Page:Condor13(2).djvu/35

 Mar.,1911 NESTING OF THE CALIFORNIA CUCKOO IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY 73 about twelve feet from the ground. The contents were remarkable; one newly hatched young, one pipped egg, one fresh egg and one infertile egg. What seems strange to me is that in both of these cases the second set was larger than the first. We took two photos of this nest. I visited it again on August 7, but the young had left. Nearby I found another nest containing one fresh egg, which I believe was a third set from that pair of birds. I also found another nest near nest num- ber one which contained three young and one pipped egg, and was undoubtedly also a third set. I returned again ou August 14, but found the nest empty. It was just one week but the young had left. I hunted around the nest and found one of them, very likely the youngest. He was half the size of the old birds, his tail being very short. I took three photos of him. The largest number of eggs I have found in a nest is five, and this only once. Three is about the average number though sets of two and four are not uncommon, After the breeding season the Cuckoos spread out through the river bottoms and orchards. At this time the note is very subdued, and nothing like the loud call, as heard on the breeding grounds. The birds keep mostly in the tops of the trees and are very likely to be overlooked. They leave for their winter home iu September, the latest seen being one ob- served in an orange orchard in Vineland, September 22, 1904. The earliest spring record I have is one seen iu the willows along the San Gabriel River at Pico, on May 5, 1907. Although shy birds they do not seem to object particularly to civil- ization and may be found nesting within a few hundred feet of a ranchhouse or barnym d. AN APRIL DAY LIST OF CALAVERAS VALLEY BIRDS By HENRY YV. CARRIGER and MILTN S. RAY HE writers made the trip to Calaveras Valley, Santa Clara County, Califor- nia, ou April 3 of the present year, 1910, primarily for the purpose of visit- ing what we had beeu told were extensive breeding colouies of Yellow-billed Magpie. In this, however, we were disappointed. We left Milpitas at half-past three in the afteruoou, and after a walk of about twelve miles we reached the northern end of the valley where We spent the night. The next day, after cover- ing a wide area iu and around the valley, we returned to Milpitas. Calaveras Valley presents the usual California foothill country, with oak as the principal timber. Some of the canyons were quite heavily wooded. We fciund bird life abundant and, as the accompanying list will show, varied as well. Only five birds were found nesting, as the date was early, and these were as follows: Western Red-tailed Hawk, freshly built nests, and eggs well advanced in incuba- tion; Yellow-billed Magpie, only a single occupied nest found, and we did not elirob to it; Coast and California Jays, newly built nesfs of both noted; and Bush- tit, fresh eggs found. 1. AEgialitis vociferus. Killdeer. 2. Lophortyx c. californicus. California Quail. 3. Zenaidura m. carolinensis. Mourning Dove. 4. Cathartes a. septentrionalis. Turkey Vulture. ,5. Buteo b. calurus. Western Red-tailed Hawk. 6. Falco s. sparverius. Sparrow Hawk. 7. 0tus a. bendirei. California S9re9h Owl.