Transcribing the field notes of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

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 16-17, 1925 Page Number: 2470

without loitering at the threshold. But as it emerges, it looks about a moment, before flying away. Usually when leaving, an adult carries a pellet of excrement in its bill, taking it to a distance, beyond my range of sight. At times both old birds are in the nest hole together. The young must be very small, as I can hear no notes from them when being fed. Such food as I can see brought, consists of green caterpillars. Western Chipping Sparrow's nest: rises 65 inches above ground; in small yellow pine, one of a close growing clump of these out in open away from larger trees, bare ground predominating in vicinity, some clumps of ceanothus (snow-bush). Nest very shallow in outside proportions, resting on needles and two 1/2-inch branches and against main 1&1/2-inch stem of pine. One of the branches forming the support comes from an adjacent tree, but in adjoining against the other so as not to move in ordinary breeze. Bird was sitting closely, and there are four eggs, opaque when held towards the sunlight, so far incubated. June 17 Mollie and I left camp at 6:45 for Berkeley Mountain, via the trail to Viola which leaves the vicinity of Mineral on the gently rising ridge just east of Martin Creek. The trail is a good one tho little traveled, not at all yet this year, save by a horseman up as far as the snow allowed,

Collector: Grinnell - 1925 Location: San Jose, 2500 ft., lat. 31 degrees Date: October 18, 1925 Page Number: 2595

at 5:30 (broad daylight) I went up on the hills. Heard a Bell Sparrow give its melodious tinkle; and at least 3 Calif. Thrashers were singing in abbreviated style. At daybreak I heard, in addition to the cries of Killdeer, the “scaipe” of a Wilson Snipe. Tonight at dusk I heard a Screech Owl in the willow-bottom, and heard a Poor-will in the ranch yard.

6550 Sierra Junco (male sign) im. 12.4g. Shot from flock among willows. 6551 Western Chipping Sparrow (male sign) im. 12.4.g. Shot in open ground among small buckwheat bushes. 6552 Nuttall Woodpecker (female sign) 34.0g. Shot from willow trunk. 6553 Calif. Thrasher (male sign) ad. 83.5.g. Shot from rhus laurina bush. 6554 Brown Towhee (female sign) ad. 40.1g. Shot from top of towhee. 6555 “ “ (male sign) ad. 43.6g. Shot from sage-bush.

Oct 19 Put out 22 rat and mouse traps last night on a gently rising open hillside west of the ranch where I had seen dipodomys workings. Took 4 Dipodomys and 2 Periomyscus maniculatus; the latter ((male sign) and (female sign) with 4 embryos) and one of the former ((male sign)), discarded.

6556 Gerrhonotus Total length, 370 mm. Caught in tangle of dead brush under willows in creek bottom. 6557 Dipodomys (male sign) 59.5g. 284 x 167 x 40.5 x 11.5. } Note broadness 6558 “ “ (female sign) 47.5g. 262 x 156 x 39 x 11. } of black markings, narrowness of 6559 “ “ (male sign) 51.5g. 265 x 157 x 40 x 11.5. } white tail-stripe. This forenoon, 7:30 to 12:00, I went horseback 3 miles west of the ranch, up onto the mesa and on to the live-oak ravine where the “arrastre” is.