The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1905-06-10
Tlg HORNED OWES NgsT.
In ons Case Grove Neat, OmIy aIswA
II Rnnm.naaan - - - - - -

: = Il 4
IN Vhs Case Grove Nest, Only elawAts
y ReRtodeled, Was Uaed.
work had been going ON all day in
the sugar bush; the sap had been gath
cred and drawn to the boiling-place
unu4 there remained but few scatter
ing trees to be visited near the swamp.
me boy was softly whistling to him
selr' when rabbit with easy, graceful
bounds crossed the road but few
PAGES ahead Of him and stopped by the
slde OF birch-bush to nibble the ten
der buds. Just then a startling sound
came up from the swamp.
+ Why did the rabbit pause in his
dainty meal and squat in his very
tracks until his form more nearly re-
sembled q footprint infthe snow than
living mammal? The chatterinR red
squirrel dropped into the crotch Of a
tree and ceased to chatter, as the
ominous and almost supernatural
'Whoo- hoo hoo wo hooo" sounded
through the dismal swamp and echoed
through the maple grove. This was the
nunting-call Of the great horned owl
Theactions Of the rabbit and squirrel
did not surprise the boy, who had al,
ways heard that this owl was q yer.
lltable Nero among the feathered race
AS yet The had never discovered the
nest Of the great horned owl. 1t was
now the first week in March. OF late
ne had heard the weird call frequently
from the swamp. causing him to be
lieve the birds were nesting there, anG
he fully determined to make q search
for that nest
The next day was spent in a fruit
less search, and 1t perplexed the boy
for often he had located the nest Of thc
bobolink and meadow lark-nests tina
are not easily found.
But the second days search ended
about noon, in rather an interesting
manner. The boy stopped for luncl
and a little rest under a hemlock tina
he knew well, for, the spring before,
pair Of crows had a nest in the tree
The old nest was still there, and, jus
to see what condition it was in afte
the storms Of winter, he assembled tn
tree. The nest was between fifty an,
sixty feet from the ground. Just Imag
inc the boys. surprise when abou
thirty feet from the nest to see q grea
horned owl silently glide of ard win
its way through the tree tops. 1t wa
revelation, upon reaching 1t, to I'm
that the great horned owl had reall
used the old crows nest, which had tn
appearance Of Oeing slightly remot
eled, and was sparsely lined with evel
green leaves and feathers. In the mes
were three white eggs, about the siz
Of g bantam's. The boy afterwar
learned that the usual number Of egg
deposited by the great horned owl
: two, and that sometimes the bird COZ
structs a nest for itself in a hollow tire
or an evergreen.
On the first day Of April there wer
two little owls in the nest, and a da
later a third appeared. They wer
Queer-looking birds, seeming to b
nearly all head and eyes, and the
bodies were covered with the Boftel
down.
The young birds grew very slowl!
although the remains of fish, mic,
I squirrels, rabbits and birds of variou
kinds furnished abundant evidenc
i. that the old birds were lavish in SUI
8 plying food. They remained In the nes
for about eleven weeks, which 10 Ion
compared with most Of our birds
. many young birds leaving the nest 4
3 from twelve to fifteen days, and tn
! woodcock, bob-white and ruffed grous
l in about as many hours.-St. Nichola