200 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



The danger signal is nothing more than the tribal 

 call repeated in a quicker time, touched with anxiety 

 and raised in tone. If the danger is great and 

 immediate these tones are intensified and the call 

 almost invariably repeated, three times, at least 

 among small birds. In case their nest is invaded 

 or they are taken rudely in hand they utter a 

 shrill, prolonged scream and defend themselves by 

 scratching and picking when possible. Among big 

 birds like the blue heron the cry is simply prolonged 

 and rasping in proportion to the size of the bird. 

 A heron can be heard nearly a mile on land and 

 farther across water. 



About the business of living, a hawk utters a 

 high, weird cry, but in case of actual battle all 

 members of the family, whenever possible, lie on 

 the back and present a formidable array of claws 

 and beak, hissing, as is the habit of an angry gander. 



Owls are extremely noisy in their first hunting 

 after much early winter sleeping. Ours become 

 active the latter part of January unless the cold 

 is extreme. Until the females begin brooding the 

 great horned owls of the Cabin, north, hunt in, 

 pairs, crying regularly to each other. Either of 

 the pair selects a favourable shelter for small 

 birds and with spread wings flies into it with full 

 force, crying: "Wack, wack, wack!" in guttural 

 tones. In case prey is flushed, the pair joins forces, 

 both crying excitedly and both sinking their claws 

 into the same bird, rabbit, or groundhog. Often 



