May 02, 1991 - How Birds Battle for Their BabiesCIO The Suffolk Times • May 2, 1991
How Birds Battle for Their Babies
By Paul Stoutenburah
Just two weeks after we first visited
the site of the great horned owl nest we
returned and were dumbfounded to see
one of the young on a branch about 20
feet from the nest. Already it had the
big owl eyes of its parents and its head
moved as if attached to us below:
Everywhere we moved its head
followed. It still had its fluffy light -
brown juvenile coat but seemed twice as
large, and what big feet! They looked
like the exaggerated feet of some
cartoon character as they stood out under
the blanket of down. I couldn't see its
wings from down below but I'm sure
they must have been feathered out. How
else could it have gotten so far from the
nest?
Proof of its flying ability was shown
when we returned the following day.
The young owl was gone but still in
the vicinity for the parents birds could
be seen perched back in the deep woods.
Barbara and I searched the surrounding
area but could find no trace of our fluffy
young. Its camouflage had served it
well. I'm sure the adults had tempted it
with food and lured it away from the
nesting site for too many people by
now had learned of its location.
As we walked through the woods a
new blanket of green Canada lilies cov-
ered the floor before us. With the excep-
tion of the swamp maple, whose red
buds told us it too was anxious to start
leafing out, the trees were still mostly
winter bare. Every once in a while the
big adults would fly by on their silent
wings letting us know we were in for
Focus on
Nature
trouble if we interfered with the bring-
ing up of their young.
Fierce Protectors
Owls, particularly great horned owls,
are very protective of their young, as
those who have been attacked by these
tigers of the forest can attest. Once,
years ago, when I was with a group
photographing a great horned owl's nest
in the north woods in Southampton, ev-
eryone had taken precautions by being
well protected. We had heavy jackets,
gloves and hats, plus a fencing mask
just in case we were attacked. Luckily,
we weren't.
Years later, when I was photograph-
ing a pair of young screech owls I'd
taken out of a hole in an old apple tree,
I learned the true meaning of an owl
protecting its young. I had neatly ar-
ranged the two young on a branch and
was busy looking through the camera to
get them in focus when "Wham!" I was
hit on the head by what seemed like a
miniature dive bomber. The parent owl
had knocked my hat right off. Lucky I
had the hat on. Looking around I saw
the parent scornfully looking down on
me. Putting my hat back on I hastily
took two quick shots, keeping one eye
on the owl all the time. I then put the
young back in their nesting cavity and
got out of there as fast as I could.
I often wonder why some birds are
more protective than others when
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around their young or nest. Some, like
the robin, will call and flit about all
excited should you get too close. This
is the usual procedure for most of our
common birds. Yet a pheasant or a quail
will run or fly away, not to be seen
again. I'm sure they wait some distance
away and as soon as you leave they re-
turn cautiously to their nest.
Some birds, like the kildeer, piping
plover and others, will try to lure you
away from their nest by going through
the broken wing act. Here the bird will
flutter up relatively close to you and
then, half dragging its wing on its side,
it will crawl away as if crippled. It's as-
sumed this act will draw the attention of
the predator who would then be lured
away from the nest. After the intruder
follows a good distance, the bird merely
flies off, leaving a bewildered fox, cat or
other predator, thereby saving the nest-
ing site.
Intruders Beware
Our common terns will put up a real
show of defiance when you enter their
nesting colonies. A call will go up
from the first to see you and
immediately the whole colony arises to
the defense. If you keep on intruding on
their domain, they will divebomb you
as they give out with the most vocal
challenge you can imagine. Having the
whole colony up in arms diving and
screaming can be quite nerve - racking
and is usually enough to chase most out
of their territory. I've been with people
who were banding these birds and were
so relentlessly attacked that blood was
drawn.
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Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
YOUNG HORNED OWL —Two
weeks ago we saw this baby owl
in its treetop nest. Today it's al-
most twice the size and has taken
its first short flight.
that word when describing a bird on the
attack) was when I once photographed a
hummingbird over in North Sea. The
female was quite tolerant of me and
watched from a nearby branch as I set
up my blind where I'd be concealed to
photograph them. Everything was
going along fine until the anxiety was
too much for mother and she started her
attack. It was like being raided by a
bumblebee. I could hear her little wings
buzzing around me and her bill actually
clicking. She never touched me but I
must say she put up a good show. I
dove into my blind, where I eventually
looked out on her life as she soon set-
tled on the nest and I photographed her.
Later, when the young hatched, I pho-
tographed them being fed. It was a
privilege to be able to look into the
private life of this wonderful little bird.
We're seeing fewer and fewer of these
darting little jewels. I wonder why. It's
a shame, for it was pure joy to see them
darting about the garden stopping here
and there at a flower and dashing off on
some unknown quest.
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