The Gull

I&o

Birds of Fallen Leaf Lake Region

by F. M. Jencks

At the head of Fallen Leaf Lake early in the morning of June 12, 1930, as I
sat concealed on a rocky ledge above the water, a bird of a curious shape moved
out from the shore. It was a mother American Merganser carrying some of her
brood on her back and pulling others that held on behind. The bird barge moved
slowly, the mother croaking and looking particularly anxious on account of the
hair-like feathers that stood off from her head.

As they crossed the mouth of Glen Alpine Creek, a second female landed in
the water close by and swam toward them. The mother turned on her two or
three times to keep her at a distance. She deposited her brood on a log, rested
a few moments, and then plunged unencumbered to the attack, though her chil-
dren jumped in after her. At this moment a pair dropped down, the male very
handsome in his brilliant white plumage. The sight of a second female more
fortunate than herself seemed to fill the single bird’s breast with bitterness. She
arose from the water and began to fly wildly about in great circles, half over the
water and half over the trees.

The place where these Mergansers were seen is half way between Fallen
Leaf Lodge and the Housekeeping Camp. Here in a quarter mile along the Lake
forty species of birds can be seen or heard in June and July. Nearly seventy
species can be found in the Fallen Leaf Lake Region. Many more could be added
to the list if the adjoining meadows and marshes at the head of Lake Tahoe were
included. What some of these birds are can be found in two articles in the
“Condor”: “A List of the Land Birds of Placerville-Lake Tahoe Stage Road,” by
Chester Barlow, with supplementary notes by W. W. Price, November, 1901; and
“Six Weeks in the High Sierras in Nesting Time,” by Milton S. Ray, March, 191S.

My observations the past three summers have been confined almost entirely
to the mountainous region into which most of the hiking is done from Fallen Leaf
Lake. This territory extends from the Lake at an altitude of 6300 feet south-
westerly to the Crystal Range, including Pyramid Peak, at 10,000 feet elevation.
It comprises the whole of Glen Alpine, in which there are eight lakes tributary
to Fallen Leaf Lake, and also Desolation Valley and Lake of the Woods, which
form the head-waters of the South Fork of the American River. Its best known
peak, besides Pyramid, is Mount Tallac.

In the Housekeeping Camp, located in a coniferous forest on the cool west
slope of the lateral moraine facing Mount Tallac, Western Golden-crowned King-
lets and Evening Grosbeaks are very much at home. Though the Grosbeaks are
strikingly colored, their chicken-like peeping becomes a little tiresome. In 192S
the Grosbeaks were especially numerous until July 12, when they disappeared
completely. The Kinglets, whose busily happy song I never tire of, are difficult
to see. The whole month of June, 1928, I suffered from a lame neck as day after
day I peered up into dark trees, sometimes seeing a bird, but never any color,
until one fine morning a bird exposed his crown to the sun just above my porch,
and I knew who my singing benefactor was.

[ .luue

THE GULL

1931 ]

During June in the early morning the edge of the forest rings with bird song,
the Olive-sided Flycatcher, the Robin, the Western Tanager, the Black-headed
Grosbeak and the Fox Sparrow taking the leading roles. The Tanager and the
Fox Sparrow are appreciated especially because they sing throughout the day.
Although the Fox Sparrow is by far the better singer, the Tanager’s call note,
“prit-it," is to me as delightful as almost any song. The Poorwill’s note, endlessly
repeated, is heard many nights.

Two of the birds in the more open woods toward the Lodge have surprising
nesting habits. Wood Pewees as they incubate, sit open-mouthed in the hot sun,
as they persist in building their nests in dead trees. The nest is hard to see but
if the tree and a bird are watched as they get together, the nest is easily dis-
covered.

In the alders about Glen Alpine Creek are many Warbling Vireos, whose
nests I have found in three cases by simply searching out the singing bird, thus
finding bird and nest together. The singing bird on the nest may be a female,
for in one case the only tree close by contained another bird that was singing at
the same time. Is it possible that squirrels and Jays do not find nests that are
so loudly and persistently advertised?

One bird is very methodical in trying to conceal its home. A Red-breasted
Sapsucker had a hole in a dead fir not far from my cabin. Invariably, before
going to the nest, the bird would rest for five counts at a particular spot on a tree
above my porch.

