BIRD INTIMACIES 



has more of a droop than the artist at first planned 

 to give it. 



The next season the bluebirds occupied the cavity 

 in the birch limb again, but before my arrival in 

 July the owls had again cleaned them out. In so 

 doing they had rii)ped the cavity open nearly to the 

 bottom. For all that, early the following May 

 bluebirds were occupying the cavity again. It 

 held three eggs when I arrived. I looked over the 

 situation and resolved to try to head off the owl 

 this time, even at the risk of driving the bluebirds 

 away. I took a strip of tin several inches wide 

 and covered the slit with it and wired it fast. 

 Then I obtained a broad strip of dry birch-bark, 

 wrapped it about the limb over the tin, and wired 

 it fast, leaving the entrance to the nest in its 

 original form. I knew the owl could not slit tlie 

 tin; the birch-bark would hide it and preserve in 

 a measure the natural appearance of the branch. 

 When the bluebirds saw what had happened to 

 their abode, they were a good deal distressed; they 

 could no longer see their eggs through the slit 

 which the owl had made, and they refused to enter 

 the cavity. They hung about all day, uttering 

 despondent notes, approaching the nest at times, 

 but hesitating even to alight upon the roof above 

 it. Occasionally the female would fly away toward 

 the distant woods or hills uttering that plaintive, 

 homesick note which seemed to mean farewell. 



47 



