A JOURNEY TO THE STAR LAKE COUNTRY AND OTHER NOTES FROM THE TAHOE REGION
A JOURNEY TO THE STAR LAKE COUNTRY AND OTHER NOTES
FROM THE TAHOE REGION
By MILTON S. RAY
WITH THREE PHOTOS
THE spring of 1910 at Lake Tahoe was remarkable for being one of the
earliest known to old settlers. At a time when usually grass in the
meadows is just springing up and willows and aspens budding out, the
meadow grass then (May 20) was already fast becoming dry, the willows and
aspens were fully leaved, the roads were dusty and the weather sultry, giving
one the impression of late June. Thus, when I encountered young-of-the-year
Juncos on the day after my arrival (May 21) I was not greatly surprised; but
I soon learned that the earliness of the season had not affected all species
equally, and this, with the usual wide variation in Sierran nesting dates, made the
effect of the early spring much less marked than it would have been otherwise.
My first day afield resulted in finding some very strange-looking eggs of
the Redwing Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus, subsp?). Instead of the usual
blackish scrawls about the larger ends these specimens are mottled, in some
cases over the entire surface, with various shades of brown and pale purplish,
which I hope to describe and illustrate more fully in some future paper. Among
other finds were two nests of the Sierra Junco (Junco hyemalis thurberi),
each with four fresh eggs. One of the. nests was placed beneath a log in a
July, 1912 A JOURNEY TO STAR LAKE COUNTRY AND TAHOE REGION
143
swampy meadow and was located by the bird dislodging one of the eggs in
leaving, which rolled out on the meadow grass unbroken. A hard climb
forty feet up an aspen showed a nest of the Cabanis Woodpecker (Dryobates
villosus hy Iosco pus) to contain four very small young. This is the earliest
nesting woodpecker of the region.
May 22 a tramp was taken to Cave Rock and return by the lake beach.
Killdeers {Aegialitis vociferus) and Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius)
were common most of the way, and a nest of the former was noted, a slight
hollow in the sand lined with pebbles and bits of driftwood, with four eggs well
along in incubation. A nest of the Blue-fronted Jay (Cyanocitta stclleri fron-
talis) in a Jeffrey pine six-
teen feet up, was found to
hold three near fresh eggs,
while not far distant in the
cavity of an old stump 27
inches above the ground and
lined with grasses, bark strips
and feathers, was the large
complement of eight eggs of
the Mountain Bluebird (Si-
alia currucoides) . Six of
these appeared well incubated
and two addled.
The following day was de-
voted to work at the Row-
lands Marsh, where the cus-
tomary colonies of the Red-
wings (Agelaius phoeniceus,
subsp?), Brewer Blackbird
( Euphagus cyanocephalus) ,
Yellow-headed Blackbird
(Xanthocephalus) and Black
Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra
sarinamensis) were found
nesting. The only noteworthy
finds were two nests of the
Canada Goose {Br ant a cana-
densis canadensis) described
in a previous Condor, and Fig. 59. star lake at the foot of job's sister,
a nest of the Mountain in late june; elevation nearly 9000 feet
Song Sparrow (Melospiza Photo fe y oluf J - Heinemann
melodia montana) at the foot of a small willow with five young. On
May 24 a fully- fledged Western Robin (Planesticus migratorius pro-
pinquus) was noted, which is the earliest record I have for Lake
Valley. Although many bird homes were located during the next two days it
was not until the 27th that I made a noteworthy find. This, a nest of the
Sierra Hermit Thrush (Hylocichla guttata sequoiensis) , was found on the floor
of the valley in a lodge-pole pine sapling and made of moss, grasses and stems
and lined with fine grasses. It held four eggs, slightly incubated. Another
nest of more than passing interest was one of the Mountain Song Sparrow
(Melospiza melodia montana) placed in a lodge-pole pine eleven feet up, with
144
THE CONDOR
Vol. XIV
three practically fresh eggs which were collected with the parent and which
Joseph Grinnell pronounced typical montana.
On May 29 I took the first recorded eggs (a set of six) for Lake Valley
of the Parkman Wren (Troglodytes aedon parkmani) with parent. The nest
was first found on May 21 and was placed in a dead aspen 71 inches up. The
cavity was extremely small and allowed very little opportunity for that exten-
sive nest-building so dear to the heart of parkmani; in fact it had only a warm
lining of feathers. In a hole in an adjoining aspen, twenty feet up, was a nest
of the Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes cafer collaris) with large young.
