1th, Q 1990 journal 142 Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve, San Lucia, Monterey Co. Calif. Green 27 Feb 0730 hours not too foggy this morning + mild 45°F, low wind (2-4mph) The song sparrows are singing more than yesterday but activity drops off dramatically at 10 AM. Set up mist-nets along the road ~2 miles from Omi's house (main gate area). Caught Hermit Thrush, 2 golden-crowned sparrows, 2 wrentits + 1 winter wren: no song sparrows. The song sparrows tend not to fly across the road and even when I flash or use playback or hazing they all just kind of pop out of the vegetation they do not fly nearer. At 1030 hrs I gave up with road nets and decided I had to put the nets up near the sparrows. The sparrows also bait feed in the road so that traps may not be effective. The hillsides are treacherous - steep & slippery. Poison oak is the dominant vegetation. It is budding out right now so not too tall, but in a few weeks - yikes! I tried forging a path into a sparrow haunt but it took me 1½ hours of much hard work to get a net up but not very well. Lots of brambles and low lying vegetation to get stuck into it. I had the lower pole 3 times all knocked out only 2 seemed to last OK. I need a machete, some rope and stakes to help me set up and down wire. I created a lot of disturbance while I did it and when I finished no sparrows were in sight or sound. I need to get a set of cameras, new laces for my gaiters and P.O. wax and maybe check out homeopathic remedies. The rain gear works well but boy it is like a sauna! I drove back on 101 to 156 at Castroville to +88° 101 N/it is no longer or shorter than fully 1 to 17 to 880, got in traffic back-up in Salinas took 3½ hrs trip.