Identifier: newsfrombirds00key (find matches)
Title: News from the birds
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Keyser, Leander Sylvester, 1856-
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ir. Although there may be exceptions, I donot recall a single treetop lilter that indulgesin such vocal gambols. THE FUNNY LITTLE OWL. The loud chirping of a robin attracted mynotice one day soon after I entered my en-chanted woodland. She has little ones somewhere in the sap-lings or bushes/ I thought, and takes-me fora kidnapper. But the robin racket being kept up evenafter I had gone farther away, I went back tosee what might be its cause. The distressedmother bird was flitting about in the saplings,and presently swung down toward an oldstump. Ah ! there it was, the object of herwrath and fear—a little screech owl, standingas straight as a major on the top of the stump.His face was turned toward me, and looking athim with my glass, I could see that his yelloweyes were wide open. His small size as well ashis awkward manner proclaimed him a young-ster—quite well fledged, it is true, but from thenest only a short time. Madam Robin seemed to grow bolder. It THE FUNNY LITTLE OWL. 69
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Robin and owl. was amusing tosee how nervousand uneasy shebecame. Againand again shemade a fierce dashat the little owl,almost strikinghis head, so thathe must havefelt the wind ofher wings; but,strange to say, henever dodged, oreven moved afeather or a mus- 70 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. cle. Every time she swooped down towardhim she uttered a loud, angry cry. Why wasthe little fellow so indifferent to the assaultsof the robin, while he kept his face turnedtoward nie, standing four or five rods away ? After enjoying the fun a while (it was funfor me, at least) I slowly drew nearer. MasterOwl glared and stared, but did not move untilI almost touched him with my cane; then heuttered a scornful hiss, spread his wings, andtried to fly away, but tumbled helplessly, like aloose bunch of gray feathers, to the ground, al-most rolling head over claw^s. When I gotclose to him again he snapped his bill at me,and muttered something in an angry undertone. Suddenly there was a wicked snapping ofmandibles

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