Skip to main content

Omaha Bird Records, Feb.-May, 1903

Media

Part of Omaha Bird Records, Feb.-May, 1903

12

Trostler hopped off the Farnam car tonight to tell us that he is advised by the boy “helpers”
that the lark’s eggs have hatched! The nest was building on March 29, had four eggs
on the 4th of April, and four young birds on the 14th. This indicates not over twelve
days’ incubating period, which is shorter than we had supposed.

Elizabethand I met Trostler at 5:30 and went to the lark’s nest. He and I took several pictures of each, while
Elizabeth herded the kids at the edge of the field. The wind was troublesome and the
light rather weak, but we got fair pictures.

The little ones are covered with gray down; their great yellow mouths are peculiarly
marked with several small spots of black. Elizabeth was delighted to see the young
birds and get a close view of the mother, who remained neaer by without a sign of
protest of uneasiness.

I had made a quick trip to the nest at noon to see that everything was all right,
as the plowing of the field is the imminent danger.

I feel inin duty bound to express my surprise and appreciation of the attitude of the small boys
in that region toward the nest. Probably twenty of them know about it, and it is a
matter of amazement to me that the eggs, or some of them, were not taken. We hope
for more pictures.

Took supper and spent the evening with Trostler. We had intended to take some more pictures of the young larks, but I was late and
the light was poor, the evening being threatening and windy.

When Trostler and I went to the lark’s nest this morning we found that plowing had commenced, two

Title
Omaha Bird Records, Feb.-May, 1903
Description
Frank Shoemaker - Omaha, Lincoln, and Nebraska Narratives
Identifier
27353