Page:Condor21(2).djvu/3

THE CONDOR A Bi-Monthly Magazine of Western Ornithology Volume XXI l?aroh-Aprd, 1919 [Issued March 25, 1919] Number 2 NESTING NOTES ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN CREEPER By W. C. BRADBURY WITH FOUR PHOTOS N JUNE 21, 1917, accompanied by Robert Niedrach and Egmont Rett, and having arrived at the limit of vehicle. transportation, in Gilpin COunty, Colorado,,I started afoot to climb a steep, blazed trail up the mountain side for the open ground above timber-line. Our search was mainly to be directed toward the nests of the White-tailed Ptarmigan and Brown- capped Rosy Finch. The timber at the upper altitudes was dense, and the ob- scure trail could be followed only by the occasional "blazing" on trees, since long stretches were covered by deep snow drifts. This, together with the rari- fled air at an altitude of nearly 11,000 feetl made progress slow and difficult, and necessitated frequent stops for rest and to regain breath. During one of these pauses, about 200 feet below timber-line, we noticed a small bird that by its habit of diving from one tree to the base of another, we identified as a Rocky Mountain Creeper (Certhia familiaris mo?tana). This bird was soon joined by its mate. After watching the pair for nearly a half-hour and having in mind a hard day's work yet ahead of us, Rett and I went on, leaving Nie- drach to follow the birds until their nest was discovered or until they were lost. We had gone but a short distance, however, before being recalled by Nie- drach's lusty signal, and found that he had located the nest by seeing one of the birds enter it. The nest was about ten feet from the ground, on the side of a dead spruce sixty or eighty feet tall, from which most of the limbs and considerable of the bark were gone. It was placed between the trunk of the tree and a section of the bark that had warped away from its original position. As the nest was about six inches below the entrance, which was on one side of the section of bark, the most careful investigation was necessary to prevent endangering its contents, which proved to be three eggs. These were left undisturbed. (See fig. 12.) On revisiting the nest, on June 24, it was found to contain seven eggs. It was next visited on June 26 and as the number of eggs had not been increased and as we had to depart for Denver the next day, these, together with the nest