Newspapers / Galax News (Highlands, N.C.) / Aug. 23, 1962, edition 1 / Page 11
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THE GALAX NEWS AUGUST 23. 1962 PACSlO Sequoyoh Ridge HOIDE FOR SALE 3 Bedrooms - 3 Baths Panel Electric Heat - Plus Large Fireplace CCMPLETELY FUHJDiSHED . including Linens and Kitchen Utensils -LAPSE LOT . BEAUTIFUL VIEW On Paved Road - - Drive Out U, S. 64 Towards Franklin Turn on Webbmont Road — Look for Sign on Property $21,500 - TERMS Contact Your Realtor or Owner R. E. BATEMAN 2401 Atlantic Blvd* ^?!i 1-2000 Pompano Beach, Fla> (CHIMNEZ SWIFT CON«T FRCM PAGE l) almost uselessness of the tail in flighty But it is evident of some use^ for the bird turns or banks^ it is spread cut like a tiny fan* Parobably the more in^ortant use of the tail is to act as a prop when the bird is clinging to the wall of a chimney or the rocks in a cave* The tail feathers are stiff and ^ine-lik6| and give the bird necessary support. This feature, the 8pine«like tail feathers, Sid,fts share with Woodpeckers which must have props to help them cling to the trunks of trees* The feet of Swifts are gmaTl and weak placing them with Hvmimingbirds in the or«> der JipodiformeSf or footless birds* That V&3 the folklore of ancient times, and we can almost understand the reason for the belief when we see the Swifts flying above us# Walking, of course, is difficult or is^ossible, but the birds can push theok* selves aaross a level surface* Probably the feet are of some help in clinging to upright walls where the Swifts normally come to rest* Svdfts have small bills but large mouths which open like a cavern way badk under the eyes* When the bird flies, the mouth l9 open id.de to gather moths and in^ sects ft*om the air. Even after dark. Swifts can often be seen catching moths fluttering around brigth lights in cities and towns* The weak little bill is used to ga ther the twigs for the nest* The Swift will fly to a branch of a tall tree and will test one twig after another till one is fotind which will break off and which is considered suitable for nesting material* VH.th this, the bird will fly to the chosen nesting place, usually in a chimney or the inside wall of some building, (With the coming of civilisation. Swifts have almost abandoned the use of hollow trees and natural caves as nesting sites*) There the twig is fastened to the wall with a sticky saliva vjhich the birds are able to secrete at nesting time* Twig after twig is added till there is a little platform on which the four to six pure white eggs are laid* For nineteen days, both parents incubate the eggs, changing places every twenty minutes or half hour, day or night* Then the yotmg are in the nest ftom three to four weeks with both parents sharing the responsibility of feeding them* Baby Swifts are fed much less frequently than many baby birds, the parents making only one feeding trip in an hour* However, when they go to the nest, they take some 150 to 700 insects for a sin^e feeding* How little we realize the countless num^ bers of insects which birds take every dayl There is more of interest about the sticky saliva iMch Swifts secrete* Some Asiatic Swifts develop very large salivary glands at nesting time, and build their nests of little but hardened saliva* Even with the enlarged glands, it takes these Swifts £rom 33 to 41 days to build each nest* These are the nests which are gathered for the famous bird^s nest soup of the Orient# Chimney Swifts are widely distributed over eastern United States, nesting all the way irom. (COM^T TO PAC^l 16^ ¥onderful Take^Home Bargains AT THE COUNTRY MOUSE GIFT SHOP END OP SEASCEf BEST BUY Two Bedrooms Large Lot — Close In « #6,700*00 J.a HODGES PHCMES 3630 or 5781 miLL CR66K COURT 3 Blocks from P. 0, ♦ "By the Waterfalls” Rocms and Efficiency ^ Private Baths PHONE 3080 ALICE innfln SPORT SLUefiR- REDUCED PRICES fHE WASH Pot EAST MAIN STREET Westxnghouse Washers Extra Large Dryers OPEN 24 HOURS DAILY Owned and Operated By Hiss Peggy Potts
Galax News (Highlands, N.C.)
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Aug. 23, 1962, edition 1
11
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