342 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



no preference for any one type of country, save that it avoids the heavier 

 forests ; it was apparently as much at home in the blue oaks around Pleasant 

 Valley as in the Jeffrey pines at Walker Lake. 



The manner of flight of the Lewis is different from that of all other 

 woodpeckers with which we are familiar. The long wings beat almost 

 continuously, in crow fashion, and the course through the air is nearly 

 direct. These peculiarities in movement together with the black back, 

 wings, and tail, the pinkish cast of the plumage beneath, and the absence 

 of clear white areas, large or small, anywhere on the bird, are the best 

 field marks. (See pi. 5a.) 



On May 24, 1915, about 8 of these birds were seen at Pleasant Valley, 

 but they gave no indications that they were nesting. On December 15, 

 1915, at Lagrange, the species was locally common, about 20 being seen 

 in a two hour census. Mr. Charles W. Michael (MS) saw at least 5 daily 

 below the village in Yosemite Valley from September 8 to 13, 1920. The 

 birds were often active in an apple tree there. At Walker Lake, a pair 

 had its nest in a dead pine stub (fig. 48&). The young were being fed 

 in this nest on June 24, 1916. 



Red-shafted Flicker. Colaptes cafer coUaris Vigors 



Field characters. — Larger than robin; of woodpecker structure and general habits, 

 save that it does much of its foraging on the ground. In flight shows large white rump 

 patch and flash of dull red from wings and tail. (See pi. 5h.) General color above 

 brownish, with narrow bars of black; beneath grayish with numerous sharp polka dots 

 of black and a black crescentic bar across breast. Males have bright red patches at 

 corners of mouth. Flight strong and direct, with quick but infrequent wing-beats. 

 Voice: Varied; the most usual note a loud, explosive claip ; in spring and early summer, 

 a loud rolling kulc-lmlc-kuk-kuk, etc., repeated at length on one pitch and hence of 

 monotonous though reverberating quality. When two flickers meet, either one, or both, 

 utter a yuckf-a-yuckf-a-yucV-a, or wee'-cTiuck, wee^-chuck, wee'-chuck, reminding one 

 of the sound produced in whetting a scythe. Occasionally drums a rolling tattoo with 

 bill on resonant wood. 



Occurrence. — Widely distributed apparently without regard for zonal boundaries; 

 in summer and fall up to timber line, as at 10,200 feet near Parsons Peak, 10,500 feet 

 in Mono Pass, and 10,600 feet, in the pass at the head of Warren Fork of Leevining 

 Creek. Very probably nests from near these limits down throughout all the forested 

 country to the bed of the San Joaquin Valley. Occupied nesting holes in tree trunks, 

 young just out of nest, or adults feeding young, observed at Snelling, near Lagrange, 

 at Pleaf-ant Valley, Buckhorn Peak, Merced Grove, Yosemite Valley, and Farrington's 

 Ranch near Mono Lake. In winter, descends to the region below the level of heavy 

 snows. Highest winter stations: 5100 feet, near Columbia Point, and 4200 feet, in 

 Tenaya Canon two miles above Mirror Lake. 



The tramper in almost any part of the Yosemite region can hardly fail 

 to at least hear one or more Red-shafted Flickers in a half-day's circuit. 

 Although these birds are never seen in true flocks, he may flush from 

 favorable places as many as 6 of them within a few yards. This is par- 



