74 BRITISH NESTING BIRDS 



Nesting Period. — March and April, often later. 



Site of Nest. — A hollow tree, or a deserted nest of a Crow, Magpie, 

 Ring Dove, or Squirrel is used. Also in barns and outhouses. 



Materials Used. — Decayed chips of wood, and usual pellets and 

 discarded feathers which accumulate in a tenanted haunt. 



Eggs. — Three or Four. White; round; large; 1.8 by 1.52 inch. 



Food. — Rabbits, rats, moles, mice, young birds, and, it is said, fish. 



Voice. — This is the species which utters the weird hooting noise 

 at night. It is something like " hoo-hoo-hoo-oo-00 ; " also 

 "tu-whit, tu-whoo," the last named being shriller and not so 

 mellow. A hunger-call resembles " ky-eck. yek." 



Chief Features. — Distinguished by its mellow hoot. The commonest 

 British Owl. Much persecuted by gamekeepers because of 

 harm said to be perpetrated among young game birds. For- 

 tunately protected on some estates, where the owners like to 

 have these birds preserved. 



Plumage. — Beak greyish-yellow; dusky-blue iris; above reddish- 

 brown, marked and spotted in various shades of brown, black, 

 and grey; on the scapulars and wing-coverts there are large 

 spots of white; bars of dark and reddish-brown on primaries 

 and tail-feathers; reddish-white underneath, with transverse 

 brown bars and longitudinal dusky streaks; the legs are 

 feathered right down to the claws. Length. — Sixteen inches. 



OYSTERCATCHER (Hamatopus ostralegus) 



Local Names. — Chalder, Chaldrick, Choldrick, Mussell-Picker, Olive, 



Oysterpicker, Pianet, Pie, Pied Oystercatcher, Scolder, Sea 



Magpie, Sea Pie, Shelder, Skelder - Drake, 



Tirma, Trithcham. 

 Haunt. — The seashore and its immediate vicinity. 

 Nesting Period. — May and beginning 



of June. 

 Site of Nest. — On rocks or rough 



Materials Used. — Hardly any, ex- 

 cepting, perhaps, a few small stones or pieces 

 of shell. 



Eggs. — Three or Four. Yellowish, handsomely 

 blotched with ash and blackish-brown. 



Food. — Small shellfish, also shrimps, worms, and pjp 26 . Head of 

 other creatures. Oystercatcher. 



Voice. — A shrill cry, or piercing whistle, and also 



shrill, rapid, rattling cries. Hett compares it to: " hcep-heep- 

 hcep," " kleep, kleep " (rapid and clamorous), or " quip, quip " 

 (sharp and whiplike). On wing, " my feel." 



