Page:Bird-lore Vol 05.djvu/60

 A Sierra Nighthawk Family 45

They wobbled like Owls on their weak little feet. raising their wings to steady themselves. When I went to catch one of them be tripped over a pinemone. and rolled over and over like a ball of feathers till I was afraid he would fall off the cliff. The other youngster, when nearly caught. opened wide his big mouth and hissed, throwing up his long wings threateningly in a way that might well have frightened a saucy chipmunk.

The distracted mother, after trailing. had thrown herself prone upon the ground, with wings outstretched by her side: but when I put my hand over the little one and it gave a frightened cry she raised her head high. and, as I came closer. trailed again in distress.

The youngster's agitation was of much shorter duration. In fact. he apparently went to sleep in my hand, and when put down ran only a few feet, then stopped. shut his eyes and promptly dropped asleep. looking like a round stone on the sand.

The third day after I found them. the little tots were trotting over the rough ground fairly well. by holding their white—spotted wings outspread for balance.

The old birds never fed them while I was watching in the daytime, so. remembering their crepuscular habits. we went to visit them just after sunset. Both old birds were away when we got there. and the young were not by the pine-cones this time. either: but as we turned to look for them something stirred almost under our feet, and there they were. sitting side by side on the ground We hurried by to a boulder from behind which we hoped to watch them unobserved. and had not waited long when the mother ﬂew in over the rocks. To our chagrin. she discovered us instantly. passed right by over the youngsrers' heads. and. after flying around. lit on a rock and sat silently facing us, looking like a most unbirdr like black stone in the dim light.

After a little she ﬂew down to the ground nearer the young. calling them with a low, soft (butt. (butt. They raised their heads and answered with their odd little hissing note and started toward her, half running and half flying. On reaching her they stretched out their necks. and she opened her capacious bill and fed them with what seemed unnecessary violence. for. as my husband explained in an undertone, the crop is close under the bill—he had once found one filled with live, squirming insects,

When the mother had ﬂown. the male came. discovered us. gave a sharp pant, peer“. and circled around. hovering close to inspect us. The young were fed once more while we stayed: but this time it was so dark we could barely see them through the glass, so we rose from our hiding— place and carefully made our way down over the boulders to camp.