1925: Joseph Grinnell's field notes

Author: Grinnell-1925 Location: Lassen Section (Brokeoff Mt.) Date: June 17, 1925 Page Number: 2475

made her startling appearance, running about on the ground, fanning her tail, and yelling and clucking, a male up the hillside high in some tree, began to "boont", and he's kept it up ever since. Later - the hen still clucks up in her tree, and the male "boonts" but offers his succor. We've looked and looked, but no chick can we find; they are all "(unknown2)" and lying low. 4:50 p.m. - Just had another encounter with a female Sierra Grouse. This time she was only about 12 feet from us, before we saw her, squatting in the middle of the trail. She was flattened out, brooding; and she kept her pose for fully a minute eyeing us intently. Then she abruptly sprung up in flight, immediately dropped to the ground farther along the trail, and pushed herself, breast to ground and wings quivering, around the corner out of sight, meanwhile giving only a low clucking. As she first sprung from the trail, she literally knocked the young from her; that is, they were scattered out over a couple of square feet; but each instantly froze, and stayed immobile. From where we stand we could count five, but later when they ran, seven showed up: even tho on bare open ground two had escaped our scrutiny. Meanwhile, the old bird circled back thru the brush to one side of the trail, and at at an apparent signal from her (she was giving various low notes) all the youngsters with one accord up and ran into the brush in her direction. I was able to secure one before all had vanished. Immediately the old bird flew to a distance and lit in a

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral Date: June 17 Page Number: 2476

tree up from the ground 60 feet or more. Nothing more was heard from her. As in the other case, I could hear the muffled "pumping" of a mile in the distance, probably nearer than it sounded.

We got back to camp at 6pm.

June 18

8:15 a.m -- Wright Flycatcher's nest, the one found four days ago and which Dixon has been photographing. The 3rd and 4th eggs were laid on successive lays, so probably an "egg a day"; the 4th egg was laid within a few minutes of 10:45 a.m.; the bird was apparently sitting continuously from at least the time when the 2nd egg was deposited. Nest in nearly upright clump of stems and twigs of Ceanothus cordulatus; rim of nest 950 mm. above ground; tallest sprigs of ceanothus 490 mm. directly above rim. Nest site in middle of rather open clump about 15 feet across, part of a general growth of this chaparral on a gently south-facing hill-slope; 4 big yellow pines and a white fir within a 100-foot radius. Nest itself rather easily seen from head-height in most directions. Male "sings" high in nearby yellow pines. Female always leaves by ducking down and off thru the chaparral on side away from intruder, not heretofore reappearing. Female shot, and nest and eggs (1/4) taken. Eggs show no incubation.

One old male California Purple Finch flew down onto the ground in camp this morning at 7; possibly some of my "Cassins Purple Finches" have been "California's". Yet the songs are appreciably different.

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 18, 1925 Page Number: 2477

9:50 am -- Tolmie Warbler's nest, which Dixon has been photographing, and which Mrs. G & I found 3 days ago, then with four nearly fresh eggs in it. ^^{[But now incubated about 1/4.]} Nest in scraggly, open growth of ceanothus cordulatus, in dry ground, a small yellow pine within 10 feet, but site sunny during the hottest part of the day. Rim 190 mm. above ground surface, nest snugly resting among five dead twigs of the snow birch, with a slanting live stem of same 80 mm. overhead. No single twig directly supporting nest, but compact structure of latter enables it to rest securely among the fine twiggery aforementioned. Female rather shy; sneaks off along ground and keeps quiet and out of sight. Male not noted in vicinity. Nest & eggs taken (1/4). 6259 Sierra Grouse (male) nat. 13.8g. ^^{Iris hazel; toes and unfeathered portions of tarsi, dull yellow; iris hazel.} Taken yesterday (see p. 2475). 6260 Wright Flycatcher (female) 12.2g. With set 1/4 (see p. 2476). Breast glandular. 6261 Gerrhonotus found ^^{on the 16th} squirming along among stems under ceanothus near mom; Dixon has had it for photographing. 5:10 p.m. -- Fox Sparrow's nest with 3 fresh eggs -- complete set because same number on 16th when I first found it. Nest not on ground but up in ceanothus integerrimus ^cordulatus bush, in large tract of same; rim 490 mm. above ground; two slanting green ceanothus stems partly shaded it from above, and a small dead pine stem stood up thru the tangle 10 inches away. Even though the outer portion of the nest is of very loose construction it was well supported by the close tangle of ceanothus twiggery

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 18 Page Number: 2478

between the nest and the ground. Dixon has tried to get photos of the bird in the nest, but she was too shy for good results, tho frequently came upon sitting. The seeming freshness of the eggs may have meant that they had chilled and failed to start incubation. Nest and set 1/3 taken, but bird not shot. Will see if a second nest be not built shortly, as the site (?) is within 100 yards of camp.

June 19 8:00am - Yellow Warbler's nest, rim 1280 mm. above ground, in nearly upright tree for three-forking stem of ceanothus cordulatus, in sea of same plant on north facing dry slope, with firs and pines nearby -- not a willow in sight! Nest rather conspicuous, near top of tallest spray of ceanothus in vicinity, 450 mm. from upper most leafage directly above. Four eggs, that look far-incubated; not taken. Female going thru brush all about us, tripping anxiously. Male has been seen singing daily all about the vicinity, often from pines and small firs! Just now both (male) and (female) are low in brush within ten feet of me.

9:10am -- Fox Sparrow's nest: two half-fledged young left it as I looked in and still 6 feet away. They were tolled out by the frantic actions and voicings of the two parents, which flopped along the ground under and thru the bushes, giving their "klinks" in rapid succession. Other, sympathetic fox sparrows have also arrived. The rim of the nest is 530 mm. above the ground,

Collector: Grinnell-1925 Location: Mineral, 4800 ft. Date: June 19 Page Number: 2479

and the structure is ensconced in a tangle of dead twiggery in part supported by slanting ceanothus cordulatus stems - in a thicket of same - well shaded by green leafage above.

9:30 a.m. - Just followed a Ruby-crowned Kinglet's "yerruping," and found a pair upon the summit of a fir assaulting vigorously a Blue-fronted Jay. Nearby, a (female) Western Tanager was flying about and at another jay in the top of a fir. One of the Blue-fronted Jays seen plainly was a full-grown young-of-the-year.

10: a.m. - Mrs. G. just found a Yellow Warbler's nest, 8 feet up, saddled on crossing stems in midst of willow thicket on meadow - perfectly typical site and construction for the species. Contents, 2 fresh eggs.

10:45 a.m. - Across the highway from camp, on a portion of Battle Creek Meadows that has had no cattle on it yet this year; grass and flowers a foot high; blue camas abundant in places; here and there clumps of willow; and many lodgepole pines, singly now and then, or in tracts. Birds I hear are: Western Meadowlark, two in full song; Robin, 2 or more in song; Lazuli Bunting, 2 singing; Warbling Vireo (one singing); Audubon Warbler (a (female) close by in a l-p pine); Calif. Purple Finch (one singing); Junco (one singing); Traill Flycatcher (pair close to me, and Mrs. G has seen one carrying a billfull of something into the midst of a willow thicket and in investigating); Lincoln Sparrow (a singing male centers within 3 acres about us).