The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-07-05
THE BALD EAGLES NEST.
CONSPICUOUS LANDMARK FOR MANY
MILES AROUND.

How the Big Birds Plan in Mountain
Wildernesses-Peril in the Spring Snow
Giant Nestiings That Fatten on Choice
Game Bullying the Poor Fishhawk.
At the tops of tall old trees in the heart
of swamps and heavy woodlands, stu
ated usually in the vicinity of water,
the bald eagle builds. Its great mass
of tangled roots and decayed branches
from the surrounding trees, or drift
wood from the shores, is a consp1cu-
GUS landmark for many miles around.
Several carloads of wood are fire.
ouently used in the construction, and
some of the eyries are occupied by
the same birds for years. From two
to three eggs of dull white color
and slightly larger than the domestic
duck egg, are deposited by the eagles
in February and March, and the
young birds come out of the shells in
time to get the benefit of the great
run of fish in the waters of the bay
early in the spring. The food of the
young birds consists mainly Of fish,
wild fowls and occasionally small ami
mails.
The eagles habit of robbing the
fshhawk of its well-earned prey is
characteristic of its foraging propen-
sites. Frequently when hungry the
great birds follow the fishhawk, and
as the hawk arises from the water
after a plunge, with cry the eagle
sweeps downward upon the unfor-
tunate fisher and, causing him to drop
his prey, will, with sudden motion,
grasp the fish in its talons and, soar
ing upward, leave the illfated hawk
screaming with rage below him. The
eagles bully the fshhawks to such an
extent that the poor birds are afraid
to meet their tormentors and begin
to cry out in the most pathetic man
ner when the eagles appear. AS
scavengers about the shores OF the
bay and it's tributories, the eagles are
somewhat akin to the vultures, as
they appropriate the dead fish and
other flesh which is washed up by the
waves.
Although much of the eagles prey
comes with but little exertion, there
are times when it becomes necessary
for them to work for food. The great
birds have been known when pressed
by hunger to swoop down upon hocks
of ducks, brant, and even wild geese,
selecting particular fowl as the flock
scattered, and, giving chase, usually
securing the quarry after a flight OF
several hundred yards. Wounded
ducks and other smaller wild fowl are
legitimate prey for the eagles, and on
the fresh water marshes muskrats
which are left in traps after sunrise
are frequently appropriated. Domes-
tic fowls also suffer from raids of the
eagles, and as the farmers are con-
stantly on the watch for shot at the
great birds the species is rapidly
diminishing. Along the watercourses
on the eastern shore are favorite
haunts of the eagles and many nests
are in the vicinity of the streams.
Marketing the large timber has de-
stroyed many of the best nesting sites
and very few old nests now remain in
the state.
The birds commonly known as black
eagles are the young during their first
year when the plumage lacks the
white head and tail which adorns the
adult. During the second year the
erroneous name of gray eagles is COM
monty applied to the birds, and they
do not attain the plumage marks OF
maturity until the third moulting sea
son.
At the top of tall trees on which the
branches grow sparsely a mass of
sticks, leaves, moss and roots seem to
be dumped promiscuously into
a great pile at the intersection OF
the highest limbs. Viewed from the
top the nest presents a different as
pect and the skill and patient labor
manifested in the compact mass Of
crooked sticks and roots have given
it really artistic curve about the
symmetrical cup in which the eggs
are laid. In any large area OF heavy
timber situated somewhat remotely
the birds build, and if disturbed and
broken up will build again. The
young remain in the nest until they
become larger than their parents and
become very fat on rats, squirrels,
moles and other small rodents and
reptiles, which form the usual diet OF
both these species of hawk.
Occasionally raids upon the barn
yards have gained for them the name
of hen or chicken hawk and the en-
nifty of the farmer. The red-tail is
much more addicted to the poultry
habit than its relative, but through
their similarity OF appearance the
chicken raisers do not discriminate
between them, and the red shouldered
which rarely approaches the poul-
try yards frequently hunted down
for the misdeeds of another species.
In the lowlands and deep, inacces-
sible swamps, where the trees grow
thick and water covers the ground
during the winter and spring, the
great horned owls are at home. They
can be heard uncannily hooting in the
dark recesses OF the woodland. just
after New Years the owls begin look
ing about for building site. In the
depths Of a convenient hollow or upon