The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-22
Birds of the Humptuiips Forests.

Robert H. Laurence in Forest and Stream.
The birds about me this summer have some
what carefully noted. Having a small clearing
in front OF my house, where the suns ray falls
for half the day, II seemed that l had few
more varieties than my neighbors family of
Oregon jays came nearly every morning TO
forage about the door. l noticed them first July
Is, when the young bird was still of a very dark
color, and decidedly inexperienced, though able
to fly pretty well. One day / built brush fire
and next day saw two Steler jays fiutterng
about it. They evidently knew a camp fire
meant stray morsels OF food for them. They
are rather more shy than the Oregon
jay. large hemlock tree, near the
cabin, in falling must have knocked off some
cones from a FIR tree II leaned against A few
days after, August IA, q flock OF American Cross
bills lit on the ground near my doorstep; ard
for many DAYS they were constantly about: now
whirring from tree to ground, only In a moment
or two to whir back again. Some were most
beautifully colored, dark crimson lake and
brown, Others bright yermilion and yellow.
About September these birds took TO the high
treetops. and l saw them no more, but could
hear them chattering as they few in struggling
focks Up and down the river.
The American dipper is seen about the river
here, and the belted kinghsher is often met
with. his last bird Is very abundant in the
lower stream, or about the haroor tide lands.
Ravens / often see, but always at a distance.
The varied thrush, rock wren, Western winter
wren, chestnut backed ehieksdee. Harris wood
peeker, sooty grouse and Oregon ruffed grouse
are ali pretty often seen or heard
In salmon-berrv time heard plaintiye note
at dusk or early dawn; but never saw the bird.
l Judge 1t To have been made by the russell
backed or drawf hermit thrush. Two piIeolated
warblers spent some ten days about nv brush
heap. / first noticed the pair August I5 A
rusty song sparrow with a bit of moss in its
mouth and a half-grown tpung one BY its side |
saw september on fallen hemlock What it
was doing with the moss l could not tell;
though observed IL several times after in that
place with the young one. Looking out of my
eaeIn door the morning of September 2, ! spied
a small bunch OF feathers on bough of the
iaiien hemlock. Il was tiny owl ] shot il,
and on comparing it with descriptions In
Cones Key led. 1884 found ~ exactly fitted
none. lt may be California pigmy
owl lGIdRcsGsHm oaoHd Californicum);
though l am not perfectly sure. At dusk sep
teAoer 10 heard the deliberate. clear, sad notes
OF bird, which a settler, who WAS STAYING with
me, said was q rain crow. ''At least" said he,
that Is the way they sound back in Virginia"
The next Gay IL ralned. Again at dusk Septenn-
Der p heard the sad, distinctly reiterative
notes, and near the same place. The bird was
overhead. high up in dead 81 and could see ITS
form dimly outlined against the sky. Il must be
the yellow-billed cuckoo, CoocyzEs Anaeric1aus. A
small nyeatcher, very light IN color, with no
distinctive marks excepting two whitish wing
bars WAS il the little fycateher?) three white
rumped shrikes seen together July 10; one west
eru robin September s, others heard OCCASION
ally; and q small hawk or two, completes my
list