170 TIIK CONDOR Vol. X 



Agelaius phoeniceus. Red-wint^ed Blackbird. Summer resident, abundant. 

 One of the most alnindant summer birds, arriving early in March, nesting in June 

 up to at least 7000 feet and remaining until late in October My earliest date at 

 6500 feet is February 20. Mr. Sullivan states that he saw flocks of these birds 

 occasionally during the winters of 1903-4 and 1904-5 at Grand Junction. 



Sturnella neglecta. Western Meadowlark. Summer resident, abundant. One 

 of the earliest arrivals in spring, appearing about March 15 and by the first of 

 April is abundant. Breeds thruout its range up to at least 7500 feet during May, 

 June and July and raises two broods in the lower altitudes. Essentially a bird of 

 the farming regions and seldom seen in unsettled localities. The great bulk leave 

 the County in Octol^er but Mr. Sullivan saw the bird occasionally during the winters 

 of 1903-4 and 1904-5 and sa^^s a few remain thruout nearly every winter. 



Icterus bullocki. Bullock Oriole. Summer resident, abundant. Altho a late 

 arrival in the spring, being seldom seen before May 10, this oriole is one of the 

 commonest as well as widely distributed breeders within the County. It is par- 

 ticularly abundant among the large cottonwoods along the Grand River. In the 

 Plateau Valley I have found it nesting in scrub-oaks within 15 feet of the ground. 

 Frequents thickly settled portions and nearly every ranch house if surrounded by 

 trees has its pair of orioles. Departs for the south in August. Mr. Sullivan's ex- 

 treme dates of arrival and departure are May 5 and August 8. 



Euphagus cyanocephalus. Brewer Blackbird. Summer resident, abundant. 

 Fully as abundant and as widely distributed as the preceding species. iVrrives late 

 in March or earlj^ in April (my earliest date is March 31) and breeds about the 

 middle of May. Large numbers of nests are destroyed by irrigation and as the 

 birds are very persistent, the breeding season continues well into August. A 

 favorite nesting site is a ditch bank in an alfalfa field, and wild rose thickets are 

 often taken possession of by small colonies of from 20 to 50 pairs. When the 

 young are able to fl}' the birds congregate in vast flocks which frequent the newly 

 cut hay and grain fields feeding almost entirely upon insects. Departs for the 

 south in October. Mr. Sullivan states that a few remain each winter around 

 Grand Junction. 



Hesperiphona vespertina montana. Western Evening Grosbeak. Winter resi- 

 dent, not uncommon. Information regarding this species is limited. They have 

 been observed in February and April; and one flock August 3, 1899, at 6500 feet in 

 Plateau Valley; but I am inclined to think the latter were stragglers from a higher 

 altitude. Probably occurs regularly during the winter but never in any great 

 abundance. 



Pinicola enucleator montana. Rocky Mountain Pine Grosbeak. Resident, not 

 common. This species is listed as above on the strength of two records. One 

 taken on South Mamm Peak at about 10,000 feet July 3, 1898, and a pair seen 

 April 4, 1902, in Plateau Valley at 6500 feet. They may possibly be of common 

 occurrence in the few points of high altitude in the County. 



Carpodacus cassini. Cassin Purple Finch. Resident, not common. This bird 

 is a regular winter visitant up to at least 7000 feet often found in company with 

 the Western Evening Grosbeak. I have not seen it in summer, but as Carter found 

 it breeding commonly at Breckenridge not over 100 miles east, it will undoubtedly 

 be found nesting in the higher portions of Mesa County. 



Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis. House Finch. Resident, common in the 

 lower altitudes. Probably one of the most numerous birds in the towns along the 

 Grand River, but of rather uncommon occurrence above 6500 feet, where it is oc- 