The Sierra Junco shows a decided preference for the margin of meadow
lands and often selects situations where the nests become water-soaked and the
Fig. 60. NEST AND EGGS OF SIERRA HERMIT THRUSH IN LODGE-POLE PINE
eggs fail to incubate. One nest of this kind I found on May 30. Although the
eggs were lying in water the parent remained incubating. This day proved one
of continuous surprises and I felt well repaid for the long trip into new territory.
The first thrills were two nests of the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia
leucophrys leucophrys). One was placed on the ground at the foot of a small
willow, along a brook. The nest was flush with the surface and made of
grasses lined with red cow-hair with which the green-brown eggs prettily con-
trasted. The eggs were three in number and almost fresh. The flushing of
the sitting bird led to the discovery of the nest.
The second nest was along the same stream four feet up in a lodge-pole
July, 1912 A JOURNEY TO STAR LAKE COUNTRY AND TAHOE REGION 145
pine sapling, well concealed in a thick bunch of foliage and composed almost
entirely of lodge-pole pine needles and lined with fine grasses and horsehair.
This nest held four fresh eggs. Not far away the home of a Sierra Hermit
Thrush was noted four feet up in a lodge-pole sapling with a set of three eggs.
The nest was of rootlets, grasses and stems and lined with fine, light-colored
grasses. I was interested, too, in a nest of the Western Bluebird (Sialia mexi-
cana occidentalism which is far less abundant here than currucoides. This nest,
in a dead tree trunk eight feet up, was warmly lined with woolly substances,
bark strips, grasses and stems and held five eggs in which incubation had just
begun. The main feature, however, of the day's work was a dainty nest of the
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula calendula) with nine partly incubated
eggs. The nest, although only nine feet up, in a small lodge-pole, was not par-
ticularly easy of access as it stood in several feet of water while a swift- running
stream of icy water intervened. The pair regarded my intrusion with high dis-
favor, particularly the lady of the house, who scolded continually while I re-
mained in the vicinity. Nearing Rowlands on the homeward journey a curious
nesting site of the Brewer Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) was noted, the
nest being placed on the edge of a grassy meadow beneath a board. It was
less bulky than the tree-built structures and made of rootlets, grasses and
stems, and lined with horse-hair.
On May 31 a nest of the Sora {Porzana Carolina) was found at Rowlands
with the large complement of 13 eggs. Many deserted nests of the Yellow-
headed Blackbird with eggs were noted, the slender reeds not being sufficiently
strong and bending over with the weight into the water. Many nests of the
Black Tern were observed, none containing more than three eggs.
June 2 was a record day for finding nests of the Sierra Junco, two of three
and two of four eggs being found. One was built in a slanting hole in the
ground, arched over by pine needles, and would have defied detection had not
the parent fluttered off at my approach; while another was well hidden beneath
the broad leaves of a wild sunflower.
On the 3rd of June Mr. Henry W. Carriger arrived, but the only result of
a strenuous half-day of joint field work was the taking of a nest of the Cali-
fornia Yellow Warbler {Dendroica aestiva brewsteri) which I had located pre-
viously. This held four fresh eggs and was prettily woven to the branch of a
lodge-pole pine sapling six feet up. On the following morning Mr. Carriger
and I trudged some distance with a long ladder to a spot where I had observed
a pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets nest-building in one of those long, stringy,
matted and twisted clumps of foliage peculiar to some lodge-pole pines. The
nest was hung much like an oriole's, and after considerable manipulation we
were rewarded by seeing seven eggs lying in the feathery bed of the dainty,
broad-brimmed, mossy basket. Mr. Carriger found his first nest of the Wilson
Phalarope (Steganopus tricolor) the following morning at Rowland's Marsh.
The entry in his note book reads : "Four eggs ; incubation one-third; nest, a small
affair of marsh grass on ground in wet portion of marsh."
On June 5 Carriger and I started early on one of the most important excur-
sions of the season, a visit to the Star Lake Country. This lake, nestling at the
foot of a rugged and lofty peak called Job's Sister, has an altitude of nearly
9000 feet and the surrounding region is rich in birdlife of the Canadian and
Hudsonian zones. Mr Carriger and I confined our work principally to the
broad Cold Creek Meadows which we reached about noon. En route the only
146
THE CONDOR
Vol. XIV
find of importance was a nest of the White-crowned Sparrow, with four eggs
advanced in incubation. It was placed 28 inches up in a lodge-pole pine sap-
ling, and made of weed stems and lined with fine grasses and horsehair.
