TAWNY OWL. 14-7 



this Owl is a loud and melancholy hoot, most frequently 

 heard in the evening. 



An interesting notice on the habits of the Tawny Owl 

 was communicated to the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club 

 by Ralph Carr, Esq., and the following abstract is from 

 the first volume of the Transactions : " This bird does not 

 seem to be known as a bold and rapacious robber of the 

 nests of some of our stronger birds at the time when it is 

 feeding its own young. It has been protected now for 

 a few years at Dunston Hill. In 1844 a pair of Tawny 

 Owls reared and ushered into the world three hopeful 

 young ones, after having fed them assiduously upon the 

 trees for many weeks after they had left the nest. The 

 food must often have consisted in great part of worms, 

 snails, and slugs, for the old birds brought it every minute 

 from the ground in the immediate vicinity of the trees 

 where the young were perched. This however might only 

 be considered as a whet to their appetites before dinner ; 

 for the parents made repeated and persevering attacks 

 upon three or four magpie nests, sometimes during half 

 an hour at a time. As the defence was spirited and gallant, 

 they were often repulsed; but, finally, I found the re- 

 mains of young magpies under the favourite perch of the 

 young owls, and one morning the head and feathers of an 

 old magpie. This then I thought must have been taken 

 when roosting. In 1845, the old owls alone were seen, 

 and they passed the summer in sedate retirement, and 

 seemed to rest from the labours of propagation ; neither 

 did they molest the magpies. But in 1846 they began to 

 be very active early in the spring, and by the beginning 

 of May again had their young owlets out upon the 

 branches. Walking out one evening about nine o'clock, 

 I heard a pertinacious attack going on against a pair of 

 magpies that had their nest in the top of a very tall syca- 



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