July, 1917 FROM FIELD AND STUDY 11.3 



old magpie's nest, in the mud cup of which, without any apparent housecleaning or re- 

 pairs (the canopy or top being gone), she had deposited five eggs. These nests were 

 about twenty feet from the ground. — W. C. Bradbury, Denver, Colorado, May 77, 1917. 



Some April Nesting Notes from the Vicinity of Buena Vista Lake, Kern County, 

 California. — A party composed of Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Howard, Mr. H. Sandberg and the 

 writer spent most of April 1 and the forenoon of April 2 in the brushy country bordering 

 Buena Vista Lake. Our time was occupied in search of nests of the various land birds 

 of the locality, the particular objectives being the nests of Sage and Leconte thrashers. 

 On April 1 the first find was a partially constructed nest of the Sage Thrasher (Oreo- 

 scopies montanus), one of the birds being shot after it left the nest. Another nest in 

 about the same stage of construction was found a short time later. At this nest both 

 birds were present. In this same vicinity was found a nest of the Leconte Thrasher 

 (Toxostoma lecontei) containing two newly hatched young and one addled egg. The 

 female was flushed from the nest and the male was observed singing from the top of a 

 bush nearby. 



The afternoon of April 1 was spent in the vicinity of the Maricopa oil fields, near 

 the west end of the lake. Here Mrs. Howard made the first find, a nest of the Leconte 

 Thrasher containing four eggs about half incubated. During the remainder of the after- 

 noon five other nests of this thrasher were found, as follows. By O. W. Howard, two 

 nests containing three and four slightly incubated eggs, respectively; by Mr. Sandberg, 

 one nest containing three young, and by the writer, two nests, one of which contained 

 three nearly grown young and the other two newly hatched young and one addled egg. 

 All these nests were located in atriplex bushes. In the same locality four nests of the 

 Bell Sparrow were noted. Three of these contained slightly incubated eggs and the 

 fourth newly hatched young. Camp was made for the night by the lake shore. 



On the morning of April 2 the only thing of interest noted was a Roadrunner's nest 

 lined with burlap. This nest contained seven slightly incubated eggs. Other nests 

 noted were California Shrike with five eggs and Western Crow with four. Tree Swal- 

 lows were abundant and were nest building generally in the willow timber. — G. Willett, 

 Forrester Id., Alaska. 



Cases of Early Nesting in the State of Washington. — In spite of the exceedingly 

 cold, wet spring of the present year, 1917, it is rather surprising to note that several spe- 

 cies of birds were, if anything, rather earlier than usual in nest building. Together with 

 Mr. J. H. Bowles, of Tacoma, a trip was made on April 17, to a locality about twenty 

 miles south of this city that is noted for its abundance of bird life. 



On nearing the particular spot for which we were bound a pair of Killdeer (Oxy- 

 echus vociferus) came to notice that seemed to be in great distress at our approach. 

 Close examination showed a baby chick about a week old. At a distance of about thirty 

 yards he looked a miniature adult Killdeer, perfect in every respect even to the ring 

 around the neck. A closer view, however, showed it had only the upper ring. Another 

 interesting feature was its very long legs, looking greatly out of proportion to its small 

 size, which were doubled up along the body as it crouched upon the ground. 



Nearing a small lake that was hidden in a mixed growth of oak and Douglas fir 

 we located a nest of the California Creeper (Certhia familiaris occidentalis) that seemed 

 ready for eggs. This later contained seven eggs, a record in point of numbers for this 

 vicinity, if not for its entire range. 



On the other side of this lake a slightly incubated set of three eggs of the Kenni- 

 cott Screech Owl (Otus asio kennicotti) was found in a natural cavity five feet up in a 

 ccttonwood tree. This makes the fourth set of eggs taken from this same pair of birds 

 in the past three years. The hole from which this set was taken was found to contain 

 three eggs two years ago, the second set for that year being found about two hundred 

 yards distant from the first. Last year a set of three was taken from the hole last men- 

 tioned, while this year, as already stated, a set of three was taken from nest number one. 



While skirting the lake and the dense willow swamp at its head, two female Mal- 

 lards (Anas platyrhynchos) were seen, each with a brood of ducklings about a week old. 

 When we consider that it requires a month for ducks' eggs to hatch, the first two weeks 

 in March proves an early date for these birds to lay their eggs. As we were watching 

 the second lot of young Mallards being taken out on dry ground for a sun-bath, a Hooded 

 Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) was flushed from her nest. This was found to con- 

 tain ten eggs, in which incubation was about two-thirds advanced. 



Next, an Audubon Warbler (Dendroica auduooni auduboni) of the female sex was 

 seen gathering material for her nest. When a sufficient load was obtained she flew 

 high up into a giant fir, where we lost sight of her at a height of about one hundred and 

 fifty feet as she was still going upward. — Stanton Warburton, Jr., Tacoma, Washington, 

 May 15, 1911. 



