Page:Bird-lore Vol 04.djvu/102

 The Chebec‘s First Brood Si

original support to another and afterwards moved to a greater distance. unhappily encountered a thunderstorm which killed one of the young and threatened to destroy the whole brood, Wind and rain, as every student of birds knows, play sad havoc with eggs and nestlings, but the destruction wrought by sudden and violent storms is wellenigh incredible. I have seen a Chebec’s nest which had suffered from this cause, and found two of the young lying dead on the ground below, although the supporting bough was unusually firm. Mr. Hoffmann's birds evidently had not fully adopted the new site when the storm came: and in such a case, if one is fortunate in being near the spot, he can do no better than follow his example and re- turn the nest and branch to its original position, or to a convenient place of shelter. 7

Whatever means we adopt to study birds, we should try to help rather than hamper them in the battle for life, and we deserve little credit if we can only say that we have introduced no greater dangers than already exist. Let us rather aim to lessen the dangers which surround every nest of wild birds whenever possible, and this can usually be accomplished by a simple means to be described later.

The nest, which was watched for nearly a month and is shown in the photographs, had slightly incubated eggs on June 9. The female would sometimes hold her place until your hand was dangerously near. and then go off quietly, or dart at your head with audible snapping of the bill, and give her sharp, protesting [lubed tbtbet/ The scenes at a Chebec‘s nest are never very exciting: their life follows a well-deﬁned routine which pos- sibly seems more mechanical than it really is Though small in stature, obscure in dress, and possessed of no song, this Flycatcher can at least boast of clean-cut, unmistakable call»notes.

Eleven days later, at 3.15 P. M., ayoung hird had just hatched and was still wet, the eggeshells having been promptly removed. At least twenty- four hours elapsed before the three others appearedr

This nest was taken down at 2 o’clock in the afternoon of June 29. according to the plan which I have followed for the past three summers, and have fully described in i The Home Life of Wild Birds,‘ The weather which followed was the most unfavorable I have ever known at that period of summer, intense heat and sultriness streaked with rain, lasting with scarcely a break well into Julyr At this time the ﬁrst bird to hatch was exactly nine days old. Notwithstanding the drawbacks and the some what conspicuous position of the nesting bough, which attracted many per- sons, who came out of curiosity to take a look at the little birds. everything went as well as could he wished. The young took ﬂight on July 5. life at the nest having lasted exactly two weeks, and for at least eleven days longer, true to their custom of cultivating a small plot of ground. they remained Close to the original site when not in the old roof-tree itself,