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Nesting Notes from San Diego County

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On March 27, 1913, a pair of Pacific Horned Owls were found nesting about two miles down the Sweetwater River from Dehesa and upon rapping upon the tree the female was flushed. The three young were rather large and partly feathered. As the old bird left the nest a pair of Red-bellied Hawks set out in pursuit. One continued to chase the old owl, while the other hawk returned and robbed the nest of one of the young owls. This was torn to pieces and eaten in a nearby tree. The day before I had robbed the Red-bellied Hawk’s nest of three eggs. This was located about a quarter of a mile up the river. On returning to the locality a week later there was only one young owl left.

On July 21, 1913, at Lemon Grove, while picking some fruit in a nearby orchard, I was surprised to hear the “purt, purt” of an Arizona Hooded Oriole in an adjoining palm tree. I was still more surprised on finding a partially completed nest swung to the underside of a lower leaf of the same palm. July 30 the nest contained one egg, with the female sitting. On August 4 I took the nest and 3 eggs, the latter varying considerably in incubation. This is the best marked set I have ever seen.

August 7, 1913, at Lemon Grove, a neighbor called my attention to a nest of Western Mockingbird not over twelve feet from his kitchen door and right over the sidewalk. It was in a cypress tree ten feet above the ground and contained four fresh eggs which I took. This was the fourth laying of this year known to me. The first, of four eggs too far advanced to blow, was handed to me by the same man April 9. It was taken from an ornamental pine tree near the front door. The middle of May I saw the old birds feeding young, and again the secoud week in July I saw them feeding young; but I think a pet cat caught this brood.

San Diego, California

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