File:American birds, studied and photographed from life (1907) (14563791718).jpg

Identifier: americanbirdsstu00finl (find matches)
Title: American birds, studied and photographed from life
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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olumbia. We made a close study of the red-tails home In thetall Cottonwood. He was always a successful hunter. Inall our visits we never saw the time when his larder wasempty. Nor did we find that he had to resort to thechicken yard for food. There was plenty of wild game.On the first visits we found the remains of quail and pheas-ants in the aerie. One morning we saw the mangled bodyof a screech owl; almost a case of hawk eat hawk. Theold red-tail had evidently found the victim returning hometoo late In the morning, and there were no restrictionsas to race and color in the hawk household. Later In theseason, when the banks of the Columbia overflowed andcovered most of the surrounding country, the old hawkdid not abandon his own preserve. He turned his atten-tion entirely to fishing. Where the carp and catfish fedabout the edges of the ponds he had no trouble in catchingplenty to eat. Twice we found carp, over a foot In length,in the aerie. After that we saw no sign of food other than
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■s ^ -a 3- Pi The Red-tailed Hawk 65 fish, and on our last visit we picked up the head bonesof seven catfish. The wild life of the red-tail has a fascination for me.He is as interesting as a person. He has a character asclearly marked as that in any feathered creature I eversaw. The bleak winter winds that sweep the valley of theColumbia and drive the other birds to the southland,never bother him. This is his permanent home. He isnot a vagabond. He is local in his attachments and habits.This is his hunting ground. He won it by years of de-fence. He beats over the field and along the edge of thewoods as regularly as the fisherman casts his net. He hashis favorite perch. He watches the pond as closely forcarp as the farmer watches his orchard. His routine of lifeis as marked as any inhabitant along the river. Nor canI believe he is lacking in the sentiment of home. He addssticks to his house and enlarges It year by year. Who cansay that the old aerie is not fraught with many hawk mem-

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