152 



THE CONDOR 



Vol. XIX 



state the results of the trip. Sheldon arrived in camp on March 2, and broke 

 camp for return to Denver March 25, devoting his time in the interim exclu- 

 sively to this subject, making copious daily notes of observations, including 

 other birds seen, and covered the same and vastly more territory than last year. 

 He saw but very few nutcrackers, some days none. Saw at different times 



two mountain lions and num- 

 bers of deer ; also two par- 

 tial carcasses of deer killed 

 by mountain lions. 



He records finding fif- 

 teen last year's nests, but 

 could find practically no 

 pinyon nuts, the chief food 

 of old and young while nest- 

 ing, evidencing no nut crop 

 during the previous year, a 

 condition to which we 

 ascribe the scarcity of nest 

 ing birds this season. The 

 following are extracts from 

 his notes : 



"March 9th. Found 

 paunch, bones and other re- 

 mains of deer freshly killed 

 by mountain lion, an ac- 

 count of the killing being 

 plainly told in the snow. 

 Clarke Crows feeding on re- 

 mains of deer. Two deer 

 seen and tracks abundant. 

 Saw Pinyon Jays and Clarke 

 Crows making a big fuss 

 over something, and on in- 

 vestigation found it to be a 

 Great Horned Owl perched 

 in a pinyon, which refused 

 to move at my coming upon 

 the scene. Clouding up and 

 wind fierce. Beaver work- 

 ing on the creek, an unusual 

 occurrence. 



"March 13th. Weather 

 clear and first sign of 

 spring. Saw first Mountain 

 Bluebird. Found freshly made Crow's nest. While at the nest the bird came 

 in with her beak full of fibres of bark, but upon seeing me she flew away. I 

 retreated from close vicinity and watched from a distance through glasses. 

 Both birds brought in material, and, I think, finished the nest, as this perform- 

 ance ceased after two trips were made. 



"March 14th. New nest found yesterday contained one egg; bird on 



Fig. 51. Young Clarke Nutcrackers in 

 nest. One or more frequently flut- 

 tered OUT OF THE NEST WHILE THE PHOTO- 

 GRAPH WAS BEING TAKEN. 



