. Nestlings of forest and marsh, by Irene Grosvenor Wheelock; . loudest for food. At last, beingabout to leave the vicinity, and not caring totake the nestlings with us, we tried the ex-periment of again opening the hole andreplacing the two in the nest. Scarcely wasthe small piece that had been removed putback in place when the mother bird flewdown and looked in at the door. Dear,dear ! she seemed to say, here are thelost babies, half starved ! Hurry, hurry,to feed them ! and away she went afterbugs and beetles. The father at once tookher place, looked in also, uttered a bluebirdexclamation o
. Nestlings of forest and marsh, by Irene Grosvenor Wheelock; . loudest for food. At last, beingabout to leave the vicinity, and not caring totake the nestlings with us, we tried the ex-periment of again opening the hole andreplacing the two in the nest. Scarcely wasthe small piece that had been removed putback in place when the mother bird flewdown and looked in at the door. Dear,dear ! she seemed to say, here are thelost babies, half starved ! Hurry, hurry,to feed them ! and away she went afterbugs and beetles. The father at once tookher place, looked in also, uttered a bluebirdexclamation of astonishment, and swiftlyflew away for food in his turn. For half anhour one or the other parent was at the nest-hole constantly with nourishment for thereturned nestlings. The lost were found,36 A MAY MOVING and the fatted calf was killed amid ferventrejoicings. It seemed to me that the blue-birds song that night had a happier note — Trually, trually, thankfully, days after, the babies flew one at atime from the old tree nest. There was no. • Are you satisfied with this pose, Mr. Photographer? twig or bough near to receive them, for thetree trunk was stripped bare of bark andbranches. Their flight must be from thedoor of their snug home out into the widegreen world of forest. The nearest perchwas twenty feet away. No wonder theystood a long time on the doorstep summon-37 NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH ing courage to venture out. Twenty feet isa long distance for baby wings. There arewonderful and terrible things in the greenforest to baby eyes. By and by one tookheart of faith, or a gentle push from behindforced him out, and away he fluttered. Bravo ! called the little blue father, flyingaround and under him. He almost reachedthe branch, tried for, but could not quitegrasp it. Down, down he tumbled, halfflying, half falling into the soft ferns, andsat breathless, frightened, but safe. Hisbravery was at once rewarded with a fine tid-bit brought by his fond m
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1902
