Page:Condor13(5).djvu/17

 Sept., 1911 FIELD NOTES FROM SOUTH-CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 163 In the belt of low brush surrounding the "soda lake" in the center of the val- ley there were a few California Sage Sparrows breeding, and also a few Brewer Sparrows. I found one nest of the former containing three newly hatched young on May 25. An adult and a full grown juvenal collected here, are unmistakably Amphispiza n. canescerts. Driving westward from Simmler to Santa Margarita we passed quickly into a well wooded and well watered region, with a correspondingly abundant and varied bird life. At the San Juan River we entered groves of large oak trees, harboring such species as the California Woodpecker (MelanerpesF baitall), California Jay ( Aphelocoma cah/brnica) and Bluebird (S/alia ,nexicana occidentalis). Near Poso at the head of the Salinas River, a few Song Sparrows (Melospiza m. santae-crucis) appeared, seen thereafter in suitable places along the road, and, in some numbers, in the vicinity of Santa Margarita. The last Song Sparrow we had seen had been at Bakersfield, where beermann/was abundant. As seen from the car window, suitable country for the species extends westward from that point, with some interruptions, as far as Buttonwillow. From Buttonwillow to Poso is a gap of about fifty ufiles, where, from the almost total absence of water, no song sparrows exist. At Santa Margarita we found more species of birds and a greater number of individuals by far than at any other point visited by the expedition. The varied nature of the surrounding country--willow-bordered stream, brush-covered hills, and the rolling valley, thickly dotted with live oaks--produces a correspondingly varied avifauna, and our list of species observed was a long one, considering the short time spent at this point, May 30 to June 6. The Yellow-billed Magpie (][ca nullall/) xvas abundant in the hills south of town, where adults and young were secured. In the San Joaquin Valley this species had been encountered at just one place during the three months of collect- ing: at a point some ten miles nertheast of Los Banos, Merced County (the San Luis Ranch), where I saw four on March 2t, and again on March 23. I was told that they were abundant in the immediate ?icinity, but the country was flooded at the time, so as to be inaccessible. Other species observed in the immediate vicinity of Santa Margarita, and at what would seem to be a low altitude (998 feet) for them during the breeding season, were the Blue-fronted Jay ((3'auocitla steller[ )'onlal/s), Thurber Junco (Junco oreganus lhurheri), and California Pigmy Owl ((lauct'dl'unt gnoma calt'- fornicum), specimens of the two former being collected. Additional birds seen at this point were Western Martin (Progne sttb[s hesperia), Cliff Swallow, Violet- green Swallow ( 7}tchycineta lhalassina lepida), Slender-billed Nuthatch ( ilta carolinensis aculeata), Hutton Vireo ( Vireo huttoni), Lutescent Warbler ( Vermi- z,ora celata lutescerts), Lawrence Goldfinch (Aslragalinus lawrencei), California Woodpecker, Nuttall Woodpecker (Dryobales nultalli), Willow Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescerts turati), Red-shafted Flicker (('olaptes c. collar/s), Western Bluebird, and Cooper Hawk (Accipiter coopert'). Most of these were seen under such circumstances as indicated without a doubt that they were breeding; considering the time of year it is fair to assume that prac- tically all were.