Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-03-15
SAT FOR THEIR PICTURES.

One does not have to wander far
afeld to meet interesting experiences.
Tor they are everywhere. Those who
think they must go to the Farce Isl
ands or the marshes of Florida to
study birds may profit by the expert
ence Of Frank NJ. Chapman, the au-
thirty on birds at the American Nfu-
scum Of Natural History, who finds
the most interesting glimpses of wing
ed life at his very door, Mr.. Chap
man tells in the New York Sun of his
social experiments with family of
blue jays near his home in Engle-
wood.
| made an observation bower, de-
signed to represent the trunk OF a.
tree, but 1t looked so unlike any such
thing that / knew no self-respecting
bird would be deceived, so I covered
i with vines. I set it up near Il little
ptne-tree in which was a blue jays
nest, and ensconced myself and my
camera inside, hoping to get some pic
lures of blue jay home life.
The old birds kept away, though ]
waited an hour and three-quarters. In
the nest were five little blue jays
which, up to that time, had probably
been fed every five minutes, and yelled
for food between times Now, though
they must have been perishing with
hunger, not peep came out OF them.
How did they know enough to obey
Indefinitely the order for silence which
the parents, unheard by me, must have
given them before they flew to the
woods? The old birds evidently dis
trusted the vine-clad object that had
grown up with such alarming swift
ness.
Not wishing to starve the little BIRDS
| made an experiment. l took a stuff
ed blue jay, discarded museum speci-
men, and wired it on a pole set close
to the nest. Instantly there was a
sWoop OF wings; the mother was back,
the babies squawked, refreshments be-
gan and confidence was restored. Blue
Jay life was in full swing, and got
several fine pictures.
I took another museum dummy.
detected, melting little scteech-owl, and
wired it to branch. Now there is
no love lost between the screech-owl
and the blue jay; in fact, there is a
feud between their houses, and hula
baloo ensued in the blue Jay family.
The old birds screamed and fiuttered:
them make this statement with
great care-they fell into that CONVEX
sational note which they only employ
when talking together. It was evident
they were planning their campaign.
Then something happened. The
mother bird jumped on that screech-
owl like lightning flash of blue Jay.
The screech-owl turned slowly over
and hung head downward, his feet
still attached to the bough. The re-
suit was confounding, and l never
heard such language from any bird as
was used by those two blue jays to
that poor old dummy.
Ten days later l again visited the
nest. The babies had all their clothes
on now, and had gained sense enough
to be afraid. The five little things all
promptly scrambled out Of the nest
and fell on the grass, and I had to
hunt them all up and set them in a
row for their picture. One can mag
inc the difficulties involved in inducing
five little blue jays to sit for group
photograph and ''look pleasant"
1t really seemed as if those birds
knew what l said, for as / clicked the
camera l asked, aren't you all very
hungry" And they answered the
question so effectually that when the
picture was developed it showed five
yawning cavities, five open mouths
behind which the five little bodies of
the five little blue jays were totally
concealed from view.