Page:Bird-lore Vol 05.djvu/68

 Nesting of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet 53

From the song I at once recognized a tiny bird which I had heard singing high in a live-oak last winter near Santa Barbara. How please ant to ﬁnd him again in his chosen home!

He was soon joined by his little mate. colored exactly like himself, but lacking the flaming crown»ornament. and much quieter in her ways. Often I saw them with insects. and thought they would surely carry them to the nest, but I had long to wait before they quite overcame their timidiry. Finally they both ﬂirted to a tree from which a branch covered with thick twigs and tuits of pine needles hung down within about ten feet of the ground. somewhat in the form of a basket. The female stayed there a long time. with a big moth in her beak. This. however, did not at all interfere with her articulation. for she continued to call “Help! help!" and “artittupl ar tittup!" as well as if her mouth was empty. Finally she made a quick and noiseless dive into the hanging basket. and slipped away without the moth.

There was the nest, well hidden among the twigs. which made the greater part of the framework. Among these were loosely stuffed and woven a great mass of green moss and dried grasses and seeds. The outside dimensions were six by ﬁve inches. It could hardly be called pensile. as it depended so much for support on the twigs. When taken down after the little ones had no further use for it, it proved to be warmly lined with a pint or more of feathers of all sorts, Among these I recognized many of the Red’shafted Flicker. Hlackbirtls. Grouse. Purple Finch and Blue .lays. I was glad to see that they had some trophies of their enemy, for never a morning passed that the brave little father did not have to attack and drive away one of these marauders.in0t from the immediate neighborhood of the nest, for he was never allowed to get near it. but from the very edge of the glade. This tiny bird eﬁectually policed the whole bird city, and must have saved the other birds much trouble, Surely he proved his right to the name of Kinglet.

The spring was very late this year. Snow fell on the ﬁrst of June, so it was not surprising that the young were only just hatched on July I3. Day by day I watched the busy little parents, till they grew quite familiar. though they were always anxious if I came nearer than within ten yards of the nest tree. They were busy every tninute feeding with tiny ﬂies. moths and small green caterpillars their numerous brood, I never succeeded in counting them, for the nest was quite inaccessible. but when I saw them. on July 21. dispersed among the pine saplings. 1 did not wonder at the father's song, “Too many, too many. too manyl" Now that his brood had escaped the prowling Jay and chip- munk, and had safely slipped out of their frail nest and divided the risk. since all his eggs were no longer in one basket. the little man seemed somewhat less anxious. He was less inclined to ﬁght with all the world. and carried his responsibilities somewhat more lightly. He still came close