Omaha Bird Records, Feb.-May, 1903
Item
13
furrows having been thrown up around the field. As we had no idea when plowing would
be resumed, we took photographs — he one and I two — and then moved the nest. Fortunately,
this is Sunday, and our time is our own.
Every youngster in the neighborhood knows of the nest, and the ground is worn bare
around it. Trostler surprised two sweet little idiots cramming bread down the babies’ throats yesterday
with a stick, and told them several things which this did not know, and doubtless
would not remember.
We moved the nest three or four feet first, and waited for the parent birds to come
back to feed the young. The mother bird soon came back from a distance, going first
to the hole where the nest had been, which she examined with great care, and then
proceeded to the nest. She did not know what to think of the changed situation. Having
been accustomed to a nest flush with the surface, she did not know what was the matter
with it, and walked several times around it, while we watched from a distance. Finally
she climbed up on top and feed the young.
As soon as she left we moved the nest about eight feet. When the mother returned she
went directly to the nest and fed the young without delay, and thee thereafter paid no attention to the original site of the nest. We moved the nest
eight times, the distance of each removal depending upon the character of the surface,
the total distance being over eighty feet. Both the female and the male fed the young
and carried away the excreta, which they removed to distances varying from twenty
feet to fifty yards. The nest was finally sunk flush with the surface among short
dead grass, off the threatened area, and was very inconspicuous.
The birds were not at all alarmed over our presence and attentions. But here came
a surprise;
- Title
- Omaha Bird Records, Feb.-May, 1903
- Date
- Feb.-May, 1903
- Creator
- Frank Shoemaker
- Description
- Frank Shoemaker - Omaha, Lincoln, and Nebraska Narratives
- Identifier
- 321301
- Transcription
- 13 furrows having been thrown up around the field. As we had no idea when plowing would be resumed, we took photographs - he one and I two - and then moved the nest. Fortunately, this is Sunday, and our time is our own. Every youngster in the neighborhood knows of the nest, and the ground is worn bare around it. Trostler surprised two sweet little idiots cramming bread down the babies' throats yesterday with a stick, and told them several things which this did not know, and doubtless would not remember. We moved the nest three or four feet first, and waited for the parent birds to come back to feed the young. The mother bird soon came back from a distance, going first to the hole where the nest had been, which she examined with great care, and then proceeded to the nest. She did not know what to think of the changed situation. Having been accustomed to a nest flush with the surface, she did not know what was the matter with it, and walked several times around it, while we watched from a distance. Finally she climbed up on top and feed the young. As soon as she left we moved the nest about eight feet. When the mother returned she went directly to the nest and fed the young without delay, and thee thereafter paid no attention to the original site of the nest. We moved the nest eight times, the distance of each removal depending upon the character of the surface, the total distance being over eighty feet. Both the female and the male fed the young and carried away the excreta, which they removed to distances varying from twenty feet to fifty yards. The nest was finally sunk flush with the surface among short dead grass, off the threatened area, and was very inconspicuous. The birds were not at all alarmed over our presence and attentions. But here came a surprise;
- Rights
- To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
- Site pages
- Frank H. Shoemaker, "Omaha Bird Records"
