M&O Serials QL 671 .G84 T H monthly rr;r J1L 3 bulletin Volume 13 SAN FRANCISCO, OCTOBER, mi Analysis of Pellets of Barn Owls On April 12, 1931, a visit was made by Cranson Hopkins and myself to the Barn Owl “roosts” which Mr. C. W. Lockerbie located some time ago near South San Francisco. Our object was to find out if these owls were nesting. We found the nests of three Barn Owls and were able to reach two of them. Forty-one pellets were collected from these two nests. I dissected these pellets and found one hundred and nine skulls. These pellets averaged between two and three skulls apiece; some having only one, and some as many as five. Two of the skulls, one of a brush rabbit and one of a pocket gopher, were not enclosed in pellets. Both were lying about twenty feet from the nest, where they had evi- dently been washed by rain. Hair was found in both skulls in such a position as to indicate that they had once formed parts of a pellet. The rabbit skull measured 2% inches (67 mm.), by 1% inches (32 mm.), by 1(4 inches (32 mm.). These dimensions show what an enormous throat an owl possesses. A golf ball is only one-fourth of an inch greater in diameter. For a person to equal this feat, it would be necessary to swallow an object measuring 4(4 by 4(4 by 8% inches. Through the courtesy of Dr. J. O. Snyder, Head of the Zoology Department of Stanford University, I was given an opportunity to identify these skulls. Those of the shrew were identified by Mr. Benson of the University of California. Following is a summary of the results: Sorex vagrans halicoetes — Salt Marsh Shrew (?) . . 3 Reithrodontomys megalotis longicauda — Long-tailed Harvest Mouse.... 2 Peromyscus maniculatus gambeli — Gambel’s White-footed Mouse 21 Neotoma fuscipes annectens — Portola Wood Rat 1 Microtus californicus californicus — California Meadow Mouse 79 Thomomys bottae bottae — California Pocket Gopher 2 Sylvilagus bachmani ubercolor — Redwood Brush Rabbit... 1 In addition to the skulls, remains of two insects were found; one, a blue- bottle fly, the other, a Jerusalem cricket or potato-bug. Unfortunately, the pellets were all mixed together and it was not possible to segregate them as, to which of the two nests they came from. While dissecting the pellets, I found a small grub. By the time all the pellets had been dissected, grubs had been found in eighteen of them. Two chrysalises had also been found. Several grubs and one chrysalis were pre- served, and the rest put into a small jar to hatch. So far, eight adults have emerged. They are curious moths. Their black wings and white head form a very striking color pattern. In size they are just under that of the common house moth. They seemed to prefer the older, more broken down pellets, though it is possible that they themselves caused the broken down condition. The moth was sent to Dr. Hermes of the University of California, who has identified it as Trechophaga tapetzella. Clarence F. Smith, San Francisco. June 6, 1931. [ October THE GULL 1931 ] Hummers Learning to Hum Last March we had the fascinating experience of watching an Allen Hum- mingbird nesting in a coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. With fine discrimination she had chosen an outer fork of a limb, about fifteen feet from the ground, well sheltered by the other drooping branches. It was in clear view of our vantage point within a newly built house. Here we could watch her constant attention to the two tiny fluffs which she hatched between March 7, when we found the nest with its two eggs, and the fourteenth, when we were first sure they had hatched. That pumping of partly digested food into their ever ready little gullets is a startling thing each time you see it. She was a faithful, devoted little mother, convincing evidence of the utter uselessness of a male in the care of offspring! Knowing that the lovely, lichen-covered nest had about all it could hold, and that it was but a matter of hours until we should have her nestlings no longer — on March 26 at 10:30 p. m. we took a photo-flash picture, getting a really good one. Where Mother Hummer was we could not say, but at least she is not in the picture; which may or may not prove that even young hummers are not always pampered. The placing of a ladder against the tree was necessary, which, though done in the dark, probably frightened her away, but we neither saw nor heard her that night. Between this time and early morning of the 