12 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



and leisure- 

 ly examine 

 the eggs. 



Individ- 

 ual birds of 

 this species 

 differ very 

 widely in 

 the matter 

 of bold- 

 ness. Some 

 years ago I 

 climbed to 

 a nest containing hard sat eggs, and 

 was mobbed by both parent birds. The 

 female tried several times to strike my 

 head, and I had to duck involuntarily 

 in order to avoid her, whilst a shepherd 

 who accompanied me stood at the foot 

 of the tree, laughing at my novel ex- 

 perience. 



When the down-clad young ones are 

 hatched, family labours in their welfare 

 are divided. The male bird does all 



FEMALE SPARROW HAWK ADDING 

 STICKS TO HER NEST. 



the hunting for prey, whilst the female 

 stays at home to look after the chicks 

 and impartially divide the food amongst 

 them when it has been secured. 

 During this period the fledglings of 

 small, defenceless birds are much perse- 

 cuted ; and, judging from the widely 

 different species brought to the nest, 

 the male Sparrow Hawk must make 

 long flights in search of his quarry. 



Directly young Sparrow Hawks see 

 their mother approaching, they give her 

 a noisy welcome by soft, oft-repeated 

 chittering notes, uttered whilst they sit 

 up in the nest ; but if she should happen 

 to give vent to her alarm-cry, they 

 instantly become silent and crouch quite 

 flat. 



Like many other species, this bird is 

 very partial to an old haunt, and I 

 know small favourite woods in the North 

 of England where a nest may be found 

 season after season with unbroken regu- 

 larity. 



