Page:Condor11(4).djvu/28

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134 THE CONDOR VoL. XI heard a bird call ou the hillside and soon one appeared with something in its mouth. Tho the two birds were so much alike that it was hard to tell them apart, one was much more shy than the other and I believe the shy one was the female. This bird. would not go to the nest while the camera was there but flew about giving the call note. When at 11:25 the other bird, which I believe was the male, came, the first bird swallowed the food she carried and flew away. This last arrival carried a long green worm in his bill. This he took to the nest and fed to one young bird. I could see the green sticking up in the youngster's throat as he still kept his mouth open, evidently not fully appreciating that anything had been deposited there. Finally he gave. a little swallow, the worm disappeared and he closed his mouth, satisfied. The old bird rested on the edge of the nest about three minutes and I took a bulb exposure. After that he flew up the hillside. Fifteen minutes later both birds came with worms. One weut to the nest and fed, but one, as before, would not go to the nest while the camera was there. Thirty-five minutes later, 12:25, the bird which'I took to be the male appeared with an immense wasplike fly dangling from his bill, the body down and head held in mouth. This was fed to more than one young. When the bird had fed this time, I crawled under the camera and green cloth in af? effort to get a better view of the bird at the nest. At 12:53 I heard a bird call on the hillside. At 1:06 and 1:10 he called from nearby and gave the scolding note. Evidently I was discov- ered. At 1:25, however, he came to the nest and fed to one young. As I peekt thru a small hole I saw him resting on the edge of the nest and prest the bulb. As the camera clickt he raised his eyes as if to see whence came the noise, but otherwise was motionless. As before, I gave a bulb exposure and the bird did not stir until it was over, when he flew up over the camera. At this time the young birds were still quite naked--the only indication that they would ever be otherwise being that the wing quills were just pricking thru. It was four days before I was again able to visit the nest. Before I reacht the nesting site I was told that the nest was empty. The night before, the family had heard a great commotion among the birds; but not realizing that they might be in distress they paid no attention to it. The next morniug? the 23rd, they found the nest empty and the old birds nowhere in sight. The young would have been one week old, but did not leave the nest of their owu accord I amsure. I doubt not that they were the victims of a skulking feline. $o many of our birds are de- stroyed in this way that I sometimes wonder that any of them ever grow up. Not until our cats are licensed, or some way provided whereby the surplus strays can be disposed of, will our birds receive the protection that should rightfully be theirs. Los Angeles, Cahfo?'nia. NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF LOS CORONADOS ISLANDS LOWER CALIFORNIA By Pi?NGREE I. OSBURN W'ITH ON]? PHOTO BY TH]? AUTHOR URING the spring of 1908, it was my privilege to make two trips to the Coronado Islands, a group lying twenty miles due south of San Diego, California, and ten miles from the Mexican coast. South Island, the largest, is two and a half miles long by one mile wide, and