i 4 8 A FEATHERED WASTER 

 chicks would be taken. There was no 

 doubt in my own mind that he must be 

 shot and trapped whenever possible. I 

 would tell Old Bob to bring along his 

 twelve-bore. 



With this determination in my mind I 

 thought I would look at the nest. Now 

 most owls will fly out when disturbed and 

 leave the eggs or young to their fate. 

 Much to my surprise, this bird sat tight. 

 I broke a twig off and prodded her gently. 

 She refused to budge. I pushed a little 

 harder. With a mew like a distressed cat 

 she left her four eggs and ran quickly to a 

 hidden corner of the platform on which 

 they were laid (the eggs were just visible 

 as I looked down at them through a small 

 hole in the top of the tree). 



But she did not leave them uncovered 

 for long, for with another cry of pain she 

 crept over them again, covering them with 

 her body. Again I tapped her with the 

 stick, but she was obstinate. She was 



