Pipe Line Trail & Nest Searches

This morning started out cool but just the type of weather I would expect in Mt. Shasta a week from now. It made the backpacking bearable. I am ready for the ascent which will start Memorial Day.
Directly after my hike I headed to the bird blind where I saw a Western Kingbird and a Yellow Warbler in addition to an Ash-throated Flycatcher who appears to have a territory around the blind. It is chasing off some of the birds that come down to feed. Later in the day I returned to the blind to learn volunteers saw an Orchard Oriole. We all got a good look at a first year male Blue Grosbeak.
Around noon I hiked the nature trail to examine the Northern Cardinal nest. It was abandoned, apparently predated. While following a Golden-cheeked Warbler I discovered the Cardinal's new nest 150 feet away. It is in a gnarly juniper branch where lots of dead needles have accumulated. Two eggs are present.
The Black-chinned Hummingbird female was not on her nest when I arrived. Experience tells me to wait at least ten minutes as the female may be on a food run. Such was the case but instead of her going directly to the nest she perched in a dead snag 12 feet off the ground and watched me. Her crop was bulging out from her chest. Once I made the move to get up and leave, she flew up to the nest and began regurgitating food to the nestlings.
I visited the Golden-cheeked Warbler territories along Hackenberg Creek twice today. Once in the late morning when temperatures were still chilly. At that time all three males were on territory but only sang feebly. I returned again around 1:45 when the sun started peaking out and all was alive. I followed male #1 all around the Live Oak and three Spanish Oaks. He was singing, feeding, chipping, more feeding, then silence as he slipped away to the nest. I believe this pair finally has young in the nest, but I have yet to discover the nest location. These woods are so dense it is hard to catch all movement of birds high up in the canopy where a male Golden-cheeked Warbler likes to sing.