The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-07-07
Little Kings of the Intervale.

-
heavily. From time to time he ut
tered an angry and frightened squak.
Over, under and all around him, now
dartlng at his eyes, now dropping |
upon him like little thunderbolt, |
now slapping de'risive wing across |
his formidable bcak. flashed small |
dark bird whose silvery white belly |
now and then caught the sun.
The crows accustomed alert self
possession was shattered. He had
quite forgotten his own powers Of at
tack. He seemed to fear for his
eyes-and among the wild kindred
there is no fear more haunting than
that. When he ducked and swerved,
and tried Ito dodge, he did it awkward
ly, as if his presence of = mind was
gone.
His assailant, less than third of
his weight, was a kingbird, whose
nest in the crotch of an elm on the
SO ill-advised to investigate. The
crow was comparatively inexperienced
or he would have known enough to
keep away from the nest of kingbirds.
But there it was, in plain sight, and
HE loved eggs or tender nestlings. Be
fore he had time to find out which
it was that the nest contained both
parent birds had fallen upon him
with swift ferocity which speedily
took away his appetite for food or
fight. Their beaks were sturdy and
burning sharp. Their short, powerful
wings gave them a flight so swift
and darting that, for all his superb r
strength, he felt himself at their
mercy. His one thought was to save
his eyes and escape.
Both birds chased him until he was
we'll out over the river. Then the
female returned to her nest, leaving
her mate to complete the in+ruder's
chastisement. Had the crow been an
old and cunning bird, he would have
sought the extreme heighths Of air
where the kingbird is disinclined Q
follow, but lacking this crow wisdom
he kept on at level of the tallest
tree top, and was forced to take his
punishment. He was, in reality
more sore and terrified than actually
injured, for that darling threatening
beak of his pursuer never actually
struck his eyes. For this, it is prob
: able, he had only the indulgence Oh
the kingbird to thank. When at last
the chastiser, tired Of his task. turned
and flew UP the river toward the nes
in the elm crotch, the ruff1ed CROW
took refuge out of sight in the top o
the densest hemlock, where he rollet
his eyes and preened his plumage 81
1enty for an hour before DARN,
again the vicissitudes of the wilder
ness world.
The nest to which the triumphan
kingbird hurried back was auda
ciously perched in plain view
every prowler The crotch OF TIN
elm tree which it occupied was abou
- feet from the ground. The inter
vale, or water meadow, by the sid
of the river held burt few widel
scattered trees-tTees of open growth
such as elm, balsam-poplar and waite
ash. It was free from all unde1
brush. There was nothing, there
fore. to shield the nest from eve
careless eyes, and with an insolenc
of fearlessness matched only by tina
of the osprey, it was made THE NOR
conspicuous by having great tufts
white wool from a neighboring sihee
pasture woven into it's bulky, irreg1
lar frame. So irregular and hapha
ard, indeed, did it appear that
might almost have been mistaken Il
bunch of rubbish left in the trek
from the time of the freshet. But
the two king birds relied on this r
semblance as a cOncealment, the
presumed, as so clever a bird is nv
likely to do, upon the blindne
or stupidity of the wild kindred. TT
wild kindred are seldom blind or vel
st1mid because those members Of tt
fellowship who are possessed OF SUE
defects sooner or later go to fet
their fellows. Hence it was that mo
Of the folk of the riverside, flrred
feathered. knew we'll enough VIII
the big whitish gray bunch OF ru
bish in the elm crotch was.
There were five eggs at the botto
OF the smooth, warm cup WIFI
formed the heart of the nest. TIL
were a little smaller than a robin
egg, and of soft, creamy whit
blotched irregularly with dull, p1
plish maroon of varying tone.
Jealous of these notified marve
were the kingbirds that not even t
most harmless of visitors were
lowed to look upon them. II so m'I
as thrush. or a pewee, or M
hammered white throat presumed
alight on the very remotest bran
of that elm it was brusquely driv
away.
One morning the male kingbi
was sitting very erect, as was
custom, on the naked tip of lo1
slender dead branch, some ~ II
srocs nh