. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. The Screech Owls not be amiss to speculate. In the first place, the bird is less tuneful—or less noisy—and so less in evidence in the West. The notes, too, are different, and, possibly, less terrifying, though terror with birds must be more a matter of remembered experience than of tone qual- ity and suggestion in itself. Instead of that "tremulous quaver, exquisitely mournful and sweet," but also very gruesome, as it proceeds from the th
. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. The Screech Owls not be amiss to speculate. In the first place, the bird is less tuneful—or less noisy—and so less in evidence in the West. The notes, too, are different, and, possibly, less terrifying, though terror with birds must be more a matter of remembered experience than of tone qual- ity and suggestion in itself. Instead of that "tremulous quaver, exquisitely mournful and sweet," but also very gruesome, as it proceeds from the throat of a famished, bird-hunting Screech Owl in zero weather, we have in the California bird duller tones and a song phrase made up in its early numbers of separate and easily distinguishable notes. But also, chiefly, I think, the Screech Owls of the Pacific Coast, hav- ing in win- ter a more abundant and con- stant supply of their favorite food,—mice, beetles, frogs, and even, occasionally, fish— are not often driven to attack other birds. Tyler records an instance where a Screech Owl was chased by Mockingbirds; and, in general, it may be said that almost any bird will join in the pursuit of any night-prowling Owl. Even that most impeccable mouser, the Barn Owl, is sometimes set upon, in sport. But the key to the woods has been handed over to the Pygmy Owl, and him the small birds fear as they do not Otus asio bendirei. It is only at nesting time that we can acquire anything more than the merest scrap of information about our Screech Owls. Early in April, or, rarely, in later March, some natural cavity in a tree, whether live oak, Cottonwood, or sycamore, or else some deserted Woodpecker's nest, is selected for a home. Instances are found where the birds used old rat nests, and they are suspected of occupying old Magpie nests as well. No lining material is required, and the three or four rounded white eggs 1106. Photo by D. R. Dickey cf L. Huey SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCRE
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1923
