to see my little friend within hands reach sucking the insect to honey as the case might be from the blossoms of a gooseberry bush) about 2 feet from me, apparently not at all disconcerted. I also noticed that upon leaving a blossom while it dropped down a few inches it also went back but I could not distinguish whether the wings were used in this process or not. In coming up to a blossom it came up from underneath. Noticed the alternate opening and closing of the wings of a California Jay today. Its flight is somewhat different from that of the Steller's Jay. Last evening I saw a very large flock of Western Meadowlark for this part of the country. The whirr of their wings when flying could be heard some distance. I learned today that a large number of Turkey Vultures roosted in the redwood trees near Mr. Har can's house.