Page:Condor13(4).djvu/17

 July, 1911 WINTER BIRDS OF THE SALTON SEA REGION 131 21. Porzana carolina. Carolina Rail. One killed in tules at the Alamo River, December 25. 22. Fulica americana. American Coot. One flushed from the tules along the Alamo December 4, was the only one seen. 23. Gallinago delicata. Wilson Snipe. Quite contmon on the nmd flats at the edge of Salton Sea. 24. Pisobia minutilla. Least Sandpiper. Two specimeus taken from a small flock in a grain field at Brawley December 8. No others seen. 25. lreunetes mauri. Western Sandpiper. Quite common along the edge of the sea in small flocks. 26. Totanus melanoleucus. Greater Yellowlegs. Common from December 1 to December 25 in the flooded grain fields. None seen at Salton. 27. Oxyechus vocfferus. Killdeer. Common near water. 28. Lophortyx gambeli. Gambel Quail. Abundant in large flocks eve. ry- where, but very wild. A favorite place was in the mesquite thickets along the Alamo. One adult male taken at Mecca January 14 has no black belly mark, its place being taken by fine black gcales, like the markings on a male Valley Quail, but slightly smeared. 29. Zenaidura macroura carolinensis. Mourning Dove. Fairly common in small flocks at Brawley and Alamoria. None seen at Mecca. 30. Cathartes aura septentr.ionalis. Turkey Vulture. Quite common. A much used roost was a large eucalyptus grove near Brawley. 31. Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. Common about cultivated fields. One adult male at Salton. 32. Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Ote adult male at Brawley, December 25, the only one seen. 33. Accipiter cooperi. Cooper Hawk. Fairly common in the mesquite crowned ravines, along the Alamo. 34. Buteo borealis calurus. Western Redtail. Six individuals noted, five at Brawley and one at Mecca. ., 35. Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. One passed close overhead at Ala- moria December 18. 36. Falco mexicanus. Prairie Falcon. Two seen at Brawley, one chasing a Mourning Dove. At Mecca I had a quail snatched up within ten feet of me by one of these birds. 37. Falco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. Several seen at BrawIcy in the cottonfields. 38. Falco sparverius phaloena. Desert Sparrow Hawk. Rather common at Brawley and Alamoria. Rare at Salton Sea. 39. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. Osprey. One seen on several occasions at Salton Sea where its favorite perch was a partly submerged telegraph pole. 40. Aluco pratincola. Barn Owl. One taken and two others heard. From the number of small rodents they should be abundant abou.t Brawley, but for some reason they are almost entirely absent. 41. Asio fiammeus. Short-cared Owl. Next to the Burrowing Owl, the most common Raptore. They seemed to take the place of the Barn Owl and often four or five would be flushed at once. Usually found in the dryest places. 42. 0tus asio subsp ? A screech owl hooted every night at Brawley, but was too wild to be shot. 43. Bubo virginianus subsp ? Horned owls were flushed from crannies in the sand cliffs on the Alamo on two occasions.