May 28, 1944 - Mtn. Home, Reservoir, Idaho - The shrike nest now has 7 eggs in it, arranged thus: (took picture) If not previously noted, the next is lined with string, wool, and thistle. There was no bird on the nest. Temperature of the air was probably 85-90 degrees today. Did see one adult close b). Black-billed Magpies. The magpie area was alive with magpies, most of the young having 1 ft the nest. The young were easy to catch, as they were ignorant of fear, and they couldn't fly very far. I caught several and released them. Nest data follows: Nest 1: Empty, all birds being gone. Nest 2: Empty, all birds being gone. Nest A: 6 young in the nest, on its edge, and in the same bush as the nest. All ready to leave. Nest B: 0 eggs - still torn up. Nest C: 2 in the nest, 5 outside in the nearby bushes. Nest D: There was one bird in the nest, no eggs in the nest, and no sign of young nearby. Nest E: 3 young (will leave in a week or so), and one egg. Nest F: 7 eggs still in the nest. May 28, 1944, Mtn. Home, Area II, 5 p.m. Tried and tried to locate the short-eared owls nest, but since I left the field had been irrigated and the alfalfa and weeds were over 3 feet high. I did locate the nest site, finally, but there were no eggs, either they were lost in the flood, or else the owl moved the eggs to a new site, which I haven't located yet. The marsh hawk female was on the nest and when she took off, it was at me. She came uncomfortably close all the time I was at the nest. There were 3 eggs, and 3 young in the nest. The young seem to have hatched at intervals as variations in their size was evident. The body of the longest was 3 1/2" in length. Eyes are open. Bill black, mouth pink. natal down covers the entire body and wings. It is a buffy or pinkish cream in color. Two young Mourning doves were in the nest when I flushed the adult from the nest. I took a picture. They were of equal size. Black skin. The cranium part of the head seemed quite enlarged. Large bill for size of the bird. Almost "tube-nosed" in structure. Body was covered thinly with a fine brownish thread or hair-like fuzz about 1/4-3/8" long. Body about 2" llong. Head 3/4" long. May 29, 1944 - Area II, south of Mtn. Home, Idaho. 2 p.m. Today there were 4 young and 2 eggs. The newly hatch was about 1/2 the size of the largest young. It could be they are hatching 2 days apart, as a result of being laid 2 days apart at the beginning. If this is so, the first hatched on May 23, the second on May 25th, and the thrird on May 27, and the 4th definitely on the 29th. It so happens that egg one was laid Apr. 23, egg 2 on Apr. 25, etc., making exactly 30 days from laying to hatching. We'll see. The female was not at the nest, but came soon after I got to the nest. The young were peeping loudly, with mouths open. It was very hot and they may have been dry or thirsty. The male and female were 200 or so yards away when I got to the nest. May 30, 1944 - Area II, south of Mtn. Home, Idaho, 3 p.m. Found Brewer Blackbird nest along edge of road on way to hawk nest. It was in a pile of dead Russian Thistle that had accumulated against a fence. The nest was about two feet off the ground. The nest cavity is 3 1/2" to 4" in diameter and 2 1/2 to 3" deep. The nest is of grass stems and lined with horsehair. There were 5 young. Body and head about 2 1/2" long. The skin on neck and chest is orangish. Gray down on head, back, chest, and wings. Very fine wing quills 3/8" long. Eyes open.