File:The home life of wild birds; a new method of the study and photography of birds (1901) (14747641614).jpg

Identifier: homelifeofwildbi00herr (find matches)
Title: The home life of wild birds; a new method of the study and photography of birds
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Herrick, Francis Hobart, 1858-1940
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, London, G. P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
when the food had been safely disposed. As a rule, however, she would brood for five or
ten minutes, leave at the approach of the male, return promptly with food, and brood
until her mate again appeared. I have on several occasions seen a brooding bird leave
the nest when the sun became temporarily obscured and return when the clouds lifted.
It was not quite certain, however, that the element of chance did not vitiate the
observation.
While camped beside a nest of Brown Thrushes whose photographs are shown, and
whose young were approximately four days old, the female came to the nest for inspec-
tion frequently on the first day of observation, and brooded intermittently, but fed her
young only once in the space of three and a half hours. When I frightened this bird
off with the hand stretched through the tent-window, she would dart at it, scold em-
phatically, but in a few moments return to her brooding again, as if her young required
this attention more than food.
The Chestnut-sided Warbler who is represented in main-

characteristic attitudes 94
Text Appearing After Image:

Fig. 88. Female Brown Thrush brooding her young. Lens, Extra Rapid 9^7/16inch ; speed, f/6;
stop 32 ; time, 1/5 second ; plate, Seeds No. 27 " gilt edge " ; distance, four feet ; in full sun.
July 13, 1900.

95

Care of Young and Nest. 97

about the nest by a long series of photographs, only a few of which can be shown, was a
most devoted brooder for days. She would stick to her charge until driven off by sheer
force or by hunger. I have often seen her drop down in the grass, pick up a morsel on
her own account, and be back to the nest in a fraction of a second before the insect wa
sfairly swallowed. Again she might leave the nest twenty times in the course of an hour
to procure food either for herself or her children. Her mate would often alight above

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