The California Pine Grosbeak 



a slight index of another 

 season's fortunes. The 

 fact that they do not 

 migrate or retire to lower 

 levels in winter seems to 

 be purely inferential, but 

 there is no reason for 

 their leaving the shelter 

 of the hospitable pines, 

 Pinus contorta, or the 

 still more hospitable al- 

 pine red firs, Abies mag- 

 nified; and these trees, in 

 their prime, mark, 

 rather narrowly, the 

 zone of the birds' actual 

 occurrence. 



The birds are of a 

 decidedly plump, though 

 not ungraceful, appear- 

 ance, and the rich poppy- 

 red plumage of the male 

 makes a bright spot in 

 memory for one who can 

 distinguish it from the 

 duller and otherwise very 

 different appearance of 

 the Cassin Purple Finch. 

 Not all the males are 

 thus brightly arrayed, 

 for they breed in the 

 fulvous-and-gray plum- 

 age of immaturity (?) 

 as well. 



These Grosbeaks 

 move about sedately and do not often attract the attention of casual 

 observers. On the other hand, they are remarkably fearless, or rather, 

 unsophisticated, alighting, as they do at times, within a few feet of the 

 observer. They are little given to sociability with other species, and 

 seem to live rather an independent, semi-lethargic and dream-like ex- 

 istence, where food is abundant and well assured. In common with 

 other pine-cone and browse feeders, they are very fond of salt, and in 



Taken in Eldorado County 



Photo by Oluf J. Heinemann 



PINE GROSBEAK COUNTRY 



PYRAMID PEAK IN THE DISTANCE 



154 



