THE OOLOGIST 



Nesting of the Great Gray Owl 



In Central Alberta. 

 (Scotiapex Xebulosa Xebulosa.) 



Having done very little collecting 

 for a number of years, though always 

 maintaining an interest in the subject, 

 I resolved in the early winter of 1912- 

 1913 to again take up the formation 

 of a scientific collection of the eggs 

 of birds breeding in this locality and 

 accordingly eagerly awaited the open- 

 ing of the season of 1913. The first 

 find of the season was a good one and 

 occurred as follows: 



A friend of mine while out to see 

 some horses which we had wintering 

 at a small lake back in the timber, 

 noticed a large nest with an owl sit- 

 ting on it and we arranged to go 

 after it the following Sunday, March 

 23rd. From his description, I was al- 

 most certain it was a nest of the West- 

 ern Horned Owl. Sunday was a regu- 

 lar March day, bright and clear, and 

 hitching a team to a set of light 

 sleighs and putting in our equipment, 

 consisting of climbing irons, camera, 

 a wooden box filled with cotton bat- 

 ting, and a length of stout cord, we 

 drove out to the nest about a mile 

 distant on the Old Klondyke Trail of 

 '98 which here winds through heavy 

 poplar woods on the north bank of 

 the Pembia River. The nest could be 

 seen quite plainly from the trail and 

 was situated in the upright forks of a 

 dead poplar, about fifty feet above the 

 ground. The tree stood on the border 

 of a piece of fire killed poplar and the 

 green timber. 



The bird was sitting and did not 

 leave until we rapped on the tree and 

 when she flew I was much surprised 

 and delighted to find it a Great Gray 

 Owl and not the commom Horned Owl 

 as I had expected. My friend put on 

 the climbing irons and scaled the tree 

 until he reached a point a few feet 

 above the nest. Having reached this 



l)lace of vantage and informing me 

 that the nest contained eggs, he let 

 down his line and raised the camera 

 which I had attached to it. After tak- 

 ing two snapshots from a very awk- 

 ward position, one of which turned 

 out very well, he lowered the camera 

 and raised the box containing the cot- 

 ton and the three fresh white eggs 

 were lowered safely to the ground. 

 The measurement of the set are as 

 follows: 2.0.5x1.73, 2.09x1.74 and 2.09 

 xl.71 inches. 



During the time we were engaged 

 getting the snapshots and eggs, the 

 owl remained in the vicinity lighting 

 at distances of about forty to one hun- 

 dred and fifty yards and occasionally 

 hooting which was answered by the 

 mate further off in the timber. It re- 

 turned to the nest as soon as we left 

 it. The nest was built of sticks and 

 was apparently an old hawk's nest. 



The collecting season now having 

 opened sooner than I expected, I spent 

 a number of pleasant afternoons in 

 the woods and was fortunate in find- 

 ing a number of Hawk's and Owl's 

 nests but will only treat of the Owl 

 here. I have searched diligently for 

 a nest of the Canada Jay but without 

 success, until April 10th, when I dis- 

 covered a nest witi" five young, almosc 

 ready to fiy. 



On March 26th, I discovered a nest 

 with a Great Gray Owl sitting on i', 

 situated in a heavy green poplar 

 woods, about three quarters of a mil-i 

 southwest of the nest taken on the 

 23d. We took the nest on March 30th. 

 I may here say that in searching for 

 nests I carried nothing but a good 

 pair of glasses as it was hard work 

 wading through the snow, which was 

 too light and powdery for snowshoe? 

 to be much use till later in the spring. 

 Having located a nest we would drive 

 as near to it as possible with a team 

 to carry the outfit. To return to t'a.j 



