M o nthly B ulletin 7 



CHECK LISTS 



The Audubon Society check-lists, furnished free to all who ask for them, 

 continue popular with all who wish to make lists of birds seen. Many of 

 those making records send them in for our approval and comment. Among 

 those received too late for mention in our last issue of the Bulletin are the 

 following: Margaret and Rosamond Lane, 19 Oxford Street, Cambridge, 

 total number of birds checked, 64; Robert L. Coffin, Massachusetts Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station, Amherst, birds checked, 131; Bessie M. Graves, 

 Southampton, 108; George E. Allen, Plainfield, 66; Maude A. Graves, South- 

 ampton, 77. The Society will be glad to furnish lists to be begun for the 

 ensuing year and publish the results in the Bulletin early next season. 



THOSE DEDHAM OWLS. 



May 16th. — As we were sitting at a second-story window watching the 

 birds, there happened some interesting things. In a No. 3 box on a tree 

 ten feet from the window, a dark brown screech owl seems to be setting, as 

 she only remains at the opening five minutes at a time. Yesterday a light 

 yellow screech owl was sitting at the opening but at noon he flew away. 

 This was the first time we had ever seen an owl fly in the day time. Today 

 the event was repeated, indicating that the eggs had hatched and that he was 

 visiting the young. Again today the inhabitant of the box appeared with 

 a small ball of fur in her beak. She sat for an hour with this small piece of 

 black and white fur held to the breeze. Then she retired and shortly re- 

 appeared without the fur ball. Six feet away on another tree is another 

 No. 3 box inhabited by a pair of flickers. Once when the little owl was 

 taking her airing at the opening of her box, the flicker flew over on to her 

 box as if to visit her, but she quietly withdrew. The flicker flew away and 

 the owl reappeared and the flicker paid another visit and received the same 

 reception. Then the flicker remained still for a few minutes before flying 

 away as though in deep thought. 



The young are hatched, as the bird now spends most of her time in the 

 opening. The father owl, after his two visits to the home box, went away 

 for a few days, but returned yesterday, and today presented a beautiful 

 picture as his reddish brown head shone in the sun at the opening of his own 

 box. He has not called at the home again. A box outside the window gave 

 forth a concert as the mother bird appeared with a worm. Their existence 

 was a surprise and the disappointment was great when they were found to 

 be starlings. 



May 24th. — Day before yesterday, when the young owls were only a few 

 days old, a young one appeared at the entrance of the box. He must have 

 been placed there, as he was only the size of a hen's egg. In a short time 

 he was taken down. The mother owl did not risk the experiment again 

 yesterday, but today two young owls appeared at the hole together. Then 

 they disappeared and the mother owl came up, followed directly by a young 

 one. I walked to the window to attract them, and as the young owl was on 

 the near side I could see them both turn and gaze at me. The little owls 

 already seem grown up and except for the strength quite ready to take care 

 of themselves. G. Franklin Brown. 



