Bird Notes, Part 4, v661
Page 161
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
on top of a wall near the apricot, enjoying the sun and at peace with the world. He either knew where Circe was or else did not care. Circe approach-es me unaware. At 3 P.M. he was again reposing two or three yards from there, still at peace. As I was moving up to him to offer him worms, Circe suddenly appeared on the path beyond him, running toward us about 10 yards away, but as soon as she saw me, turned into the bushes. Rhody apparently did not see her and was unaware of her closeness, continuing to eat meat and worms, then subsiding for another rest, which he was still enjoying a half hour later when I left. Neither bird has been seen at the nest today. April 9th. Young thrashers leave nest. At 7:30 A.M. one of the young thrashers was sitting three feet from the nest, the other still in it. B gave them both huge "arm- fuls" of meal worms. The second one left the nest in a few minutes, but when I was watching Rhody nearby, returned, and B hovered him. (He left for good a few minutes later). One returns. The coke call sounded near, but I was unable to tell whether it came from R or C. R went to the top of the cage where he flirted with the magpies, hrooed softly and several times repeated a new horizontally R.R. calls, C (?) act. This consisted in stretching his neck out in a compound curve, opening his bill to the utmost, straining mightily and uttering a minute whine which I could just hear at 20 feet. After this he R's new act. picked up a large twig and carried it to the top of an oak. I had to leave at this point to give the spray-man instructions about avoiding the nests and birds, but noted that R dived over the fence to the north east. C was undoubtedly in the vicinity, and the call R carries twig. probably came from her. This was the last seen of the road-runner for the day and he did not go to his accustomed roost for the night. R last seen for the day. The young thrashers gradually separated, B taking charge of one and N the other. Eventually they arrived at the glade by devious routes and at different times, by running surprisingly