California Condor Eben McMillan 18 May 1964 I had been sitting. A Pair of Brewer's Blackbirds were fighting off the advances of a small Gopher Snake that was at the end of a small, dead, branch and about two feet from the birds nest. Evidently the snake, that was about eighteen inches long, had chosen the wrong branch in approaching the nest and now found itself exposed, on the end of this dead branch, from which it was attempting to reach out and bridge the gap between it and the nearest branch that would allow it to pass on over to where the birds nest was situated. This gap was about ten inches, or about four inches more than the snake could manage. As it would stretch out to bridge this gap, one, or both, blackbirds would dash at it and strike it with their wings, and perhaps peck it with their beaks, the action being faster than my eye could follow. At least the birds efforts would disturb the snake enough whereby it would coil and strike out at the birds only to be hit again before it could recoil. This went on for several minutes before the snake retreated. I took several 35mm pictures of the engagement before running out of film. Evidently the snake retreated completely from the scene for when I had reloaded my camera the female Blackbird had returned to the nest and was incubating the e.g.s. Probably a very small percentage of small birds nests escape the plunder of snakes. Of all factors I would think snakes contribute the greatest influence in maintaining minimum populations among small birds.