. Bird-lore . GRASSHOPPER SPARROW AT NEST A Double Tragedy *83 to get suitable pictures I had pulled up and pressed down some of the vege-tation that stood in front of the nest; and thinking that there was little danger,I had failed to conceal it when I left. Some prowling animal had happenedalong, and the four lusty young that I had inspected late on the previousevening were gone, scattered feathers at the door of the nest telling me thatthe mother had been caught as she brooded them. I heard the male singing nearby, and once he came with food. He lookedinto the empty nest from which hungry m
. Bird-lore . GRASSHOPPER SPARROW AT NEST A Double Tragedy *83 to get suitable pictures I had pulled up and pressed down some of the vege-tation that stood in front of the nest; and thinking that there was little danger,I had failed to conceal it when I left. Some prowling animal had happenedalong, and the four lusty young that I had inspected late on the previousevening were gone, scattered feathers at the door of the nest telling me thatthe mother had been caught as she brooded them. I heard the male singing nearby, and once he came with food. He lookedinto the empty nest from which hungry mouths had been wont to greet him,and for a moment seemed puzzled (I hesitate to say dismayed) at the , after looking to the right and left, as if seeking his mate, he flew awayand I saw him no more. It was an hour or so later that I heard the peculiar call of the Cowbird,and almost immediately a female appeared in front of the peep-hole. She. A COWBIRD INSPECTS THE QUAILS NEST had spied the empty Sparrows nest and went directly to it. It apparentlysuited her purpose for after a brief inspection she entered and sat down. If Ihad only had the camera focused on the nest I might have caught her there,but there was no time to rearrange my apparatus. Whether she saw thefeathers before the nest, or whether some instinct told her that the nest wasdeserted, T know not, but she suddenly jumped up as if frightened and cameoff. It was then that she saw the Quails nest and she proceeded to inves-tigate. Just as she was peeping in I released the shutter, but, unfortunately,the focus was poor and the exposure inadequate. Perhaps she realized that 284 Bird - Lore a Quail would make a young Cowbird a poor foster mother, or maybe thenoise of the focal-plane shutter startled her, for she soon flew away to seeksome more suitable home for her future oflfspring. After this incident there was a long, warm wait, but finally, about 2 p. Quai
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirdsperiodicals
