Nov., I9OI. [ THE CONDOR 139 the birds of the Pacific Coast. Mr. Her- man T. Bohlman of Portland, Oregon, has been .unusually successful during the past summer in securing some fine photographs of Oregon birds. He was especially fortunate in securing a good series of pictures of the kingfisher, flicker and bush-tit, also in his work among the sea birds of the Oregon coast. While out photographing with Mr. Bohlman last summer among other things we found a Brewer's blackbird's nest in a fir tree a few feet from the ground. We were attracted by the calling of the young birds as they were being fed, and decided they were large enough to make a good photograph. After considerable preparation we were just ready to take a picture of the nest and its occupants when the mother, thinking her children in too much dan- ger, swooped down near the nest and gave a sharp call. It was easy to see what that meant for the youngsters until then had re- Some Winter BY MRS. C.A. MOOI)Y? HIS does not profess to be a "paper," still less a scientific es- say,--but a few hasty notes of bird life on our home place. This is on the Sycamore Grove Tract on what was evidently once the bed of a considerable river. The soil is light and sandy, the uncultivated parts appearing quite bar- ren during a dry year. From the last of September to this date (December 6,) the absence of birds about here was rather surprising to me. Possibly it was because we had only recently moved in and were strangers to them. The shrike and black phoebe I soon learned were daily visitors. The red-shafted woodpecker was often seen, busily drilling for food in the trees, while occasionall3? two others appeared, having conspicuous black and white markings, one with a red patch on the head. The latter I concluded was Gairdner's woodpecker and the other mained perfectly quiet, but at the loud command from the mother they all set out in different directions, each one fly- ing as far as his wings would carry him. After a long hunt we succeeded in find- ing three of the four birds and placed them back in the nest where we caught
their picture just as they were holding
a consultation as to the next move. Some of the most interesting pictures were taken of the home of a pair of flickers. The nest was found in the top of a stump when it was first begun and many different pictures were taken of thenest, parents and young birds. A good many plates were spoiled but 'a few good bird photographs well pay for the failures and for the time that has been spent. Anyone having an in- terest in birds can find no better way of gaining pleasure and information than by spending his leisure hours in the field with a camera. WII, LIAM L. FINLEY. /)erkele),, Cal. Bira Notes. I, OS A NGELES? CAI,. Nuttall's,a species belonging to the ladder-backed group. This day, however, they came in crowds and with a great clatter. The songsters were unanimous in de- claring that it was an ideal morni?ag in bird-land. A certain crispness in the air seemed to bring out the songs fuller and clearer. The linnets were to be heard above all the rest, so that the little goldfinches had to work very hard to be heard at all, while they flitted from branch to branch of the sycamore trees, picking at the tassellated balls packed so full of tiny seeds. Meadow- larks and warblers joined in the chorus and from the distance came the loud call-note of the red-shafted woodpecker, by way of letting us know he was still with us. The shrike, usually so still and con- templative, caught some of the joyous spirit and rolled out now and then a
