April 23, 1944 - 6 p.m. very high winds. Mtn. Home, Ida. Observed W. Red-tailed Hawks and Cooper's Hawk flying low along the tree tops to avoid the wind, they were heading against the wind, not with it. April 24, 1944 - 9 a.m. Mtn. Home AAB, Observed Horned Larks and Mourning Doves. April 24, 1944 - 530 p.m. Area II, south of Mtn. Home. Had rain showers most of day. Joan and I approached to within 8 feet of the Marsh hawks nest, at which point the female (dark) hawk exploded from the nest site and went away. The nest had been completed since last observed on April 21. The nest cup was grass lined. About 1" deep and 7-8" in dimeter. Quite neat. There was one egg in the nest. (took picture). Egg was white, and bluntly oval. 1 1/4"-1 1/2" x 2" in size. April 25, 1944 - 8 a.m. to Summit of Bennett Mtn. NW wind clear to scattered Cu and high scattered Ci and Cs. Mtn. Home: W. Meadowlark. Nevada Redwing, House Finch, Brewers Blackbird Engl. Sparrow. Flicker * 4 Violet-green Swallows Chipping Sparrow Foot of Bennett Mtn. to the summit and back down 5-8000'. Crow, Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Audubon Warblers Black-bill Magpies Swainson Hawk Sparrow Hawk Cooper Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Golden Eagles chasing around. Saw a Clarke's Nutcracker carrying nesting material to a tree on the NW side of of the mountain (elev. about 65-7000'). We couldn't follow because of the depth of the snow and 60° slope and 6'depth of the snow. Trees in that area were firs. Alaska Three-toed Woodpeckers - a very noisy pair trying to sing - flew from a c lump of firs as we approached. Saw quite a few hawks today. Soaring over the mountain. Lots of ground squirrels in the sage areas. Also saw one Badger drinking from a creek in a small meadow. April 26, 1944 - 2 p.m. Area 2 south of town. Today the marsh hawk nest had 2 eggs in it. (took picture). April 27, 1944 - Mtn. Home Reservoir - 1030 a.m. to 2 p.m. As-Ac ovc, Cu Scattered. E 15 mph Warm and sultry. Found 30" long gopher Snake (Bituophis catenifer sp.) on gravel road. Seemed more heavily blotched than in Western Oregon. Black-billed Magpies Nestings: Nest L: 2 eggs and 4 newly hatched young. They are naked and the skin is brilliant orange. They had skin over eyes, etc. but was discolored bluish there, where eye colors showed through. Blind. Bill is quite soft 1/2" to 3/8" long. Legs and wings rounded and undeveloped. They move bodies a little big. Head about 3/4" long. Body 1 1/2" long. No egg shells in nest. The female stayed on till I started to look in the nest. Nest 2: 8 eggs. Female stayed on nest till we were 5' feet away. Evidently they will hatch in a day or so. Nest A: 6 eggs. Eggs seem to get darker and richer green as hatching approaches. Nest B: 0 eggs - Rootlet nest lining torn up. Nest C: 7 eggs: Nest D: 4 eggs, 2 on end. Cup quite deep. Nest E: 5 eggs Nest F: Completed and lined with rootlets. Marsh Hawks Crow House Finch Brewer Blackbird, Short-eared Owl W. Meadowlarks Raven Goldfinch W. Robin ? Merganser. Killdeer, and we saw one pair that seemed to have a nest, but we searched and searched, but could not locate it.. W. Red-tailed Hawk. Horned Larks It seems that quite a few waterfowl are on the move. There were lots of Mallards Baldpates and Pintails. Quite a few Green-winged Teal, one bunch of 23 Coots, lots of brilliant male Shovellers, and some females. All the females were seen paired with males. Most of the males were alone,"natcherly". 27 Ring-billed Gull Gulls were at the edge of the reservoir and flying high over it.