NOTES

NESTING OF WATER IN SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS LARRY L. NORRIS, ResearchOffice, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California 93271 RANDY MORGENSON, Sierra District,Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California 93271

Within recent years, several observationsof the Water (Anthus spinoletta), adults and young, have been made in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; most of these observationsoccurred in the Upper Kern Basin. Prior to 1975, Water Pipitswere not known to nestin California(Am. Birds29:1028, 1975). On 1 August 1975, a Water Pipit nest was discoveredat 3200 m in the central Sierra near Mount Conness(Gaines, of the Yosemite Sierra, 1977:101). Subsequentnesting has been documented in the area. On 25 July 1975, Morgenson,a backcountryranger, observedan adult Water Pipit feedingtwo young at Lower HitchcockLake, 3 km southwestof Mount Whitney at an elevation of 3555 m. Morgensonstated on the field observationform that the im- maturepipits were "obviouslyborn . . . in the high Sierra--evidence that thesepipits nest here." Five years later, on 8 August 1980, Morgensonobserved a downy young Water Pipit near Shepherd Pass (3600 m) in the Upper Kern Basin. The immature pipit couldnot , but walkedabout on the ground.An adult birdstayed nearby or fluttered overhead during the observationperiod. Later that same summer, on 22 August 1980, Morgensonsighted another immatureWater Pipit in Miter Basin, northwestof Mount Langley. The was "observedfor severalminutes at about 20 m before it flew." At 1610 on 17 July 1981 in Center Basin (3555 m), KingsCanyon NationalPark, Norrisobserved a pair of Water Pipitsforaging on the mud and pebbleshore of a little snow-meltlake. One held insectsin itsbill. Searchingfor possiblenests, Norris flushed one young pipit from near the shore.The young bird had a shorttail, with white on the sides;its back was brown. One adultpipit (parent?)began short, sharp calls as it took wing and flew over him twice at about 3 m above the ground. The young Water Pipit then flew in a low, directflight across the lake inlet and into some nearbywillows. The two adult pipitsflew over Norristo the willows,and without landing,flew backover to theiroriginal position on the grassyhummocks near the lake shore. During this time, the two birdskept repeatingthe sharp "pink" note at regular intervals• About 10 minuteslater, one adult pipit took a billfulof insectsto the willowswhere the young pipit was lastseen. Norriscould not see the birdsat thispoint but couldhear the incessantbegging call of the youngpipit. The adult then flew from the willowsto light upon a boulder. From his angle of view, Norriscould not see if the insectswere gone from the adult'sbill. Eight minuteslater Norriswalked over to the willowsand flushedthe young Water Pipit. It flew up onto the nearby talus, perched on a boulder, and bobbedits short tail up and downl the bird continuouslycalled and kept watchinghim. The same adult pipit attemptedto bringfood to the youngin the willowsbut could not locateit. The two birdsdid not meet, and the adult eventuallyflew back acrossthe inlet. While on patrol the morningof 2 July 1982, Morgensondiscovered a Water Pipit nest 1.5 km west of ShepherdPass in the Upper Kern Basinat an altitudeof 3570 m. The was rocky ground on a slightrise near a stream with stringermeadows. Morgenson'sreport describesthe discovery:"Walking toward the pass, I startledan adult Water Pipit from a place betweenthe halvesof a frost-rivenrock. On the ground, betweenthe halvesof rock, wasa grassnest with five dark-browneggs in it. The adult

Western Birds 13: 39-40, 1982 39 NOTES

pipit circledoverhead for a couple of minutesthen began to fly away, so I left without taking time for photographs.The bird was continuouslypeeping the unmistakablecall of a Water Pipit while flying overhead. The white outsidetail feathers,the sizeof the bird, the shape of the bill, and the brown color assistedin identification." As far as we can determine,this is the firstnesting record of the Water Pipit for the west slopeof the Sierra and the firstfor the parks. Water Pipitsin the southernSierra inhabit the grasshummock meadows and exposedgravel shorelinesaround alpine lakes near the crest of the range. This habitat is common in the high country. The Water Pipit is one of the most common passerineson the alpine fell-fieldsof the southernSierra Nevada during the summer. The lack of field observationsof Water Pipitsin the southernSierra in the past has had littleto do with the scarcityof the bird, but is more a resultof few knowledgeablebirders in the high countryduring the pipit's nesting season. Accepted 22 .September1952

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