48 Baby Birds at Home 



down. During cold wet weather you will find 

 their mother covering them with her wings, 

 spread out very much like a barn-door fowl 

 brooding a large family of chicks. If she is 

 not doing this you may rely upon it that she 

 is sitting in a tree not far off, intently watch- 

 ing the place where her young ones abide. 

 Should you ,be lucky enough to find her 

 family, she will most likely surprise you by 

 suddenly emerging from her place of hiding 

 and flying close over your head. 



Sometimes in her anger and alarm she 

 will smack her wings together over her back 

 and beneath her body, and if this does not 

 succeed in driving you away she will resort 

 to a very cunning trick. Disappearing from 

 view, she will startle you by screaming out 

 like a rabbit in pain, and upon going in the 

 direction of the distressing sounds, you will 

 in all probability find her lying on the ground 

 with both wings stretched out. This clever 

 ruse has been put into practice in order to 

 draw you away from her young ones. 



Long-eared Owls feed their chicks upon 

 voles, rats, mice, and small birds, for which 

 they may frequently be seen hunting during 

 broad daylight. 



