430 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
been seen during the breeding season even as high as 9,000 feet at Cloudcroft and 
may occasionally nest at that altitude. In the fall it sometimes ranges much higher 
and one was seen August 14, 1903, on Pecos Baldy at 12,000 feet (Bailey). The 
nesting season is greatly extended and eggs have been reported from late March, 
1885, at Silver City (Marsh); [May 6, 1920, at Silver City (Ligon); four eggs June 
9, 1918, at Lake Burford (Wetmore)]; two eggs which hatched July 23,^1905, at 
Photograph by H. W. Nash 
Fig. 75. Nest and Eggs of the Say Phoebe 
A characteristic, big, loosely built Phoebe nest in a pro¬ 
tecting niche of rock, with its full clutch of white eggs 
Agua Fria Spring (Hollister); late April to early May being the usual date for the 
first set of eggs. A queer nesting habit is reported by Anthony. He found the 
species a common breeder in 1886, at Apache, where it arrived in March and nested 
quite early. About June 1, the birds began to leave and none were seen after 
June 16, until they returned in the fall migration on August 30. Apparently they 
had gone to a more northern locality or more likely to a higher altitude for the 
second brood. 
In the fall migration many leave the State in September; [many were seen Sep¬ 
tember 5 and 6, 1917, southwest of Magdalena (Ligon)J; but they were found com¬ 
mon near Koehler Junction, from July 28 to October 1, 1913 (Kalmbach); and those 
seen at Lake Burford October 3, 1904 (Bailey), and at Espanola October 17, 1904 
(Gaut), also probably represent late migrants in the northern part of the State. 