28th, one of the young took flight without human eye to see. The morning of the 28th from 8:55 until 10:30 we watched breathless. No mother coaxing her first born to take its initial step was more concerned than Mother Hummer fluttering about, apparently coaxing the second tiny thing to really “take off” from the edge of the nest where it was perched after she had fed it. Seven minutes by the watch it poised there before she was rewarded. In just ten minutes this juvenile returned, alighted on the side of the nest, looked all around, then settled down in the nest very contentedly as though happy to be home again. While he was away Mother Hummer returned to the nest, pecked inside it, looking about carefully and expectantly. After his return she fed him, pecked at the nest again, and flew away, the young following her this time. Immediately the juvenile came back, but was off again. This he did twice in as many minutes. Within two minutes the mother was back, perched on the branch she had used all through the nesting time, a bare one near the nest. Alighting on the side of the nest she threw out one piece of egg shell and one feather. Her house cleaning completed she again flew away. Then it was I discovered where the young had been going. On the outside of the tree they were perched side by side, preening themselves and working very hard at it. Youth making its first toilet! They would fly away from the tree, go back and perch on the edge of the nest, but never again did they settle down within it. For forty-five minutes more they were busy preening themselves, buzzing up to a redwood branch for all the world as if they expected to find something to eat. When they perched beside Mother Hummer, three in a row in the sun- shine on a bare limb, above the nest and outside the immediate home grounds, it was a thrilling sight. They were out of the nest safely; they were fed and preened and ready to face the world, as it were. Such a homey sight! Until 10:30 they were all about. How much longer we might have had such a sight I do not know. Another outdoor enthusiast climbed the ladder taking a daylight picture of the mother perched on the side of the nest after the young birds had flown. The two young allowed all this, but when he tried to make himself more secure by throwing his leg over the branch they could not tolerate that. It was too much. Their wings were strong now. This invasion of their privacy was not to be overlooked. Our priceless hour and a half of breathlessly watching the fledglings fly had to end. [ October T H <* IT L L iubi j nnd hono f! d y . °,° k at the lovel y nest - a work of art, clean as a pin, a ul hopt tbat after a winter in Central America, Mother Allen’s babies, grown A , 1 d ,,? 0m o 1 ? e f stiu ? 111 the redwood another spring. Anna Margaret Smith, ban Anselmo, California. September 19, 1931 . onA ^ nna H “ mmer: ° n March 15, on the bridle path at Lake Merced, about MHJ teet north of the gate, my attention was called to a little puff of dust which proved to be made by a male Anna Hummer, which made twenty-two swoops into the dust of the trail, every time but once going up on a limb of a eucalyptus tree and industriously preening himself, and in one case the third from the last dive dusting himself twice. It would seem evident that the bird was infested with vermin and I would appreciate any information that other observers may have had. Carl R. Smith, San Francisco, California. The September Field Trip was taken on Sunday, the 20th, to the mud-flats, near El Cerrito, Contra Costa County. The day was clear, calm and very warm. The long continued dry spell, together with recent industrial developments along the shores of San Francisco Bay, have taken away the areas which our Association has formerly visited to study shore birds. Areas where the shore birds now congregate in large numbers are under private control and the situa- tions are such that it is impossible for large groups of people to visit them. Our visit to El Cerrito afforded some interest but left much to be desired. Only seven species of shore birds were noted. One always associates Sanderlings with a sandy beach where they run out to meet, and then make a hasty retreat to escape, an incoming wave. Here they were at rest on the mud-flats. A lone Marbled Godwit was conspicuous, also a Red-backed Sandpiper. Western Sandpipers were present in large numbers with an occasional Semi- palmated Plover among