Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
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12:40. Most of the morning was spent in the glade. Brownie was
there practically all of the time, Greenie but twice. Little feeding
of the young was observed. The same young bird finally came out of
the bushes for a short time and during that period was fed by Brownie,
who dug for food in his presence and handed it to him on the spot.
Whatever she got was so small that I could not see it; but she seemed
to get a good supply. Possibly some of it was grind-stones for his
digestive apparatus. Brownie's upper tail coverts have been missing
for some time, giving her a "chopped off" appearance whenever she ruf-
flies up her back feathers or lowers her tail. Greenie's are intact.
Brownie picked up and dropped a few soap-root fibers, there has been
more singing and calling back and forth than there has been for the
past several weeks and, for a few moments, both adults were heard
"talking" and rustling about in the foliage of one of the oaks.
Considering, also Greenie's long disappearances, it may be that these
are nest-building symptoms--but I hope not.
6:37. About 5:30 both adults were seen and heard about 75 feet
away cavorting about each other on the ground. As I was moving up to
investigate a motor-car came up the road with visitors and it was
all off. At about 6:15 one of the birds was in the top of the old
oak lying down on the stub of a limb. The other was examining a black
acacia, a California laurel and a live oak, successively, just across
the entrance drive-way. This bird was making a detailed examination
--so it appeared--of places suitable for nesting sites, especially
in the oak. I have not seen this behavior before and while I doubt
if another nest will be built, I can not see any other explanation
that looks plausible. Twigs were tested with the bill, i.e. they were
by looking up into them
pulled and, bent, crotches were sat in and the spaces above inspected,
and turning the head from side to side
and one or two dead twigs in the spaces were broken with the bill.
Altogether the acts were such as I would have performed if I were
looking for a good place to build. I realize that it is dangerous