Page:Condor10(1).djvu/42

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Jan., 1908 NOTES FROM THE DIARY OF A NATURALIST IN NORTHERN CALIF. 41 Bub0 virginianus icelus. Dusky Horned Owl. One shot -at John Day's in Potter Valley, (identification by Biological Survey). The Horned Owls met on South Yallo Bally, Beswick, and Henley's Ranch, are provisionally r?eferred to B. v. pacificus in the absence of specimens (see Oberholser Proc. U.S. Brat. Mus. Vol. 27, p. 177). Asio accipitrinus. Short-cared Owl. Common at Lower Klamath Lake. Speotyto cunicularia hypogma. Burrowing Owl. Observed only at Alton Junction, where one was caught in a trap purely by accident. _ C.eryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. Common at Beswick and Crescent City. Dry0bates pubescens gairdnerii. Gairdner Woodpecker. A Downy Wood- pecker met at Crescent City was supposed to be this forin, and one taken at Bes- wick is so identified by the Biological Survey. Xen0picus alb01arvatus. White-headed Woodpecker. Only met in Canadian Zone at Spanish Springs Camp (Beswick). Sphyrapicus ruber. Red-breasted Sapsucker. This bird was common in all Transition and Canadian Zone forests we visited. Ce0phlceus pileatus abietic01a. Northern Pileated Woodpecker. This bird was first met in life by the writer in a deep gully close to Barney's Ranch. While passing along a trail in this gloomy place, a most startling and weird sound was heard. It seemed like the angry snarl of some four-looted b?ast, and I was in a quandary till I saw a large black bird fly up from near the ground and perch on a dead tree close beside me. I was greatly elated when I secured it. Another specimen was later taken at John Day's, Potter Valley. Melanerpes f0rmiciv0rus bairdfl. California Woodpecker. Common in the Transition Zone wherever we went. Asyndesmus t0rquatus. Lewis Woodpecker. To the writer this was the most interesting woodpecker met in California. As we drove along the stage road from Ager (on the Southern Pacific Railroad) to Beswick, numerous flocks of large, slow-flying black birds were frequently seen. When the stage driver told me they were woodpeckers I was greatly surprised, but fully convinced when I had shot one of them. The birds were very abundant about Beswick and very destructive to orchards there. They were systematically shot, an average of 50 per day being made during the period of their greatest abundance, which was during the first half of August. Colaptes cafer c011aris. Red-shafted Flicker. This bird was common where- ever we went. Along the humid coast belt we might have encountered g. . saturalior. Phal/enoptilus nuttallii californicus. Dusky Poor-will. We saw a good deal of this interesting bird on the summit of South Yallo Bally. One night while we were sitting about the camp fire, a spectre-like form fluttered out of the darkness and dropped noiselessly to a big rock near by. In the day time a favorite place of concealment seems to be rocky and scantily-covered slopes. When flushed it will make but a short, erratic flight before alighting again. (Identification by Biologi- cal Survey). 1?luttallornis borealis. Olive-sided Flycatcher. Common on South Yallo Bally and observed at Spanish Springs Camp near Beswick. Sayornis nigricans. Black Phoebe. Crescent City, Alton Junction. Pica pica hudsonica. Black-billed Magpie. This bird was common in the brushy and scantily timbered hills in the vicinity of Lower Klamath Lake. Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis. Blue-fronted Jay. This bird was common on