. British birds . pears to be more gregarious than otherspecies, except, perhaps, the short-eared owl. Mr. Abel Chapmanwrites : * A pecuharity of the habits of these owls after the breed-ing-season deserves a remark. As soon as the young were fledgedthe whole of the owls associated together, perhaps three or fourbroods, old and young, in a single family, and chose a thick blackScotch fir for their abode. Here they all passed the day. To thisparticular tree the whole of the owl-life of these woods resortedregularly at dawn, and in it slept away the hours of daylight,hidden amongst the deep ever
. British birds . pears to be more gregarious than otherspecies, except, perhaps, the short-eared owl. Mr. Abel Chapmanwrites : * A pecuharity of the habits of these owls after the breed-ing-season deserves a remark. As soon as the young were fledgedthe whole of the owls associated together, perhaps three or fourbroods, old and young, in a single family, and chose a thick blackScotch fir for their abode. Here they all passed the day. To thisparticular tree the whole of the owl-life of these woods resortedregularly at dawn, and in it slept away the hours of daylight,hidden amongst the deep evergreen recesses. At the particulartree of their choice (it varied in different years) the owls couldinvariably be interviewed during the summer and autumn, thoughto a casual eye it was difficult, amidst the deep shadows of thefoliage, to distinguish their shm forms, pressed closely against thebrown branches of the pine. Towards dusk their awakening wasnotified by the querulous cat-like cry ; ten minutes later their. LONG-EABED OWL 197 Bilent forms appeared outside the wood, and, after a few rounds ofpreliminary gyrations, it was dark enough to commence operationsin earnest. Field-mice and rats are its principal food; it also preys a gooddeal on insects, and kills more small birds than does the white is an early breeder, laying its eggs in the deserted nest of a crow,magpie, rook, or heron, or in a squirrels drey, or even making useof the slight platform-nest of the wood-pigeon. The eggs are fourto six in nimiber, nearly round in shape, and have smooth whiteshells. Short-eared Owl. Asio brachyotus. Face whitish; beak black; iris yellow; tufts on the headsmall, composed of black feathers ; eyes encircled by brownishblack; upper parts dusky brown edged with yellow; under partsdull yellow streaked with brown. Length, fifteen inches. In its habits the short-eared owl offers a strong contrast to thespecies last described. It is a bird of the moors and fens, laying itseggs on th
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Keywords: ., bookauthorhudsonwh, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookyear1921
