Bird Notes, Part 1, v658
Page 471
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
to them. June 18th. At 7:20 A.M. Greenie was in the nest. On going to the glade, the three young birds ran out of the brush to my feet. Brownie was not in evidence. The young birds, Instead of opening their mouths to have the food put down their throats, picked it off of the spatula, but did not seem very hungry. I went to see if I could stir up Brownie to try to induce her to come to the glade with me and get a little more action, however, she appeared voluntarily and lent her assistance; but the young ones showed little enthusiasm for her ministrations, having evidently had enough. About 8:30 I went to the glade again. Two of the youngsters came at once, the third was practicing his "song" out of sight nearby, but came later. One of them is lighter in color than the others and one is larger; but I have not been able to determine definitely whether the light one is the large one, as they move about so rapidly. Their bills are definitely curved, as they have been for some time, but the radius of curvature is the same at all points as far as can be seen, i.e. their bills are arcs of circles- roughly--and show no tendency to hook at the ends, as yet. Their tails seem to approach adult proportions more rapidly than their bills. They have all of the mannerisms of their parents. They have never been clamorous feeders and for the most part are silent. They dig, bathe, "do sun-fits", preen, pick up twigs, acorns and other loose objects and also the crumbs dropped when being fed. 8:30 P.M. The young have remained in the glade all day. Brownie still comes and feeds them when off duty at the nest. (The second Wren-Tit's nest definitely located today. They have been scolding me at that point for a long time, but no search was made. It is in one of the low branches of an oak forming the S.E. enclosure of the glade, about three feet from the ground. There are four eggs, Julio says, but I have not seen them, as there is a bird on the nest each time I go there, and they do not fly).