It is perhaps the birds that are found altogether or chiefly in the higher alti-
tudes that give one the greatest delight, though perhaps one appreciates them
more because one does not see them so often. Among such birds are the William-
son Sapsucker, the Clarke Nutcracker, the Townsend Solitare, the Hermit
Thrush, the Mountain Bluebird, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the Cassin Purple
Finch, the Sierra Nevada Rosy Finch, the White-crowned Sparrow and the Pine
Grosbeak. These have a pretty general distribution at high levels, three excepted.
The Sierra Nevada Rosy Finches are found only above the timber line near the
snow. The Mountain Bluebirds are seen on the broad backs of Pyramid and
Tailac, though outside the region they are found also on the short cut between
Myers and Fallen Leaf at only G300 feet. Pine Grosbeaks were last summer on
the north side of Lake of the Woods at the log cabin there. Feeding on the ground
near my cot when 1 awoke one morning was a gorgeous rose-colored bird talking
most musically, and on a small fir close by was his mate, with a crown of rich
yellow. This pair was at the same place on two later occasions, but I was dis-
appointed not to see any young.

Other birds seen only at particular places are Spotted Sandpipers that
undoubtedly nest on the lakes of Desolation Valley; Dippers that nest on Glen
Alpine Creek below Modjeska Falls; House Wrens that make their homes under
the eaves of the buildings at the Lodge; and the one Song Sparrow of the region
that sings at Lilly Lake.

My observations were made during June and July for the past three years.
Noteworthy birds that I have seen only once are a Common Loon on Fallen Leaf
Lake on June 7, 1930, a Goshawk above the short trail to Tailac on July 24, 1930.
and an Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker below Grass Lake in 1928. Other single
records include the Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed and Desert Sparrow Hawks-
Hammond Flycatcher, Western Bluebird and Hermit Warbler.

Other birds not mentioned above, most of them seen or heard dailv were
as follows:

White Pelican; Sierra Grouse; Mountain Quail: California Gull • NMithawk-
Rufous* and Calliope Hummingbirds; Kingfisher; Hairy and White-headed
Woodpeckers; Red-shafted Flicker; Tree Swallow; Crested Jay Mountain
Chickadee; Slender-billed and Red-breasted Nuthatches; Creeper- Rock Wren*-
Olive-backed Thrush; Cassin Vireo; Calaveras, Luteseent,* Yellow Audubon

[ .June

T II K G II I. 1.

1931 ]

Tohnie and Pileolated Warblers; Pine Siskin*; Green-tailed Towhee; Sierra
Junco; Chipping Sparrow.*

♦Species not seen in the immediate vicinity of the Lodge or Camp.

Field Trip: An extra field trip was taken on Sunday, the 3rd, to St. Marys
(Cashion), our first visit to this locality since May 1928. The day was quite warm
but not too warm for the comfort and pleasure of the twenty-three members and
four guests who were present.

St. Marys Station now takes the place of Cashion Station and is about one-
half mile west of the old location. The old ranch house has been completely razed.
The barn is still standing and Cliff Swallows were here in numbers. Razing the
house has not discouraged the House Wrens which were always present. A pair
had a nest in a hole in an elder tree near where the house formerly stood. Green-
backed Goldfinches were nesting in another nearby tree. A pair of Ash-throated
Flycatchers had a full-grown family out of the nest.

Upon arriving at the row of eucalyptus trees along the highway, the old-time
chorus of mixed bird songs greeted us. Here the songs or notes of the Purple
Finch, Linnet, Bullock Oriole, Brewer Blackbird, Allen Hummingbird, Green-
backed and Lawrence Goldfinches, House Sparrow, Brown Towhee, Western
Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo and California Woodpecker were heard. Some of
the species were nesting; others were probably attracted by the insects which
came to feed upon the eucalyptus blossoms. This situation is in part an answer
to the question so often asked, “Which birds have adopted the eucalyptus tree?”

Farther along in the oaks Slender-billed Nuthatches were present. At fre-
quent intervals a Nuttall Woodpecker announced his presence and permitted
himself to be closely observed. The nesting hole of a pair of these woodpeckers
was so conveniently located that the party had a splendid opportunity to watch
the parents feed the young. In this case the male fed the young twice as often
as the female.

Nests of the following eighteen species were found: Red-shafted Flicker,
California and Nuttall Woodpeckers, Black Phoebe, Rough-winged and Cliff
Swallows, California Jay, Plain Titmouse, Bush-tit, House Wren, Warbling Vireo,
Yellow Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Bullock Oriole, Brewer Blackbird,
Purple Finch, Linnet and Green-backed Goldfinch.

