The Bird Study Book | Page 7

be found go out and hunt for one. This in
itself will be an exciting sport, although it should be pursued with good
judgment. Children unattended should not be permitted to hunt nests in
spring. A very excellent way to find one is to keep a sharp watch upon
birds at the time when they are engaged in nest building.
Nest Hunting.--By noticing every bird suspected of being interested in
domestic affairs, you are pretty {22} sure to see one before long with

grass, twigs, rootlets, or something of the kind in its bill. Now watch
closely, for you are in a fair way to discover a nest. The bird may not
go directly to the spot. If it suspects it is being watched it may hop from
twig to twig and from bush to bush for many minutes before revealing
its secret, and if it becomes very apprehensive it may even drop its
burden and begin a search for insects with the air of one who had never
even dreamed of building a nest. Even when unsuspicious it will not
always go directly to the nest. From an outhouse I once watched a Blue
Jay, with a twig, change its perch more than thirty times before going
to the fork where its nest was being built.
Sometimes a bird may be induced to reveal its secret by placing in its
sight tempting nesting material. By this means Mrs. Pearson last
summer found a Redstart's nest. Discovering a female industriously
hopping about near the camp, and suspecting what it was seeking, she
dropped some ravellings of a white cotton string from the veranda
railing, letting {23} them fall where the bird could see them. These
proved most acceptable, and the Redstart immediately appropriated
them, one at a time, with the result that she soon betrayed her nest.
Early morning is the best time of the day to find birds working at their
nests, for then they are most active. Perhaps a reason for this is that the
broken twigs, leaves, and dead grasses, wet with the dews of night, are
more pliable, and consequently more easily woven into place.
For nesting sites birds as a rule prefer the open country. Rolling
meadowlands, with orchards, thickets, and occasional streams, are ideal
places for birds in spring.
Number and Colour of Eggs.--The full complement of eggs laid by a
bird is known as a set or clutch. The number varies greatly with
different species. The Leach's Petrel, Murre, and some other sea birds,
have but one egg. The Turkey Vulture, Mourning Dove, Hummingbird,
Whip-poor-will, and Nighthawk lay two. Various Thrushes, such as the
{24} Robin, Veery, and Wood Thrush, deposit from three to five, four
being the most usual number. Wild Ducks, Turkeys, and Grouse range
from eight to a dozen or more; while Quails sometimes lay as many as
eighteen.

Eggs are variously coloured, and some are so marked that the blending
of their colours with those of their surroundings renders them
inconspicuous. Thus those of the Killdeer, Sandpiper, and Nighthawk,
for example, are not easily distinguished from the ground on which
they lie.
Many eggs that are laid in holes or other dark places are white without
markings of any kind, as illustrated by those of the Chimney Swift,
Belted Kingfisher, and all Woodpeckers. In such instances Nature
shows no disposition to be lavish with her colouring matter where it is
not needed.
Behaviour When Nest Is Discovered.--After the young are hatched it is
even easier to find nests by watching the parents. The nestlings are
hungry at all hours, and the old ones are visiting the nest at frequent
intervals throughout the day. Birds {25} behave very differently when
their nests are discovered. A Cuckoo will glide away instantly and will
make no effort to dispute your possession of her treasures. A Crow will
also fly off, and so will a Wild Duck and some others. On the other
hand, the Mockingbird, Robin, or Shrike, will raise a great outcry and
bring about her half the birds of the neighbourhood to pour out on you
their vials of wrath, unless you have the good judgment to retire at once
to a respectful distance. Warblers will flit from bush to bush uttering
cries of distress and showing their uneasiness. The Mourning Dove,
Nighthawk, and many others will feign lameness and seek to lead you
away in a vain pursuit. A still larger number will employ the same
means of deception after the young have been hatched, as, for example,
the Quail, Killdeer, Sandpiper, and Grouse.
However much a bird may resent your intrusion on the privacy of its
sanctuary, it is very rare for one to attack you. I remember, however, a
boy who once had the bad manners to put his