Nov., 1915 
NESTING OF THE WHITE-TAILED KITE AT SESPE 
231 
On April 25, while scouting around in the same neighborhood, he located 
another nest within two hundred yards of the first and also in an oak tree 
about twenty feet above the ground. This nest contained three small young 
and a heavily incubated egg. Both of these nests were within a short distance 
of the Japanese quarters of the Rancho Sespe. 
On April 27 another visit was made to both nests. Nest no. 1 was all 
right; but on climbing to no. 2, the three young were found to have disap- 
peared, although the egg was left. No trace of the young could be found 
although the old birds were seen later. On May 7 we both made a visit to nest 
no. 1 to take some photographs (see figs. 77, 78). The young had grown con- 
siderably and manifested some uneasiness if we came very close. The nest 
contained a considerable quantity of rabbit fur and the entire body of a field 
mouse. On the morning of May 16 we paid our last visit to the nest. The 
young were nearly ready to leave and one adventurous youngster did essay a 
weak flight into a sumac bush about fifty yards distant, where he was caught 
by a Japanese laborer. After photographing him at close range he was 
returned to the nest tree. 
In the afternoon of this same day my brother found another Kite’s nest, 
partially completed, in the top of a big sycamore three-quarters of a mile east 
of home. One week later this nest contained four beautifully marked eggs. 
This was undoubtedly a second set laid by the birds of nest no. 2. Nests nos. 
Fig. 78. Young White-tailed Kites in the nest; photo- 
graphed May 7, 1915. 
