. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. 620 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE. FLASHES OF A FALCON FAMILY Mother at the top tucks in her babies, covering them with her warm breast. Just below, father Klanccs around with an air of vigilance before shelterinK the younn in his turn. Next, he genth- feeds the weak, eight-day-old youngsters. At the bottom he loafs. Later the parents are in an end- less rush to obtain food for their offspring. This fright soon wore off, however. The youngsters decided that the one being marked and weighed was also being fed, and all crowded
. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. 620 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE. FLASHES OF A FALCON FAMILY Mother at the top tucks in her babies, covering them with her warm breast. Just below, father Klanccs around with an air of vigilance before shelterinK the younn in his turn. Next, he genth- feeds the weak, eight-day-old youngsters. At the bottom he loafs. Later the parents are in an end- less rush to obtain food for their offspring. This fright soon wore off, however. The youngsters decided that the one being marked and weighed was also being fed, and all crowded forward to get their share. FALCONS UNDISTURBED BY "pLUGSTREET" When finally set in place, Plugstreet faced the nestlings at a distance of six feet; but, although about the size of a cracker box, it did not appear t(j us greatly out of place against the gray sandstone of the ledge. Whether the old and wary falcons would view it in the same light was another question. As we anxiously watched from a distance, we were delighted to see them both sail in and alight almost on top of Plugstreet w'ithout giving this new addition to their furniture the slightest attention. After a few moments they both sailed out, circled twice, and then the female, re- turning to the ledge, scuttled over to the young. They had long been milling around, hungry and chilly, and were happy enough when she gathered them under her. It was interesting to note that she seemed more anxious to warm them than to feed them. On my arrival on May 9 the young were much more warlike and had developed inore than during any period so far. The two on the outside of the pile—on the side to- ward me—were suspicious and full of fight, a third was screened by their bodies and hence neutral, while a fourth was completely buried under the pile and did not seem to know that I was around until I finally dragged him out for weighing. The surprise was too much for his disposition, which, by the way, early in life de
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