The Birds and Poets 253 



ing by day, and difficult to see, and often nest, as 

 well as roost, in hollow trees, this regurgitated 

 material is one of the safest and surest guides to 

 the bird's retreat. 



I therefore concluded the old hawk's nest was 

 occupied by owls. It was a difficult climb, and 

 the nest was well out on a long upper limb, but 

 after half an hour's work I pulled up alongside. 

 Not until I raised up beside the nest and looked 

 into it did the female leave the nest. She looked 

 immense as she softly floated off, soaring down to 

 a lower perch in an adjoining tree. There was 

 one round white egg in the nest. The eggs of the 

 great horned owl are nearly spherical, and thin 

 shelled. When seen in a dark cavity in a hollow 

 tree, in shape and color they remind one of large 

 turtle eggs. While pulling myself up to a more 

 comfortable position beside the nest, the owl noise- 

 lessly flew back into the nest tree, about twenty- 

 five feet from the nest, and back and a little above 

 my head. I did not for the moment realize that 

 this was her first strategic move in a plan of attack 

 she was blinking out as best she could under the 

 handicap of daylight. The day, however, was 

 dull and dark, which may in part account for 

 her subsequent villainous activity. Fortunately I 

 had thrown my main climbing strap around two 

 small branches which supported one side of the 

 large nest, and was partly resting against a limb 

 and partly against the strap. I looked over my 

 shoulder to see what the owl was doing, and noticed 



