The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-02
Some Arroy Seco
Birds
ny JAMES RayEysCEorvT.

~ sEt4uES nav ENSN ItoB
Wares of the law. written and
unWritten are the birds of that part
of the Arroyo Seco lying between Los
Angeles and Pasadena california;.
There they travel in care-free exis-
tence. No one Kills them. no one
even throws at them, no one molests
them In any manner
The mountain quail are the most
protected of all the arroyo birds
They never want for food. for they
are beautifully supplied By those
living in the arroyo or on Its pieiHr-
esque edges and sleeps, Every day
from almost every kitchen door are
thrown Liberal quantities of table
leayings. and mornings and evenings
the quail go from yard to yard and
eat their fill Needless to say, they
are pompously fat.
Ihey begin foraging soon after
daylight The early riser usually
finds them in the yard, often flock
ing near the kitchen door. Their
second provisioning trip is made late
in the afternoon. They nest. rear
their broods and make their home in
the rocks and thickets of the arroyo.
One of the delightful experiences
OF those living in or on the arroyo
for the first time is nearing the day
= break ealli Of the mountain qnail. II
Is nothing at all like the familiar
piping of bob-white. II is short.
strange, wild call. sometimes almost
weird, but lovable when heard few
times
al ",
bob-white. Their legs and necks are
trife longer and they are not SO
plump. Nor have they the rich col
oring of bod white. They arc
sort of smoky steel-blue or gray in
varying shades. A topknot of slend-
er. plume-tipped feathers gives them
an odd appearance.
Other arroyo birds enjoying equal
immunities and privileges are thrush
es, mockingbirds and linnets. The
mockingbirds are unusually tame.
/ One spring a mother built her nest
In low mountain cedar, which
stood within arms length of bung-
allow window. The window was
open and some one sitting at it most
of the time during the day, but the
parent did not mind. The nest was
! plain yieX.- and her fledgings
grew up unafraid
The arroyo linnets are noisy, au-
/ dacious little marauders. In nest
building time they do not hesitate TO
invade your home If window or door
screens are open in search of con-
struction material. And If you re-
main long enough out Of a room into
which they may have entrance they
will venture to start nest in it. AS
it is. they build over your very doors
and windows, boldly picking to pieces
your best coco-fibre doormat for lin
ing
One arroyo family was annoyed
by linnets nesting year after year
above their front door They would
not have dreamed OF harming them,
and to annihiiate the beginning OF
the nest each day was OF no avail. as
the damage was promptly repaired,
. with much loud ehattering and scold-
ing
Finally one Of the young ladies
tuned and has long. fierce looking
black hair, This figure she securely
suspended over the door. directly in
were really frightened, and for a
whole day there was peace on the
front porch All were rejoicing in
being rid of them at last.
But about noon the next day one
OF the family was attracted 10 the
front porch by furious chatterng,
/, The linnets had found the formidable
. samurai out, They had savagcly re-
. moved all his hair for their nest.
y which they had again started and
. were then making successful at
tempts to tear of his gorgeous war
raiment Thereafter the linnets
G were lei alone 10 build their nest
where they pleased
T. The small birds most dangerous
a enemy is comparatively scarce in this
}, section There are perhaps fewer
70 cats in Southern California than any
II where else in the United States,
y