Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

Author: Grinnell - 1925 Location: San Diego, California Date: March 3, 1925 Page Number: 2451

[last spec. #6258]

2 p.m., at the Natural History Museum, in Balboa Park. Here in the interests of launching an MVZ "expedition" into Lower California. Left Berkeley on "Owl" Friday night (Feb. 27). Spent Saturday at the Los Angeles Museum, Exposition Park, and Saturday night with Lee Chambers. Came to San Diego, Sunday forenoon; and since then have been meeting various people; and especially, waiting to see Jose Maria Gallegos, the Mexican official who is supposed to be mainly influential in the granting of permits for an entry into Lower California. But, Sr. Gallegos hasn't returned to the Hotel Brewster (his headquarters here) from a trip he and Laurence Huey undertook two weeks ago down to the vicinity of San Quentin. They went under the auspices of the Museum here to collect some mammals and were supposed to be be back Sunday. But delays on the order of the day, seemingly, in this life-zone! Also it is said that a fellow-Mexican is on Gallegos trail with a knife, by reason of an alleged unpaid debt of $800.00 - settled by a Mexican judge, but not settled in the eyes of the creditor! So - I wait, and MVZ party (Borell in Berkeley and Lamb in Los Angeles) waits. Poco tiempo! I have met several fine people here: Mr. L. M. Klauber, an engineer, and his friend H. R. Peckham, both informative and ready to help

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section Date: June 11, 1925 Page Number: 2458

Left Berkeley in the Ford with the "family" (Hilda, Molly and Dick) at 5 a.m., reaching Red Bluff at 4 p.m. on the highway near Gerber, Tehama Co. (and within our "section") saw a smashed Boyle King Snake (Lampropeltis boylii). At several of the culverts beneath the highway (Corning to Red Bluff) were Barn Swallows, a pair flying about each culvert. Even when these were only about 2 1/2 feet in height of space beneath, the swallows appeared to be nesting within. Continued on from Red Bluff east to Dale's, where we had supper. Out of Red Bluff about 4 miles, just on to the lava country, saw a Raven in flight overhead from direction of Tuscan Buttes. At Dale's we were impressed with the abundance of birds, just as last May. I saw, among others: Western Yellowthroat; Long-tailed Chat (a remarkable mimic - for instance, one gave the "pe-ark" of a Pacific nighthawk perfectly, so that I peered aloft for the author until the chat above my head in an oak whistled); Willow Goldfinch (several, males nearly fully yellow); Killdeer (nearly fullgrown young in vegetable garden, tufts of down on ends of tailfeathers showing plainly); etc. Citellus douglasi seem more numerous along the road than last year. Saw an Gray Squirrel near the creek about a mile below Dale's, near where Willard shot the one last winter.

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section Date: June 12, 1925 Page Number: 2460

slopes of Inskip Hill); Calif. Woodpecker; Nuttall Woodpecker; Calif. Purple Finch (very common and in full song here in the black oaks); Linnet (equally common and in full song); Western Tanager (one in full song, as I write); Cassins Vireo and Western Warbling Vireo (equally in evidence); Wood Pewee (common); Ash-Throated Flycatcher ( "buckaroo" song heard early in the morning from slopes of Inskip Hill; Black-Throated Gray Warbler (several singing males); Lutescent Warbler (one singing male) Western Lark Sparrow (several); Western Chipping sparrow (common and singing); Green-backed Goldfinch (singing birds almost continually within hearing); Wren-tit (heard song from bushy slopes of Inskip Hill; Valley Quail (sentinel call of male in distance); Plain Tit (one pair, in black oaks); Slender-billed Nuthatch (very common); Bullock Oriole (one heard); Morning Dove (several have flown past); The "stream" right here is now dry - all the water taken out for the ranches around Payne Creek P.O. But down below here a few rods a narrow canyon begins, cut down thru the lava cap, and there, there are potholes with water, the source, apparently, for the birds of these woods. Along the ravine are luxurious golden oaks, densely blooming syringia (Philadelphus), ash trees, etc. Up in the rocky walls are bushes of Cercis and Rhus Trilobata.

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: Lassen Section (Mineral) Date: June 14, 1925 Page Number: 2463

Both yesterday and today a pair of Evening Grosbeaks have been seen; not on the ground yet, but in flight well up between the fir tops, calling loudly as they go. Saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk, female, in flight thru the lodge-pole pines adjacent to the nearest willow-bog. Dixon and I both have looked thru the thick-topped trees in the vicinity, to no avail so far. Several Siskins are about, mostly in flight, above. There is an abundance of small flycatchers about, foraging and singing up high in yellow pines and firs, but going down into the ceanothus bush, too. Have found two nests, one building and one with one fresh egg (yesterday) and bird sitting. Whether these are Wright or Hammond Flycatchers will depend definitely on shooting; and I will shoot no birds hereabouts, save any (?) taken with nests. Hear one Olive-sided Flycatcher from top of huge yellow pine on hill. Wood Pewees are fairly common. Modoc Hairy Woodpeckers are commonest, adults only, about, foraging industriously on fallen rotting lodge-pole and yellow pine. Have seen one male White-headed Woodpecker, and have heard a Pileated Woodpecker; abundance of the work of the latter on dead firs down clean to the ground. Last night I heard a Pacific Nighthawk; curiously this species is far less abundant here than down around Inskip Hill where the life-

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: San Jose, 2500 ft., Lat. 31 degrees Date: Oct. 17 Page Number: 2594

6536 Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher (female sign) ad. 6.3g. Shot in low leafless bush. 6537 Bewick Wren (male sign) ad. 8.4.g. 6538 Rufous-crowned Sparrow (male sign)(?) im. 18.0g. Shot in bush at bottom of Live-oak canyon. 6539 Bell Sparrow (male sign) ad. 16.2g. Shot in low leafless brush. 6540 Intermediate Sparrow (male sign) ad. 25.7. Shot in low leafless brush. 6541 Calif. Jay (female sign) ad. 67.5g. Shot in live-oak. 6542 “ “ (male sign) im. 81.4 g. Shot at tip-top of sycamore.

Oct. 18 6543 Ruby-crown Kinglet (female sign) ad. 5.9g. Shot from willow. 6544 Hutton's Vireo (female sign) ad. 11.2g. } Pair “ “ “ 6545 “ “ (male sign) ad. 9.7 g. } Pair “ “ “ 6546 Rock Wren (female sign) im. 13.8g. Shot from lower ledge of rock outcrop. 6547 Bewick Wren (female sign) ad. 9.2g. Shot from prunus subcordata bush. 6548 “ “ (male sign) im. 9.5g. Shot from sage-bush. 6549 Dwarf Hermit Thrush (male sign) ad. 23.0g. Shot in willow.

The barometer tonight (7 p.m.) reads 27.15 in.; it is warm and the sky is partly overcast, cirrous.

Hunted for two hours this morning, 7:30-9:30, down along hillsides below the ranch and then into the willows. The feature of the day was the taking of a pair of Hutton's Vireo, in willows. I found them when scrutinizing a peripatetic band of Bush-tits for possible camp followers. The two were closely attentive to one another, keeping within a maximum distance of 8 feet of one another. They were absolutely quiet and might easily have been passed up for Kinglets.