Mar., 1912 
A WEEK AFIELD IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA 
thus latirostris) . iMales were quite inimerou.s l)ut I saw only one female, .\rizona 
Hooded Orioles {Icfcnts cuciillatiis iiclsoiii) were nesting- in large numbers. I 
also found a nest full of young Arizona W'oodpeckers { Dryobatcs arizoiuic) old 
enough to leave the ne.st when 1 climbed u]). The ne.st was forty feet up in a dead 
branch of a small cottonwood. The parents were gathering food from the giant 
cactus with which the sides of the canyon were thickly studded. 
As soon as it began to grow dark, the whimpering calls of Elf Owls {Micro- 
pallas wliitncyi) came from 
every side- Two alighted in a 
mesquite, almost within reach 
of our hands as we lay beneath 
it. They were not in the least 
afraid of us though we talked 
and moved quite freely. From 
high up on the canyon’s rim 
came the “whoo-whoo” of a 
Western Horned Owl, anrl we 
could see it silhouetted again.st 
the sky as it flew from one rock 
to another. The owls all ceased 
calling shortly after it became 
real dark, and the canyon was 
in utter silence. The cessation 
of the calling was so abrupt that 
we could almost feel the silence. 
While getting breakfast the 
next morning I heard a 
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher (Poli- 
optila phirnbea) calling, and 
after a few minutes search 
found its partially completed 
ne.st in a small palo verde. The 
nest was about three feet from 
the ground. Both birds were 
present but the female only was 
building. 
We spent the balance of the 
morning looking for Broad- 
billed Plummers’ nests but were 
unsuccessful. One female was 
seen but was too swift and shy 
for us to locate her nest. 
Judging from her actions she 
had one near by, as she 
resented the intrusion of a Black Idioebe (Sayoniis nigricans ) and actually drove 
it away. Several pairs of \ erdins ( Aunpanis fhn'iceps) were building in l)ushes 
along the sides of the canyon, and two male Arizona Cardinals { Cardinalis c. 
sitpcrbns) scolded us, but we could not locate their nests nor see the females. A 
Fig. 14. CUTTING* INTO TIIK NPIST HOLE OK .V 
GIL.^ WOODPECKER. THE LEFT H.\ND RR.\NCII 
HELD AN ELK OWL’S NEST 
pair of Ravens {Corvns corax sinuatns) were seen feeding their young in a nest 
placed in a small cave near the top of a low cliff. Xests of Arizona Hooded 
