412 Sherman, Nest Life of the Sparrow Hawk. [jjjy 



were the Phcebes; when the Hawks frequented the barn the 

 Phoebes disappeared, but "when the Hawks were frightened away 

 Phoebe resumed her task of refitting the very old nest that had 

 cradled so many generations of her species; and later two broods 

 were raised there in safety. The Flickers were driven away from 

 the barn, but returned there to nest after the Sparrow Hawks chose 

 the blind for their nest site. The Flickers more expeditious than 

 the Hawks in incubation hatched out their brood on June 6 — the 

 first egg having been laid on May 21 — , this hatching chanced to 

 be on the birthday of Moses, and a comparison of development of 

 Flickers and Sparrow Hawks made an interesting study. The 

 Flickers gained in weight a trifle faster, but were homely, whining, 

 helpless little creatures after the Hawks were well feathered and 

 active. Both species left their nest on the same dates. 



After the female Hawk began incubation English Sparrows built 

 a nest in another box in the blind not four feet distant, and there 

 raised their brood. Next to these the species that nested nearest 

 was the Red-headed Woodpecker. A pair of these birds began 

 their nest on May 29, in the dead willow about half way to the top. 

 They brought out but one offspring. It is impossible to say that 

 any of their young were taken by the Hawks. The only time a 

 disturbance was witnessed was on June 28, directly after the Red- 

 heads had changed places in the nest. The female Sparrow Hawk 

 left her perch a few feet away, went to the Red-head's hole and 

 looked in; the departing Redhead returned and drove her away. 

 Exactly forty-six feet from the trunk of the dead willow, and fifty 

 feet or thereabout from a favorite perch of the female Hawk a 

 pair of Mourning Doves raised a brood. Their young were flying 

 about in the willows on June 20. Probably it was this pair that 

 built its second nest in a cedar tree a few rods distant, and its third 

 nest on the site of the second, where a Dove was sitting until 

 September 8, after which she deserted her eggs, containing well 

 developed embryos. This is considered worthy of mention because 

 all the other Mourning Doves of the neighborhood had left before 

 that date. Another pair of Mourning Doves raised two broods in 

 the house yard. From a plum tree nest conspicuously in sight of 

 the Sparrow Hawks a pair of Brown Thrashers brought out four 

 young, which fully grown were following their parents, and begging 



