The Birds of El Paso County, Colorado S97 



bird, took her in hand and then Hberated her. The nest was 

 but half finished, only a mass of inner bark strips, So I 

 plastered the pieces of bark in place and left it." 



While each of our species of chickadees is found in flocks 

 associated with the nuthatches and an occasional creeper, yet 

 they seem to prefer not to have much to do with each other and 

 are not very often found in the same flock, though they do 

 sometimes thus associate. At the Bison Reservoir above men- 

 tioned both species came about the house for the scraps 

 thrown out. 



Penthestes gambeli. Mountain Chickadee. 



Resident in the mountains; common. 



This species, easily distinguished from the preceding by 

 the white stripe on the side of the head, seems equally common 

 with it, but is confined to the mountains in the breeding season, 

 though wandering just as much in winter. It has been known 

 to nest at least as high as the Strickler Tunnel, 11,500 feet. 

 Warren saw this species at Lake Moraine in January, March, 

 September, and December, but did not see the other species 

 at that place on any of his visits. Keyser saw a pair feeding 

 young in the nest near the Half Way House. It prefers to 

 frequent spruces and other coniferous trees. 



Psaltriparus plumbeus. Lead-colored Bush-Tit. 



Resident ; locally common. 



Like the Gray Titmouse this species is found about the 

 pinons and cedars, which constitute its breeding range, but 

 unlike the other it wanders away from those trees at times 

 and is occasionally found along the lower edge of the foot- 

 hills, and has been known on at least one occasion to come 

 about houses at the edge of Monument Valley Park. Warren 

 found a flock of 40 or 50 in the northern part of the Garden 

 of the Gods in January, 1910. Aiken took a nest with five 