A total list of fifty-two species was noted as follows:

Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Sparrow Hawk
California Quail
Kill deer
Mourning Dove
White-throated Swift
Allen Hummingbird
Kingfisher
Red-shafted Flicker
California Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttail Woodpecker
Ash-throated Fy catcher
Black Phoebe
Western Flycatcher
Wood Pewee

Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Steller Jay
California Jay
Plain Titmouse
Bush-tit

Slender-billed Nuthatch
Wren-tit
House Wren
Bewick Wren
Russet-backed Thrush
Western Bluebird
Warbling Vireo
Cassin Vireo
Hutton Vireo
Lutescent Warbler
Yellow Warbler

Tolmie Warbler
Pileolated Warbler
Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Bullock Oriole
Brewer Blackbird
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
House Sparrow
Purple Finch
Linnet

Green-backed Goldfinch
Lawrence Goldfinch
Spotted Towhee
Brown Towhee
Song Sparrow

C. A. Bryant, Historian.

[ June

THE GULL

1931 ]

Audubon Notes

June Meeting will be held on Thurs-
day, the 11th, at 8 p. m„ room 19, 2nd
floor, Ferry Building.

The speaker of the evening will be
Mrs. M. E. Davidson, Assistant Curator
of Birds and Mammals, California
Academy of Sciences, who will speak
on the subject “Hummingbirds.” The
lecture will be illustrated.

"FS'. 'rj', "o'.

June Field Trip will be taken Sunday,
the 14th, starting from Ross, and going
to Alpine Lake by way of Phoenix
Lake, Shaver Grade and the old Bo-
linas Road to Alpine Lake, returning
through Bon Tempe Meadow to Lake
Lagunitas and down the Fish Gulch
Road past Phoenix Lake to the picnic
place where supper will be eaten. Pur-
chase round-trip tickets to Ross, 60c.
Take Sausalito Ferry at 8:15 a. m.
Bring food for two meals. Leaders,
Mrs. A. B. Stephens and Mr. Arthur
Myer.

"O'. "o'. "rj1.

May Meeting: The 171st regular

meeting was held May 14th, in room 19,
Ferry Building, with forty members
and guests present. President Brighton
C. Cain presiding.

The following were elected to mem-
bership:

Dr. H. A. Hess, the Misses Bernice
Kautz and Mary K. Murphy, all of San
Francisco.

Field observations were reported as
follows:

Clias. Bryant: April 26th, Ross, eight
pairs of singing Black-throated Gray
Warblers.

Mrs. A. B. Stephens: May 8th and
9th, Chain of Lakes, Golden Gate Park,
three Spotted Sandpipers.

Harold Swanton: May 2nd, Bolinas
Lagoon, Purple Martins, Red-tliroated
Loon in breeding plumage, Spotted
Sandpiper.

Brighton Cain read a letter received
from Dr. Harold C. Bryant from which
we quote: “Congratulations on the fine
advance made by A. A. of P. as evi-
denced by your annual report. Keep up
the good work. My best to you and
your organization. Tell my friends I
will be in Yosemite June 21-July 8.”

The speaker of the evening, Mr.
Thomas T. McCabe, gave a very inter-
esting talk on the “Birds of British
Columbia” and showed some slides of
the country. _ _

"O'. "o'. "rj4.

Book Notice: “The Island of Pen-
guins,” by Cherry Kearton. To the natu-
ralist, the Island of Penguins is the
eighth wonder of the world. From the
description by the author one assumes
it to be Dassen Island, which lies about
forty miles northwest of Cape Town,
and is the place whence the people of
that city import their penguin eggs.
The author, Cherry Kearton, is consid-
ered to be one of the best known natu-
ralist-ad venturei’s and photograph
hunters in the world and in this book,
he gives us a wonderful account of
these penguins, their habits, romances,
perils, adventures and idiosyncracies.
In short, it is an account of the tragic-
comedy of penguin life, unequaled in
nature for sheer humor and human in-
terest. The book is illustrated with
seventy-seven photographs. (Robert M.
McBride and Company, New York,
$3.00.)

Audubon Association of the Pacific

For the Study and the Protection of Birds

President Brighton C. Cain 221 Thayer Bldg., Oakland

Corresponding Secretary C. B. Lastreto 260 California St., San Francisco

Treasurer Mrs. A. B. Stephens 1695 Filbert St., San Francisco

Monthly meeting second Thursday, 8 P. M., Room 19, Ferry Building.

Address Bulletin correspondence to Mrs. A. B. Stephens, Editor, 1695 Filbert St., San Francisco.

Subscription to monthly Bulletin, $1.00 per year. Single copies, 15c.

Membership dues, payable January 1st, $3.00 per year.

Student memberships, $1.50 per year. Life memberships, $50.00

Members are responsible for dues until written notice of resignation is received by Treasurer.