. Bird life stories, comp. from the writings of Audubon, Bendire, Nuttall, and Wilson . sionally, when otherprovender is scarce, especially in winter, small birds have tosuffer. Grasshoppers, when attainable, form the bulk oftheir fare, and it is amusing to watch them catch and disposeof the latter, handling them as expertly as a squirrel doesa nut. And no sooner has one been caught and swallowedthan they are after another. They seize them with theirtalons, both while on the wing and on the ground. Aftergorging themselves, they return to some favorite perch on adead limb of a tree standing on
. Bird life stories, comp. from the writings of Audubon, Bendire, Nuttall, and Wilson . sionally, when otherprovender is scarce, especially in winter, small birds have tosuffer. Grasshoppers, when attainable, form the bulk oftheir fare, and it is amusing to watch them catch and disposeof the latter, handling them as expertly as a squirrel doesa nut. And no sooner has one been caught and swallowedthan they are after another. They seize them with theirtalons, both while on the wing and on the ground. Aftergorging themselves, they return to some favorite perch on adead limb of a tree standing on the edge of a prairie ormeadow, or to the top or the crossbars of a telegraph-pole,and sometimes to the wire itself. In the west, where theselittle Hawks are abundant, every such pole in sight stretchingacross a prairie may sometimes be seen occupied by this orsome larger species. These poles appear to be very attractiveto all the Raptores, affording them an unobstructed view ofthe surroundings. The common call of the Sparrow-hawkis a shrill kee-hee, kee-hee, repeated several SCREECH-OWL, OR MOTTLED 0■\^■LMcgascops asio SCREECH-OWL OR MOTTLED OWL JOHN JAMES AUDUBON THE notes of this Owl are uttered in a tremulous dolefulmanner and somewhat resemble the chattering of theteeth of a person under the influence of extreme cold,although much louder. They are heard at a distance ofseveral hundred yards, and by some people are thought to beof ominous import. The little fellow is generally found about farmhouses,orchards and gardens. It alights on the roof, the fence or thegarden gate, and utters its mournful ditty at intervals forhours at a time, as if it were in a state of great suffering,although this is far from being the case, the song of all birdsbeing an indication of content and happiness. They arechiefly heard during the latter part of winter, just before thenesting season. The nest is placed in the bottom of the hollow-trunkof a tree, often not at a greater height
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1904
