Mar., 1911 NESTING OF THE CALIFORNIA CUCKOO IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY 
7.1 
about twelve feet from the ground. The contents were remarkable; one newly 
hatched young, one pipped egg, one fresh egg and one infertile egg. What seems 
strange to me is that in both of these cases the second set was larger than the first. 
We took two photos of this nest. I visited it again on August 7, but the young 
had left. Nearby I found another nest containing one fresh egg, which I believe 
was a third set from that pair of birds. I also found another nest near nest num- 
ber one which contained three young and one pipped egg, and was undoubtedly 
also a third set. I returned again on August 14, but found the nest empty. It 
was just one week but the young had left. I hunted around the nest and found 
one of them, very likely the youngest. He was half the size of the old birds, 
his tail being very short. I took three photos of him. 
The largest number of eggs I have found in a nest is five, and this only once. 
Three is about the average number though sets of tw’o and four are not uncommon. 
After the breeding season the Cuckoos spread out through the river bottoms 
and orchards. At this time the note is very subdued, and nothing like the loud 
call, as heard on the breeding grounds. The birds keep mostly in the tops of the 
trees and are very likely to be overlooked. 
They leave for their winter home in September, the latest seen being one ob- 
served in an orange orchard in Vineland, September 22, 1904. The earliest spring 
record I have is one seen in the willows along the San Gabriel River at Pico, on 
May 5, 1907. Although shy birds they do not .seem to object particularly to civiP 
ization and may be found nesting within a few hundred feet of a ranchhouse 
or barnyaid. 
AN APRIL DAY LIST OF CALAVIvRAS VALLEY BIRDS 
By HENRY \V. CARRIGER and MlLToN .S. RAY 
T he wTiters made the trip to Calaveras Valley, Santa Clara County, Califor- 
nia, on April ,1 of the present year, 1910, primarily for the purpose of visit- 
ing what we had been told were extensive breeding colonies of Yellow-billed 
Magpie. In this, however, we were disappointed. We left Milpitas at half-past 
three in the afternoon, and after a walk of about twelve miles we reached the 
northern end of the valley where we spent the night. The next day, after cover- 
ing a wide area in and around the valley, we returned to Milpitas. 
Calaveras Valley presents the usual California foothill country, with oak as 
the principal timber. Some of the canyons were quite heavily wooded. We 
found bird life abundant and, as the accompanying list will show, varied as w^ell. 
Only five birds were found nesting, as the date was early, and these were as follows: 
Western Red-tailed Hawk, freshly built nests, and eggs well advanced in incuba- 
tion; Yellow-billed Magpie, only a single occupied nest found, and w^e did not 
climb to it; Coast and California Jays, newly built nests of both noted; and Bush- 
tit, fresh eggs found. 
1. AEgialitis vociferus. Killdeer. 
2. Lophortyx c. calif or nicus. California Quail. 
3. Zenaidura m. carolinensis. Mourning Dove. 
4. Cathartes a. septentrionalis. Turkey Vulture. 
5. Buteo b. calurus. We.stern Red-tailed Hawk. 
6. Falco s. sparverius. Sparrow Hawk. 
7. Otus a. bendirei. California Screech Owl. 
