Nests Saddled on Branches 



467. Least Flycatcher: Empidonax minimus Baird 



Adult — Upper parts olive ; under parts pale ^ray, slightly tinged 



with yellow on the belly. Length — 5.40. 

 Breeding Range — From Pennsylvania and New Jersey northward. 



The nest, which is either saddled on a branch or placed in a 

 crotch at from seven to twenty-five feet fK)m the ground, is a 

 neat structure of soft plant fibre, fine grass, thin strips of bark, 

 and hair ; some nests are built entirely of grass and strips of bark, 

 with no soft materials. The eggs, which number from 3 to 4, 

 and very rarely 5, are buff or white. Size — .62 x .50. 



These, the smallest of our flycatchers, are found in abundance 

 throughout their range, though their distribution is somewhat 

 local. Apple orchards seem to be their favourite nesting places. 

 I have found no less than four of these nests in one small orchard 

 containing not more than thirty trees. 



The breeding season begins in central New Jersey about the 

 second week in May. 



751. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Polioptila coerulea (Linn.) 



Adult 3 — Upper parts bluish gray, a black band on the forehead ; 

 tail, middle feathers black, outer one white, the interme- 

 diate feathers shading from dark to light gray. 



Adult 9 — Lacks the black on the forehead, but is otherwise 

 similar. Length — 4.50. 



Breeding Range — From the Southern States northward, on the 

 coast, to Connecticut; of accidental occurrence in Maine, and 

 inland to the Great Lakes. 



The nest is a delicately built cup-like Structure, about one 

 and a half inches deep inside, and is composed of leaf stems, 

 plant fibre, hair, grass, and thin strips of bark. The lining is of 

 woolly plant substances, and the outside is usually decorated 

 with small pieces of lichen. It is placed either in a crotch or 

 saddled on a branch at from ten to fifty feet from the ground ; 

 fifteen or twenty feet is the usual height. "The eggs, 4 or 5 in 

 number, are very pale green or blue, with numerous specks and 

 spots of chestnut and brown. Size — .57 x .45. 



The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is an energetic, busy little fel- 

 low who lives in the woods, usually preferring those that are 

 somewhat damp. He commences building during the month 



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