1913 BIRDS OF THE FRESNO DISTRICT 41 



mains of a Mockingbird ; and on another occasion a quail whizzed past me with 

 one of the Httle hawks in close pursuit. Unless the quail was able to reach some 

 sort of cover into which it could dive, I am afraid it proved to be a hopeless race. 

 The Sharp-shinned Hawks arrive in this vicinity before the first of October 

 and remain until the middle of April, frequenting the small blue-gum groves, 

 willow thickets, or any other trees that afford concealment, and from which they 

 sail forth on their missions of destruction. These hawks are especially numerous 

 in the willows along the larger sloughs of the west side but they are quite com- 

 monly distributed throughout the entire valley. 



Cooper Hawk. Accipiter cooperi (Bonaparte). 



It is probably very fortunate that this hawk is not an abundant species in 

 Fresno County, for with its larger size and well known powers of flight it would 

 be even more destructive than the Sharp-shinned Hawk. The former is pretty 

 generally, but sparingly, distributed through the low lands during the fall and 

 winter, but during the breeding season it seems to be confined to the willow 

 clumps along the rivers, where it nests. 



March 25. 1906, while looking up data on the nesting habits of Buteo bore- 

 alis cahirus, I entered a rather thick growth of willows that line the banks of the 

 San Joaquin River a few miles below Lane's Bridge. I was suddenly surprised 

 by a Cooper Hawk that dashed close past me, then swept upward to join her 

 mate, screaming shrilly as she flew about with angry demonstrations, now swoop- 

 ing on stiff-set wings, again beating through the air with strong rapid wing- 

 beats. A nest that would probably have remained undiscovered but for these 

 demonstrations was soon located about twenty-five feet up, in the forks of a 

 single willow shoot, which, although not over six inches in diameter, had attained 

 a height of thirty feet or more. The nest was rather large, and composed of 

 long, dry willow twigs of quite uniform size. To all appearances it was ready 

 for occup'ancy, being lined with half a dozen green willow twigs with the tender 

 new leaves attached. An attempt to visit the nest the third week in the follow- 

 ing April was unsuccessful as the river was very high and the willows were 

 standing in several feet of water. April 29. 191 1, while exploring the same 

 willows a Cooper Hawk flew past me, within ten yards, but I failed to find any 

 nest. 



Western Red-t.mled Hawk. Buteo borealis calurus Cassin. 



At the present time the Western Red-Tailed Hawk is quite generally dis- 

 tributed throughout Fresno County, being most numerous in the foothill regions 

 along the eastern base of the Sierras, and along the San Joaquin River. A few 

 pairs nest in favorable places in the valley, but in the immediate vicinity of the 

 city they are not common until the winter months. Then the species is scattered 

 over the vineyards and orchards, and is liable to be met with almost anywhere, 

 although it is never actually abundant. 



The habit of sitting motionless on the top of a dead tree or telephone pole 

 makes this hawk a rather conspicuous object at times, and he often pays for his 

 prominence, for there are persons who consider it almost a crime not to shoot at 

 a hawk whenever one is to be found. 



March is the month when this hawk begins nesting, although, in favorable 



