. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. WEEK-ENDS WITH THE PRAIRIE FALCON 625 Another peculiarity in nesting beliavior was noted at the "nest on tlie cliff" in 1929. In- stead of placing their eggs in clear view on the ledge, as they had done the previous year, the falcons chose a pot- hole six feet below it. In this position the eggs could not be photo- graphed, so we shifted the whole set to the old nesting depression. Then for the next half hour we watched one of the keenest- sighted of all birds fly directly past its eggs, clearly visible and very consp
. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. WEEK-ENDS WITH THE PRAIRIE FALCON 625 Another peculiarity in nesting beliavior was noted at the "nest on tlie cliff" in 1929. In- stead of placing their eggs in clear view on the ledge, as they had done the previous year, the falcons chose a pot- hole six feet below it. In this position the eggs could not be photo- graphed, so we shifted the whole set to the old nesting depression. Then for the next half hour we watched one of the keenest- sighted of all birds fly directly past its eggs, clearly visible and very conspicuous on the ledge, and go back in- to the pothole from which they had been removed. While in the pothole the old bird mooned around as sol- emnly as an owl and uttered puzzled clucks. This seems to be a typical falcon reaction, for a fellow observer re- ports that a duck hawk once refused to follow its clearly visible eggs when they had been moved only two feet! It, too, went back to the exact spot where the eggs had been laid. After we had watched the antics of the old bird in the pothole until it was certain she would not follow her eggs, they were put back. Soon after, they dis- appeared and are now probably resting in some collection. THE VARIED DIET 0? THE FALCON What is the normal diet of the prairie falcon ? To this question there is no definite answer. Food remnants found at one nest by the writer and analyzed through the kind co- operation of Prof. J. O. Snyder, Department of Zoology, Stanford University, by Miss Lydia S. Bowen, then a graduate A BOX SEAT ONLY SIX FEET FROM THE NEST From inside the hanginf; blind the author watched and photographed his falcon friends nesting in the upper cleft, and even "dined" with them (see page 626). The spot seemed a wilderness, but no sooner was the mysterious box in place than herders, driving sheep to summer ranges, began to concentrate and inquire about it. Two years before, a falcon family occupied the lo
Size: 1348px × 1855px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookpublisherwashingtondcnationalgeographicso, booksubjectbirds
