Page:Condor18(5).djvu/4

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
There was a problem when proofreading this page.

178 THE CONDOR Vol. XVIII nests with eggs were located, one with nine; but from the majority the young had hatched. Dafila acura. Pintail. A pair flushed from the marsh grass at the east end of Bear Lake, June 26, but I was not able to locate their nest. Querquedula cyanoptera. Cinnamon Teal. On June 25, this duck was quite com- mon at the east end of Bear Lake where at least twenty-five pairs were seen. Three or four young about one-third grown were seen here in the marsh grass, but flopped away hurriedly at our approach.. This same day one nest was discovered with ten eggs nearly ready to hatch. The nest was in a bunch of marsh grass in very swampy land in a pasture and about a quarter of a mile from the lake proper. The female flushed from the nest, the latter being heavily lined with down feathers. In this pasture there was a large herd of cattle and they had tramped all around the nest; it seemed just luck that the nest had not been destroyed. The same day two or three pairs of these Fig. 45. NEST, EGGS, AND ONE NEWLY HATCtII?) CHICK OF SORA RAIL; BEAR LAKE, S_?N BER- ducks were seen at the west end of Baldwin Lake, and one destroyed nest was found -in the same locality. Porzana carolina. Sofa Rail. In the same meadow where the Cinnamon Teal's nest was found, a nest containing ten eggs and a recently hatched young of the Sofa ' Rail was discovered (see fig. 45). Though just hatched the little dark colored fellow attempted to crawl away when we parted the grass over the nest. I managed to keep him still long enough to secure a photo. The nest was composed of marsh grass closely woven into a cup and completely arched over, making its discovery rather difficult. Further search disclosed another nest with six eggs, a newly hatched young and many egg shells. Also several nests from which the young had hatched were found nearby. Sofas were flushed several times. I believe this is the first nesting record for this bird for Big Bear Valley.