THE CONDOR ([® WN 131921 * 
A Bi-Monthly Magazine of 
Western Ornithology 
Volume XXIII May-June, 1921 Number 3 
[Issued June 3, 1921] 
NOTES ON THE NESTING. OF THE YOSEMITE FOX SPARROW, 
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD AND WESTERN WOOD PEWEE 
AT LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA _ 
By JOHN W. MAILLIARD 
WITH ONE PHOTO 
N company with my daughter-in-law, Mrs. John W. Maiiliard, Jr., whose apti- 
tude for observation and persevering interest in the work enabled me to se- 
cure many of my notes, daily field trips were undertaken at Lake Tahoe in 
1920 from May 29 until July 13, the area thus covered being that portion of the 
lake front extending from Blackwood Creek on the south to the meadows of Bur- 
ton Creek on the north, and the immediate back country thereof. Our first de- 
sire was to observe the nesting habits of the Yosemite Fox Sparrow, which was 
much in evidence in that neighborhood. Partial success in this soon led us to 
make similar observations upon the ever-present, teasing little Calliope Hum- 
mingbird, and while at first these were unavailing, success finally rewarded our 
fast ebbing patience. 
YOSEMITE FOX SPARROW 
This bird (Passerella thaca mariposac), as already intimated, was found in 
gsreat abundance in all suitable localities. The expression ‘‘suitable’’ is to be 
taken in a very broad sense in this instance, as the bird was by no means con- 
‘fined to the ceanothus association, but was also quite abundant in willow and 
aspen, at least in the Burton Creek meadows. Apparently the ground is as at- 
tractive to this species for nesting purposes as are more elevated sites, and in 
either case no general rule seems tenable. Of the fourteen nests which came 
under our observation six were on the ground, but in such variety of detail that 
short descriptions of them seem excusable. 
Two of the nests of the Yosemite Fox Sparrow were placed at the foot of 
fairly well isolated Douglas fir seedlings two and three feet high, respectively, 
one of which was within stone’s throw of occupied human habitations on the one 
side and of a much used highway on the other. Another nest was well concealed 
under an almost impenetrable thicket of chinquapin and some feet from its edge. 
One was under the leaning main limb and near the center of a spreading golden- 
cup oak, near an unoccupied bungalow. Another was under a small, isolated 
ceanothus bush, but a few feet from a large boathouse in which work was being 
accomplished almost daily, while still another was in an aspen grove, under @ 
piece of lodged bark. 
