I70 



THR CONDOR 



Vol. IX 



In looking for the birds' nests we followed down the long colonnades whose 

 beautiful arches with their deep shadows attract the photographers and whose 

 richly tinted old walls afford subjects to rouse the enthusiasm of colorists, but they 

 revealed no ornithological treasures, and a dusky old deserted chapel that was en- 

 tered proved only the home of the barn owl seen when mousing for her squealing 

 young at bat-hunting time. As she flew from her attic — an ancient choir loft? — 

 and flapped out thru a window into the ungrateful light of day we passed on, to 

 enter at last the main old chapel whose bell tower had fallen in during the earth- 

 quake of 1812. 



As it was now open to the sky it was a good place to watch from, and seated 

 on a block of the fallen wall I looked up at the swifts circling around among the 



I 



I 



I 



CHAPEL AT CAPISTRANO WITH EAVE SWALLOWS' NESTS UNDER ARCHES, AND 



WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS' NEST AT END OE SIDE ARCH 



(Site Marked by Circle) 



eave swallows, at one time seeing a buzzard's big dark figure above the rest. The 

 swifts darted around thru the sky at such lightning speed it was hard to keep track 

 of individuals, but ten were finally told off, in sight at one time. 



When they were circling about, their notes had the metallic vibrant quality and 

 the delightful tang peculiar to them, but when they set to on rapidly vibrating 

 wings to chase after each other they gave a common swnft-like twitter. 



At their slowest it was hard to tell just what they did wnth their wings except 

 when they set them for soaring, but once both wings seemed held high above the 

 body for a moment, and in rapid running the two appeared to be used alternately 

 as those of the common swift seem to be at times. 



