Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-17
INGENIOUS BIRDS.
Clever Deception Employed to Keep Egg
and Nestinee safe.


Clever Deception Employed to Keep Egg
and Nestings Safe.
No prettier examples Of mother
hood and self-sacrincing devotion to
the young can be found in nature
than are exhibited by certain among
the birds which we all love so we'll.
Those that build upon high trees are
not so wary in the matter of nest
concealment as those that seek the
hedge or ground for the shelter Of
their houses A nest placed upon
the ground is in constant danger,
which fact Senders the parent BIRDS
remarkably wary. and their effort to
protect and conceal their eggs ard
young are often very ingenious. The
skylark has been known to carry its
eggs or offspring to pace OF safety
after AN exposure Of the nest, and it
has tecn said its long hind claw-the
use of which has puzzled many
naturalists especially adapted by
nature for more easily grasping and
transporting its treasures from the
source of danger When the young
binds are too bulky to he thus re.
moved the parent carries them on its
back. though this mode OF removal is
somewhat difficult one Nesting
upon the ground, the partridge is like
wise likely to be disturbed. A bird of
this species was once startled by
pillow passing within yard or so OF
its nest Destruction was almost a
certainty, as the pillow must pass en-.
tirely over it in the next round, and
the iaborer wOnde. cd how the part
ridge would act The time necessary
Tor going around the fed was about
twenty minutes, yet in that almost
incredible period the parent birds had
effected the removal OF some twenty
one eggs to safe spot Careful
search led to the discovery Of the bird
calmly seated upon her treasures in
the bottom of the hedge, out OF reach
Of the pillow.
The magpic is nothing il not in.
genius He always barbados his
bulky nest with thorn branches, SO
that to plumber it is by no means an
easy matter; but when circumstances
0blige the 'pie" to build In a low
bush or hedge-an absence OF lofty
trees Icing a marked feature of some
northern localities-he not only in
TERRACES his home, but also the entire
bush in a most formidable manner
Nor does he stop here To make
assurance dOubly sure" he fashions a
means of exit as well as entrance to
the castle. SO that IL disturbed he can
Slip out Of his back door as it were.
A tree sparrow on one occasion built
its nest in tall elm. just beneath
the more bulky erection of crow.
Not only did the large nest screen
the smaller, but it afforded means
OF protection from the vagaries Of
the weather. Some time after the
crows nest was plundered Of its con.
tents, while that of the tree sparrow
escaped untouched. A greenflnch
once built its nest inside the deserted
home OF missel-thrush. This de-
serted nest was we'll known to the
bird-nesting boy as forsaken. it being
several seasons old and much battered
by the storms of past winters so
none ventured to climb the tree after
it
Young birds practice receptions for
their ultimate safety, especially those
OF the partridge and the lapwing
species. At a given signal from the
parent they squat close to the ground,
hoping by such means to escape the |
eyes Of the intruder. In such cases
their coloring assists them, the
feathers Of the helpless fedglines
partaking of the hues of their gen.
eral surroundings. Nestlings taken
by surprise feign helplessness. and en-
courage the notion that they have not
yeV power to use their wings But no
sooner is the means Of escape evident
than away they flutter, awkwardly it
Is true, but sufficiently we'll to &C.
complish their purpose.