When I looked up, there at the top was a huge mass of sticks, which
had been added to year after year till it was nearly three feet
across, and half as thick. Kookooskoos was not there. He had heard me
coming and slipped away silently.
Wishing to be sure the nest was occupied before trying the hard climb,
I went away as far as I could see the nest and hid in a thicket.
Presently a very large owl came back and stood by the nest. Soon
after, a smaller bird, the male, glided up beside her. Then I came on
cautiously, watching to see what they would do.
At the first crack of a twig both birds started forward the male
slipped away; the female dropped below the nest, and stood behind a
limb, just her face peering through a crotch in my direction. Had I
not known she was there, I might have looked the tree over twenty
times without finding her. And there she stayed hidden till I was
halfway up the tree.
When I peered at last over the edge of the big nest, after a
desperately hard climb, there was a bundle of dark gray down in a
little hollow in the middle.
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