May 7, 1944 - Mtn. Home Reservoir (continued): developing rapidly: Wing quills on primaries and secondaries 1/2" long. Tail quills 1/8". Also some coming out on crown of head, nape of neck, chest,/etc. Eyes open. Ear openings developed. all the way down mid-dorsal back line. Scapulars and pectorals, too. Nest 2: 8 young this time. May 8, 1944 - Mtn. Home, Idaho - high ovc. Cs and AS. Female stayed on nest longer this time and then never went more than 10 feet from me while I was near the nest. Robins nest has 2 eggs and 2 hatched (evidently yesterday). Length 2 1/2", head and bill 1". Black eyeballs large and visible through the skin. Eye lids yellow and developed. Eyes closed. Skin is pink, or flesh-colored, covered by a white or gray down 1/4-1/2" long (very shaggy). It is on wings, head, back, and chest. May 10, 1944 - Mtn. Home 4 p.m. The female stayed about 10 feet from me all the time I was at the nest and never over 15 feet high. She followed me all the way from the nest to 500-600' away. "Keeking" at me constantly; Finally she left me and went directly back to the nest. Evidently eggs will hatch in a very few days. May 11, 1944 - 730 to 830 p.m. Cromwell's yard and orchard Ns and Cb brkn. The robins nest had two eggs and two enlarged young. Bodies about 1 1/2" and head & neck 1 1/4" long. A black color is developing down the middle of the back, and on the scapula and wings. They seem to have the same amount of fuzz. Female stayed on nest during very heavy rain showers, thunder, and lightning, from the Cb and Ns clouds. Showers drenched her for at least a half hour, as the nest is in the open. A purple finch began singing loudly just at the moment when the rain from the storm cloud stopped. All birds were quiet during the storm, but were all singing a few minutes later. Mourning Doves, 2 pair, in the orchard. Found only one nest about 12 feet high in an apple tree. It is of twigs, and has a grass stem lining. It is shallow, the cup being about 1" deep and 3" in diameter. It is poorly constructed, a person being able to see through it quite easily. 2 eggs in the nest, a creamy white color, and 3/4" x 7/8"-1" in size. Both ends rounded equally, but one end seems to have something dark, inside. The surface of the egg reminds me of a "china egg" used under setting hens. The doves did not return to the nest when the rain began. Western Kingbirds, a pair of them, perched together on a telephone wire. Off &_ on they would both leave the wire, and utter a lot of courting notes, fly around each other and go back to the wire. One bird would drop from the wire and do a graceful "swan dive" to near the ground and then fly back to the wire. Chest was grayish. Belly, under tail, and up on top of rump yellow. Blackish tail with white outer-tail feathers. Turkey Vulture - seen soaring overhead just ahead of the storm. Brewer Blackbird nests: #1 - 3 eggs. They are a pale or washed out grayish-green marked and splotched with purple, lavender, or brown. Eggs are 1/2" x 3/4" in size. Nest in apple tree, 15 feet from_ the ground. It is made of fine twigs and is lined with quite long horsehair (up to 3" long). The nest cup is 3" deep and 3 1/2" in diameter. #2. In apple tree, 10' from ground; 3 eggs, color was nearly solid brown. Same dimensions as above. Horsehair lined. #3. In apple tree, 12' high, 5 eggs, color in between those of nest 1 & 2. Same dimensions as above. Horsehair lined. #4. Nest in apple, 7' above ground, 3 eggs, ditto, ditto. #5. In apple, 6 1/2 feet above ground, 5 eggs very pale green, and with very little spotting. Same dimensions, and horse-hair lined. #6. In apple, 11' above ground 4 eggs, 2 mostly brown, and two mostly gray-green. #7. In apple 12' above ground. 1 egg, mostly gray-green, but with concentration of brown at the blunt end. #8. In apple at 6'. 5 eggs, very little brown spotting. The Brewer blackbirds_ returned to the nests as soon as it started to rain.