. Wild wings; adventures of a camera-hunter among the larger wild birds of North America on sea and land . took the opportunity, after working at variousledges, when the swell had materially lessened, of havinga dory lowered by the steam winch from the top and rowingover to North Bird Rock. The sea was breaking upon it quitehard, but we ran the gauntlet, and landed safely on the spitof gravel. Meanwhile the birds were flying off in wuld confu-sion, the Gannets from the top and the Kittiwakes from theirnests in the niches of the cliff, with some Murres and Razor-bills. We gained the summits of
. Wild wings; adventures of a camera-hunter among the larger wild birds of North America on sea and land . took the opportunity, after working at variousledges, when the swell had materially lessened, of havinga dory lowered by the steam winch from the top and rowingover to North Bird Rock. The sea was breaking upon it quitehard, but we ran the gauntlet, and landed safely on the spitof gravel. Meanwhile the birds were flying off in wuld confu-sion, the Gannets from the top and the Kittiwakes from theirnests in the niches of the cliff, with some Murres and Razor-bills. We gained the summits of each of the main sectionsby scrambling up forty feet from ledge to ledge, aiding eachother in turn. The first man up, as he raised his head abovethe summit, found himself face to face with a Gannet, whichsquawked with terror and launched forth in flight — fortun-ately not into his face. The whole flat area of both parts wascovered with the rude seaweed nests of the Gannet, each withits dirty-white egg. No one had landed this year to rob them,either here or on the main rock, and the birds were having. GANNETS NESTING ON THE TOP OF NORTH BIRD ROCK i68 WILD WINGS a splendid season. A group of half a dozen Gannets stuckdevotedly to their nests and allowed us to photograph themas near as we desired. When I pushed at one with my footto make it change its attitude, it merely raised its head andsquawked angrily. Those on the Pillar, the isolated cragout in the water, remained peacefully on their nests while wephotographed them. We had about two hours on the Rock, when the keeperfired a bomb for us to return, as the barometer was fallingand the wind increasing. After dinner I changed plates again,and three of us were then lowered down in the crate tophotograph Kittiwakes and Murres. It gives a somewhatuncanny sensation hanging in mid-air, at times spinningaround like a top. But we forget that in gazing at the Kitti-wakes peacefully upon their nests, or launching forth andreturning. Us
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherb, booksubjectbirds
