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Bird of the Month Bushtits are tiny birds with long tails and brown-gray plumage. Bushtits forage in flocks containing dozens of birds and often hang upside down to grab small insects and spiders. They don't sing but use "contact" calls continually to locate their flockmates. Within flocks, several pairs may nest simultaneously and additional members of the flock often help raise the young. These helpers are usually adult males, a pattern rare in birds. Both sexes build the remarkable hanging nest over a period of a month. The nest hangs a foot below its anchor point and has a hole near the top that leads down into the nest. All the adults associated with the nest, including the helpers, sleep in the nest. Sandra Butler-Roberts watched Bushtits build a nest in her seashell mobile and said "it was so tedious and meticulous… they made a tiny door near the top made from cat hair and later brought insects almost constantly" until three chicks emerged and joined the flock. Bushtits occur throughout the western U.S. and central Mexico in oak forests, evergreen woodlands, dry scrublands, and suburbs from sea level to over 10,000 feet. They do not migrate, although some individuals in mountains move to lower elevations in winter. Bushtits are common year round at FS, usually in oaks. ~ Steve Edelman Birding CLUB The Birding Club welcomes beginning and experienced birders to start or hone bird identification skills. Our main activity is a monthly bird walk along Four Seasons (FS) nature trails, which follow native riparian woodlands. We keep a list of all species observed at FS and take seasonal field trips to nearby birding hotspots. After migration waned in early May, the remaining birds settled into breeding mode and FS birders delighted in the pitter-patter of little wings! Gerrie Karczynski found a Cooper's Hawk chick in its nest and Sandra Butler-Roberts had nesting Bushtits in her yard (our Bird of the Month). John Hansen happened upon a family of California Quail as did Genie and Bill Cooper, who also spotted a pair of Mallards with three ducklings in the Trail A pond. Many people have seen the Common Raven nest at the east end of Trail A, which contained a young raven. Jane Slamer reported a mama Anna's Hummingbird on a teacup-size nest and Tina Canon had a similar nest with tiny humming-chicks! We normally meet the first Saturday of the month at 8 am at the Potrero Creek (Trail A) trailhead at The Lodge parking lot. Email steve.h.edelman@gmail.com for current schedule and information. ~ Steve Edelman FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2020 35 Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time. Adult female Bushtit. Adult males and all immatures have dark eyes. Photo by club member John Hansen California Quail mama with chicks; papa quail and 10 more chicks are outside the photo. Photo by club member John Hansen Cooper's Hawk chick in the nest. Photo by club member Gerrie Karczynski