23, we found it feed- 

 ing young in the willows along Jack Creek. The parent bird was, at the 

 time, in the middle of its molt. When we came down the mountain the 

 latter part of August we iound pileolata in the alders along the streams in 

 the same surprising numbers that Mr. Henshaw had noted. 



Anthus pensilvanicus. Pipit. — Instead of the Ptarmigan and Leucos- 

 ticte that we had hoped to discover on the peaks, we found the Pipit, the 

 one Alpine bird. This was not surprising, as the snow had melted back 

 to small patches on the cold slopes in time to give it an open breeding 

 ground. From a little below timberline we found the birds ranging to 

 the highest peaks, actually encountering them in a fierce wind within fifty 

 feet of the summit of Truchas, at an altitude of 13,250 feet. From the top 

 of Pecos Baldy another day I discovered, high in the air, a Sparrow Hawk 

 pursued by a Pipit. As this was on the thirteenth of August the Pipit 

 was probably guarding his brood, for we had found young being fed as 

 late as July 28. The breeding ground where we discovered them was a 

 broad grassy slope, an ancient ' burn ' near timberline where Otocoris was 

 going about with grown young. Some of the Pipits had food in their 

 bills and they did individually what they do in flocks after the breeding 

 season, — rose from the ground, flew out and circled back, uttering their 

 plaintive cheep. In this case they often lit on old graj' stumps and logs. 

 On July 31 we found the birds on both sides of the knifeblade rocky ridge 

 connecting the east and west peaks of Pecos Baldy flying about cheeping, 

 blown by the wind, and lighting on the rocks and tipping their tails ; but 

 though they acted most suspiciously, we did not succeed in finding nests 

 or young. 



Cinclus mexicanus. Water Ouzel. — The Ouzel was seen on the 

 Pecos from 7200 to S700 feet in July and August. At 8700 feet we left the 

 Pecos, following up Jack Creek to the foot of Pecos Baldy. This stream 

 probably had too few cascades to suit the ouzels, but on the north slope of 

 Baldy, at 10,000 feet, Mr. Bailey again encountered them. The gizzard of 

 one collected was full of small insects. 



Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren. — Mr. Mitchell says that the Rock 

 Wrens breed "most commonly from 8000 feet down, and although a few 

 individuals were seen by us in the mountains, one being met at 12,550 

 feet, fifty feet from the top of Pecos Baldy we missed the friendly little 

 fellows in the high country, for they had met us at every turn along the 

 sandstone of the low country. 



Troglodytes aedon aztecus. Aztec Wren. — On July 10 we found two 

 wren nests in holes in cottonwoods at our Glorieta camp, and on July 14, 

 at 8000 feet, were shown a family of nearly fledged young which the chil- 

 dren of the range rider had rescued from a snake that climbed to its nest. 

 On August 9, wrens were singing at 1 1,600 feet. 



Certhia familiaris montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. — Young 



