254 Twelve Months With 



the male owl perched beside her. As it was diffi- 

 cult for me to turn about far enough to watch 

 them, I decided to move around the nest a short 

 distance, where I might observe them without 

 effort. Almost the very instant that I turned back 

 to the nest to carry out this plan the unexpected 

 assault was made. I was struck a violent blow 

 across my right shoulder and neck, and my cap was 

 torn from my head. Had I not been strapped to 

 the tree I would have fallen ninety feet to the 

 ground. I was so astonished at this sudden 

 onslaught that for a moment I could not realize 

 what had happened. Neither owl was to be seen. 

 I almost immediately started for the safe and 

 friendly sod, and strange to say saw nothing more 

 of the owls that day. I found my cap on the 

 ground with an ugly tear on the right side where 

 I had been struck. I was very fortunate not to 

 have had my face badly lacerated. I have since 

 read of similar attacks by great horned owls upon 

 persons molesting nests where severe injuries have 

 been inflicted by the bird's talons. 



They fly so noiselessly and so rapidly, that they 

 usually strike before they are seen, and an angry 

 bird of this size and speed with talons extended 

 crashing into a person is no insignificant assailant. 

 Indeed, this owl has been not inappropriately 

 called the "tiger among birds." 



I frequently saw the owls about this nest during 

 that spring but needless to say I did not again 

 attempt to molest them! They raised their brood 



