158 _ the; condor Vol.. IX 



Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow. Seen at Ft. Ivcwis and found nesting 

 at Cortez. 



Piranga ludoviciana. Western Tanager. Not common; breeding. 

 Stelgidopteryx serripennis. *Rough-winged Swallow. Seen a few times. 

 {^To be conchided in November') 



THE RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, 



CALIFORNIA 



By NELSON K. CARPENTER 



IT was another one of those dark foggy mornings that were so plentiful last 

 spring in southern California. I was standing on the east slope of a steep 



gulch watching a pair of Costa Hummers feeding their two fully grown young. 

 I stepped to one side to get a better view but in doing so startled something in the 

 grass about five feet away. Catching a glimpse of a small brown object as it shot 

 into the thick brush ahead I completely forgot my hummingbirds. 



Whether it was bird or mammal I could not tell. My first guess named it a 

 wood-rat but a moment's reflection changed my mind. It must be a bird. Per- 

 haps a Spurred Towhee. I parted the weeds and almost the first thing I saw was 

 a nest containing three fresh "white" eggs. Not a Spurred Towhee but probably 

 a Rufous-crowmed Sparrow. I waited for a few minutes but did not get another 

 glimpse of the bird. 



My next visit to the gulch w^as made on June 2, just four days after I had first 

 found the nest. I wound my way thru the thick brush as quietly as possible, but 

 w^hen I came to the nest the sparrow was gone, and all looked just as I had lef 

 them. My hopes vanished. Yes, a valuable find but probably an incomplete sett 

 and uncertain identity. I took several exposures wdth a kodak and went to the 

 other side of the ravine to await the uncertain. It was fully half an hour before I 

 saw anything encouraging. The sun was getting hot and I was pretty well dis- 

 gusted, when of a sudden two sparrows came flying over the hill and lit in a 

 sumac bush about forty feet from the nest. They did not make a sound but 

 quietly plumed their feathers. Finally one of them slipped to the ground and dis- 

 appeared. About two minutes later it reappeared in the top of a bush about ten 

 feet nearer the nest, but quickly slid down the stem into the grass and w^as again 

 lost to view. This was repeated at least half a dozen times, the bird having com- 

 pleted almost a semi-circle around the nest, but at the same time drawdng nearer. 

 Finally its last survey of the country was taken from a small bush about three feet 

 from the nest. This time she did not climb to the top but only about half wa\^ up. 

 She stayed but a moment and w^as again lost from view. A few seconds and I saw^ 

 her standing on the edge of the nest looking at its treasures. She slipped on and 

 completely hid from sight. All this time her mate did sentinel duty from the top 

 of the sumac, which was just out of reach of ni}" light charges of dust shot. 



I thought it was my next move, but while figuring the surest way by which I 

 might collect her, Mrs. Sparrow appeared on the edge of her nest and quietlj^ 

 slipped aw^ay to her nearest outlook. I shot quickh^ but she was quicker, for all I 

 could find upon crossing the gulch was broken twigs. Her mate was gone also 

 and I was just wdiere I had been an hour before, only with the birds badh^ scared 

 and perhaps one injured. 



