The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-11

are without feathers they have need of
protection, and SO one or other of the
old birds must cover them, and the
natural enemies of every bird must be
guarded against. Nest-robbers are
many Snakes, squirrels, wood mice,
owls and some of our larger birds, as
crows and biueiavs, are ever on the
watch and devour many brood.
There is another phase of the subject
that young naturalists will discover in
the course of their field work, which is
difficult to explain, unless jealousy and
selfishness have to do with it. Many
birds have been seen destroying nests
out of pure love OF mischief; simply
destroying without devouring the eggs
blot upon the character of many
species that as we see it generally APP
pears to be the very type of amiabil-
ity. The turtle dove is i'll tempered at
times, and with the exception of the
common house wren no bird will Gav-
agely attack others as readily as the
humming bird. The slightest interfer-
ence rouses their wrath, and even peo-
pie have been darted at and scolded
roundly when a nest has been APP
preached.
This eagerness to defend the nest has
its advantages so far as the observer
is concerned. By it he is guided to the
very spot and finds that of which he
was in search: but to make the discov-
cry valuable, infinite patience and tact
are required. The birds confidence is
TO be gained, and this is not a matter
of an hour or of day. Let the mere
fact of locating a nest be sufficient at
the time. Return the next day very
carefully and approach a little nearer.
Make no demonstration, and if possible
keep your hands behind you. The third
day you will find your presence creates
less commotion, and ON the fourth or
fifth the birds will be satisfied that you
mean no harm. Then studying the
habits of the birds whose home you
have found becomes comparatively
easv
The interest centering about a nest
of young birds increases as the day OF
the broods departure draws near. The
parents are very anxious; and well
they may be, for their incessant chat
tering, as if giving the brood endless
instructions, attracts good many UNI
welcome visitors The young birds are
very apt to reach the ground in their
attempt to fly from branch to branch
of tree, and generally there is cat
ready to make the fatal spring. if the
nest is near the house. or a snake,
weasel or crow is on the alert. if the
nest is far afield A knowledge of these
dangers increases the ingenuity of par
ent birds, and the observer has fire.
quent opportunities of witnessing un-
expected occurrences and goes away
abundantly satisfied that birds gener-
ally know more than is supposed. This
period of excitement and commotion is
not true of all birds. Some are very
methodical and undemonstrative. There
is a colony of little green herons in a
sink-hole in one of my fields. The birds
come, regularly, late in April and build
their flimsy nests of a few sticks, but l
never can see them at work. Then
comes the period of incubation and the
appearance of the young. Later these
half-feathered, awkward fledgelings
perch upon horizontal branches and
gradually grow strong and become like
their parents, but there is never any
excitement nor demonstration. Poor
sighted people might take the young
for crooked twigs of the trees upon
which the birds are resting. At last, to
ali appearances, they are equal to fly
ing. but they do not stir Day after
day I watch for them to begin the use
of their wings, but all in vain. Then l
go again some morning and every bird
has disappeared l have to confess,
though have watched the same her
onry for many years, / have never seen
much. 1t is very different with the
larger night heronS or qua birds. THESE
are noisy enough. and generally it is
"lively as a circus" as has been said
of it; but then, we have birds of some
what different habits and often hun
dred nests built very near each other.
The deserted nest is not an unat-
tractive object. Generally it has not
suffered by long occupancy, and now
can be examined as to its structure just
as we'll as when the birds finished it.
In so doing note we'll by what means
the structure has been secured to the
spot where placed. Sometimes there
will he found evidence of considerable
engineering skill, as when additional
has been added by the attach
ing of strings to distant branches.
have seen this done by orioles and the
vireo.
Once left By the brood and parents,
most nests are not revisited, nor is the
same site chosen for a second brood;
when this occurs the old nest being
touched up. Yet there are, of course,
exceptions. The pee-wee fy-catcher
keeps the old nest for years. So do fish |
hawks. House wrens return season !
after season to the same box, but make |
a new Sc Cor each brood.
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