The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-06-05
S. S.
A TRUE BIRD STORY

(By Olive Thorne Miller, Author of
"The Chldren's Book Of Birds")
The young bird has to learn how to
do things just as small boys and girls
do, although not in exactly the same
way.
One of the first lessons he learns is
how to fly. He really knows how ~
do this, but needs practice until his
wings grow strong enough to carry
him through the air. Many young
leave the nest. | have often seen a
nesting beating and beating his wings
without stirring an inch from his tiny
home.
You have heard perhaps that the
father and mother birds rush their
babies out of the nest. Do not believe
any such thing because it is not true.
! have seen many young birds leave
the nest of their own accord, but never
one pushed out. Sometimes the moth
er may coax her children, but often
they fly out while the parents are
away finding food.
After the young bird leaves the nest
his father and mother follow and feed
him for he does not yet know how to
feed himself This is the next lesson
he has to learn. He must also know
where to sleep, and how to protect
himself from all the other creatures
hot TO +nh n
Then he must be able to sing, and no
doubt there are many other lessons for
him to learn that we do not know
about
Once l had a good chance to watch
two young blue jays learn to get their
own living. After they left the nest
| they lived in a little grove, where |
could easily find them when | went 10
watch. They seemed to be always
| hungry, and every few minutes one
of the parents would hurry up with
grasshopper or some other insect
to stuff into the wide-Open moutrs.
| They were fed chok-cherries too.
These little wild cherries grew on a
| DlS Tree III tne grove.
One day after giving the twins
chokecherries, the parents slipped
quietly out of sight, and stayed away
long time. l could see them perch
ing near but the young birds could
not. The father and mother were not
hunting food as usual but seemed 10
be taking a rest | wondered at this,
for | had never seen them resting
since the little ones were hatched
The twins, who were quite as large
as their parents now, did not try to
pull any of the fruit from the trees,
although it grew all about, and they
had often seen it done. They sat idly
picking at their toes, stretching their
beautiful wings. or hopping from
branch to branch. Soon it was eyi-
dent that they were hungry for they
began to call. Nothing happened
They called again. Still no food. This
must have been a great surprise, for
usually their cries brought a parent
with food at once. Hungrier and hun
grier they grew, and louder and loud.
er they called, but still no parents
All this time could see the mother
and father birds sitting near, and
also began to wonder why they did
not bring something. At last the
mother flew to the children, but with
nothing in her beak. SQuawking mad
ly, the two hungry youngsters fune
themselves upon her. They almost
knocked her off the perch. She just
hoped out of the way and did not
seem to care that they were hungry
Again the twins few at her. begging
for food, and again she calmly hoped
out of the way. Then she hoped RI
to bunch of cherries and pulled one