them. Among the land birds noted along the route to the mud-flats were two Vaux Swifts, presumably migrants. Early arrivals were represented by a Say Phoebe, Fox Sparrows and Pipits. Among a flock of Savannah Sparrows were a sparrow, noticeably larger, lacking the yellow stripes in the face and showing white outer tail feathers in flight. These characteristics together with other markings and mannerisms were those of a Vesper Sparrow, a rather rare winter visitant in the San Fran- cisco Bay Region. A total of forty-four species noted: Farallon Cormorant Black-crowned Night Heron Marsh Hawk Sparrow Hawk Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Red-backed Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Marbled Godwit Sanderling Northern Phalarope Western Gull California Gull Ring-billed Gull Forster Tern Vaux Swift Anna Hummingbird Red-shafted Flicker Say Phoebe Black Phoebe Western Flycatcher Wood Pewee California Jay Plain Titmouse Bush-tit Wren-tit Bewick Wren Pipit Shrike Warbling Vireo Yellow Warbler Meadowlark Brewer Blackbird House Sparrow Linnet Green-backed Goldfinch Spotted Towhee Brown Towhee Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Fox Sparrow Junco Nuttall Sparrow Song Sparrow C. A. Bryant, historian. [ October THE GULL 1931 ] Audubon Notes October Meeting will be held on Thursday, the Stli, at 8 p. m., room 19, 2nd floor, Ferry Building. The speaker of the evening will be Mr. George Tonkin, U. S. Game Pro- tector, Bureau of Biological Survey. Subject: “Migratory Birds and Federal October Field Trip will be taken Sun- day, the 11th, to Lake Merced. East Bay members should reach San Fran- cisco about 8:30 a. m. Take municipal car K, transfer to M car at St. Francis Loop beyond Twin Peaks Tunnel, get off at Junipero Serra Boulevard, where party will form at 9:30 a. m. Bring luncheon and filled canteens. Leader C. A. Bryant. $ ^ ^ Special Notice: To meet a growing demand for a bird study class on Sat- urday afternoons it has been decided to have one trip a month on the Satur- day following the regular monthly field trip. These trips will be led by mem- bers advanced in bird knowledge and will be devoted to a closer study than is possible on the Sunday trips. The first trip will be taken October 17th to Lake Temescal. San Francisco mem- bers take one o’clock Key Route boat and train to 40th and Broadway. East Bay members meet at 2 o’clock at the junction of Broadway and College Ave- nue. F. M. Jencks, Leader. September Meeting: The 175th regu- lar meeting was held on September 10th, in room 19, Ferry Building, with twenty-nine members and guests pres- ent. President Brighton C. Cain pre- siding. The following new members were elected: Mrs. Edgar M. Kierulff and Mr. Eugene B. Bizzell of San Fran- cisco; Mr. Jas. R. Davis, Berkeley. Field observations were reported as follows: Mrs. Stephens: August 23, Chain of Lakes, Western Sandpipers; Septem- ber 9th, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Slen- der-billed Nuthatches. Miss Werner: September 1, Manza- nita, Townsend Warblers. Miss Danz: September 8, Ross, Cedar Waxwings; Phoenix Lake, three Wood Ducks. Miss Pringle: September 7, Clay and Buchanan Streets, San Francisco, Western Gnatcatchers. Mrs. Otis H. Smith: August 29 to 31, Salmon Creek Road and at Ross, Tan- agers. Harold Swanton: August 23, near Mill Valley, ten White-throated Swifts. Mr. Walter R. Welch, of the Division of Fish and Game, gave a very inter- esting talk contrasting the plentiful- ness of game in California years ago with the pitiful remnant of today. In earlier years there were literally mil- lions of ducks, geese and game birds. Now this great abundance has disap- peared and were it not for effective work of the Division in protecting game and in establishing game farms there would soon be no game at all. Farmers have been influenced to set aside a part of their lands as quail sanctu- aries; 1000 of these have been estab- lished. Mr. Welch told how certain groups of our foreign population trap birds by means of nets. These nets are some- times as large as 150 by 50 ft. and stretched across an arroyo may catch as many as 500 birds. The nets are imported, but since there is no Federal law against them but only a State law, the authorities must rely upon the co- operation of the custom officials and endeavor to seize and confiscate the nets after they are in the country. 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.