. Bird lore . Occasionally the old birds came withfood. At 4:25 in the afternoon the second aspirant scrambled up to thenest-hole, where, clinging to the outer rim, it whistled loud and clear theBluebird call-note — tur-wee — which the parent answered from thetree. This was the first utterance of this call, and later observation made itclear that it precedes immediately departure from the nest, and may even Bluebird Tenants 13 be reckoned upon to herald that event. For half an hour this youngsterclung at the entrance, gazing out at the untried world and starting nervouslyat sounds vi^ithin the
. Bird lore . Occasionally the old birds came withfood. At 4:25 in the afternoon the second aspirant scrambled up to thenest-hole, where, clinging to the outer rim, it whistled loud and clear theBluebird call-note — tur-wee — which the parent answered from thetree. This was the first utterance of this call, and later observation made itclear that it precedes immediately departure from the nest, and may even Bluebird Tenants 13 be reckoned upon to herald that event. For half an hour this youngsterclung at the entrance, gazing out at the untried world and starting nervouslyat sounds vi^ithin the room. To fly or not to fly, that was the question, and,as it sat there wavering, the camera registered its indecision. At last,encouraged by calls from the parent, it flew to the tree below. In ten minutes another tur-wee was heard, as the owner made itsway to the air and light. This young one* flew in five minutes. Just oneminute later came another call as of one fearful of being left behind ; but this. MALE BLUEBIRD AT NESTPhotographed from nature by A. P. Morse nestling, after scrambling up to the light, fell back for the night, slippingaway unnoticed early in the morning. They were all out now, and to the parents, busy with the initiation oftheir charges into the ways of the perilous world, meal-worms offered nofurther charms. On July 12, just two weeks afcerward, the old birds reappeared at thewindow, helped themselves to meal-worms and went in to inspect theirhouse. Soon they began to prepare for the second brood. Some of theold grasses were pulled out, new grass was brought, and this time somehorsehair was used for lining. On August I, three weeks after the birds began to repair the nest, thesecond brood hatched. The story of the second brood is a very different one from that of the 14 Bird - Lore first. From the beginning the birds were much more timid, but this at firstcould be accounted for by the fact that the room was not used much of thetime, and they could no
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn
