126 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXII. 



SCREECH OWL. 



The Screech Owl is not a common habitant of 

 our gardens, but it is often found nestmg in neglectrd 

 orchards where hollow trees give opportunity. It is 

 a small owl, not greatly exceeding a robin in size, 

 but of apparently greater bulk on account of its 

 heavier build and more fluffy feathering. Its colour 

 may be a fine pattern of either ash grey or burnt 

 sienna red, with prominent ear tufts and yellow eyes. 

 It is carnivorous of course, and undoubtedly takes a 

 certain number of small birds, though mice form 

 its principal fare. On the whole, it is much more 

 a friend than an enemy of man. It may sound in- 

 consistent to allow a bird of prey to build in the 

 garden, much more to advocate building a nest box 

 for it, but it is an attractive little fellow with many 

 pretty ways. It is a gross libel to call it "screech 

 owl for whatever its song is it is not a screech, but a 

 very pretty whistled tremolo, and as soothing a 

 sound as can be imagined. If one can be induced 

 to stay within easy hearing distance from the house, 



its many other conversational themes will well repay 

 the listener for his attention and will add an interest 

 to the night that other bird voices give to the day. 

 But if the owl interferes with other song birds? 

 Well, it is mostly after mice and prefers them when 

 it can get them; besides Martins, and other birds 

 that can be coaxed into boxes, are probably safe 

 inside when the owl is hunting. I would really 

 hate to have to choose between a Screech Owl and 

 the other birds Martin colony excepted of course. 

 Almost any one can have wrens and swallows in 

 the garden, but the presence of a Screech Owl gives 

 a cachet of distinction that I would hesitate to re- 

 linquish. To fall asleep at night to the love making 

 song of the Screech Owl, to be awakened in the 

 morning by the pleasant gurgles of Purple Martins 

 and pass the day to the songs of wrens and voices 



of Tree Swallows makes a modern commonplace 

 garden approach in some degree at least that from 

 which we are supposed to have fallen. 



SPARROW HAWK. 



The Sparrow Hawk Is hardly to be classed as an 

 inhabitant of the garden. The smallest of our 

 hawks, scarcely larger than a robin, and the brightest 

 coloured of all our raptores, the blue blood of the 

 falcons runs through its veins. Such a bird cannot 

 be expected to confine itself to the formal restrictions 

 of suburban life. Its home is the open fields, and 

 there it combats grasshoppers and mice in true 

 knightly fashion. Its chateau is in some high flung 

 limb of a tall dead tree. As a nobleman of the old 

 regime it cannot be expected to descend to the 

 manual labour of the carpenter's and mason's trade, 

 but inherits its residence from that useful commoner 

 the Flicker, in whose abandoned or pre-empted 

 stronghold it raises the cadets of its line. With all 

 its nobility or perhaps because of it the Sparrow 

 Hawk is still man's humble though often misjudged 

 friend and it slays the grasshoppers and small mam- 

 mal dragons of husbandry without let or stint. 

 Though in the east there is probably little need to 

 erect special quarters for it, as its natural habitat is 

 still well supplied with suitable stubs, on the prairies 

 of the west such accommodation is lacking, and it is 

 often driven by necessity to occupy such prosaic sites 

 as telegraph poles. Think how hard pressed a 

 noble falcon must be to descend to such plebian 

 usage; but noblesse oblige, and for the sake of the 

 family line pride is swallowed. In such localities 

 i) is a sentimental and esthetic as well as an 

 economic duty to provide this brave little fel- 

 low with facilities in keeping with his needs and 

 traditions. The Berlepsch house is the best type 

 and it should be erected as high as possible, over 

 or near what shrubbery is available. 