The most important find on the meadow was a nest of the Cassin Purple
Finch (Carpadacus cassini) with three eggs in a state of advanced incubation.
The nest was placed on almost the top branch of a pine, about thirty feet up,
on the edge of the meadow. It was of particular interest as nests of cassini
are not often located or easy to reach, and the birds being also quick to desert
and the nesting season a long one make it difficult to obtain a proper set of eggs.
Although I have spent a number of summers at Lake Tahoe cassini, oologically,
is still unrepresented in my cabinet, and when Carriger called from the tree-top
that the nest held three well-incubated eggs I felt that another Tahoean oological
mile post had been passed. Carriger also examined two nests of the Audubon
Fig. 61. COLD CREEK MEADOWS IN LATE JUNE; ELEVATION 7500 FEET;
FREEL'S PEAK AND JOB'S SISTER IN BACKGROUND
Warbler (Dendroica audnboni audnboni) , each with four fresh eggs, and two of
the Sierra Junco, each with five fresh.
In a lodge-pole pine twenty feet up, placed on the end of the bough, I
found another nest of the Cassin Purple Finch with four fully-fledged young.
Not to mention numerous nests of the Western Robin and Western Chipping
Sparrow, the only other of note I found was one of the Audubon Warbler with
four fresh eggs.
On June 6 I noted two very early nests for this elevation of the House
Finch (Carpodaciis mcxicanus frontalis) placed in lodge-pole pines twelve and
fifteen feet up, both with five fresh eggs. Later in the day I found four eggs,
incubation advanced, of the White-crowned Sparrow, and four eggs, fresh, of
the Sierra Hermit Thrush. A nest of the Western Chipping Sparrow (Spizella
socialis arizonac) was collected with a set of four eggs- one of which was an in-
fertile runt measuring only .55x.43 ; the others were normal averaging .71x.53.
July, 1912 A JOURNEY TO STAR LAKE COUNTRY AND TAHOE REGION 147
A nest presumably of the Pintail Duck (Dafila acuta), which I had pre-
viously found, was also revisited as I desired to show it to Mr. Carriger. On
reaching the nest, however, we found it deserted and the six eggs emptied of
their contents, scattered about on the grass. Mr. Carriger located his first nest of
the Ruby-crowned Kinglet today in a lodge-pole pine. Examination showed it
to hold seven fresh eggs. Nearby one of the Yellow Warbler was noted placed
in the dead portion of a willow without any attempt at concealment and yet for
this very reason more liable perhaps to be overlooked, as nests of the Western
Robin and Western Wood Pewee often are, which are built in dead or burnt
trees.
Three nests of the White-crowned Sparrow, all on the ground in meadow
land, were noted on June 7, one with four small young, one with one and one
with four eggs, fresh. In a dead pine Carriger excavated a nest of the Pygmy
Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea pygmaea) with small young, while a nest each of the
Williamson {Sphyrapicus thyroideus) and Sierra Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius
daggetti) in dead portions of live lodge-pole pines were found in a like condi-
tion. We saw the first Gnatcatcher (Polioptila, sp. ?) for the Lake Valley re-
gion today and were much disappointed in being unable to secure it.
As we intended leaving for the long tramp to Pyramid Peak the following
morning we spent June 8 leisurely rowing along the lake shore east and south-
east of Bijou. Many nests of the Tree Swallow (Iridoprocne bicolor) were
noted in cavities in piles in deep water. Most nests contained either eggs or
young varying from five to seven in number. The Tree Swallows were not the
only species to take advantage of the protection afforded by water-bound nesting
sites, for numerous nests of the Brewer Blackbird and one of the Mountain
Bluebird were also noted. The most remarkable, however, were two of the
Red-shafted Flicker, both with almost full-grown young, some of which in the
excitement caused by our approach fluttered into the water. For a time Carriger
and I were kept busy returning them to their protected and yet perilous dwelling
place. The day's work closed early as we had to spend considerable time after
reaching camp preparing for the long trip to Pyramid Peak, already recounted
in a previous number of The Condor.
THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE COLORADO CHECK-LIST OF
BIRDS
By WELLS W. COOKE
THE appearance of "A History of the Birds of Colorado/' by W. L.
Sclater, reviewed in this number of The Condor, marks an opportune
time for presenting the status of the Colorado state list of birds in the
light of the new records furnished by Sclater and accessions that have become
known since the third supplement to the Birds of Colorado was published in
the Auk for October, 1909.
The Sclater list of 1912 shows both additions and subtractions as compared
with the Cooke list of 1909, as shown in the following table.
