48 WILD LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS 



The largest of the two puffed herself up to an enormous size, and with 

 half-spread raised wings and lowered head, swayed slowly from side to side, 

 at the same time uttering a queer snapping noise with her beak. Should a 

 hand be outstretched towards her, she immediately gave a convulsive jerk in 

 its direction, and redoubled her beak snappings. 



I noticed that the smaller of the two seemed for a time rather at a loss to 

 understand the meaning of the display ; but at last he too raised his wings 

 over his back, puffed up his feathers, and snapped his beak. 



His attempt at looking fierce was not very successful; for, perhaps 

 in his anxiety to copy exactly his sister's attitude, he forgot to face the enemy, 

 and as seen in one of the illustrations, did his display sideways ! But still, 

 either of these young owls would put up a good fight if the intruder should 

 attempt to take hold of him, his method of defence being to throw himself 

 on his back, and use both beak and talons with the utmost freedom. 



No attempt on this occasion was made to secure a photograph of the 

 parent owL not, however, for the reason that she would be unlikely to fly in 

 daylight ; but because the light was so poor in such a situation that it is doubtful 

 if one could have given a sufficiently fast exposure to obtain a really good result. 



It is a mistaken idea to suppose that owls can only see in the dark ; in 

 fact, of recent years, probably owing to the shortage of mice, Barn Owls have 

 commonly been seen hawking in the daytime, and I remember seeing one 

 return in sunlight to her nest with a starling in her talons. 



The Long-eared Owl too will hunt by day, and on one occasion, whilst 

 trying for some photographs of one of them who had taken over an old crow's 

 nest in an oak tree (a somewhat unusual position), I actually saw her return 

 to the tree with a cock-sparrow, which she laid on the side of the nest, and 

 which is shown in one of the accompanying illustrations. This occurred in the 

 middle of the day. 



I mention these incidents because the opinion is sometimes expressed that 

 owls can only see vaguely in daylight, and that when being ' mobbed ' by small 

 birds, they are. what with the chattering of their pursuers and the demoraliz- 

 ing effect of the sunlight, completely at sea. 



I am inclined to think that they merely ignore such noisy fry as chaffinches, 

 tits, and warblers, and that they are flustered only when the aggressors consist 

 of such spirited fliers as missel- thrushes, jackdaws, or plover. And even then 

 the owl usually keeps his head sufficiently to reach his destination without 

 going far out of his course. 



Although the Long-eared Owl, like the Sparrow-hawk, feeds largely upon 

 small birds, it does not trouble much about plucking them ; the prey is merely 

 pulled to pieces and bolted, feathers and all, with as little delay as possible. 



After a meal the Long-eared Owl will often sit motionless for hours 

 together ; during such periods it has a quaint habit of as it were sleeping 



