. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. PHOTOGRAPHING THE NliST LIFE OF THE OSPREY 257 of the birds from the fact that I still re- mained behind. To my rehef, everything proceeded ac- cording to plan and I obtained the first of my records. THE YOUNG OSPREY RESEMBLES A PHEASANT In due time the young ospreys hatched— little fellows covered with prettily marked, brownish down, rather like young pheas- ants. While the female brooded them, the snowy-breasted male perched and re- mained on the stick at the back of the nest, as if to complete the family group. Pres- ently h
. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. PHOTOGRAPHING THE NliST LIFE OF THE OSPREY 257 of the birds from the fact that I still re- mained behind. To my rehef, everything proceeded ac- cording to plan and I obtained the first of my records. THE YOUNG OSPREY RESEMBLES A PHEASANT In due time the young ospreys hatched— little fellows covered with prettily marked, brownish down, rather like young pheas- ants. While the female brooded them, the snowy-breasted male perched and re- mained on the stick at the back of the nest, as if to complete the family group. Pres- ently he flew away, to return later on with a fish probably weighing three or four ])Ounds. This the female took from him and, holding it in her foot, tore oH tinv pieces with her beak and distributed them among the family. Her extreme tender- ness as she did so can only be compared with that of an eagle as she feeds her young. Such a fierce-looking, wild-eyed crea- ture, and yet so extraordinarily gentle! During the whole of this meal the male os- prey remained on the nest as if deeply in- terested in the proceedings, and only made his exit when the female,havingdistributed all the food, prepared once more to brood the family (see page 255). The whole attitude of the family—fa- ther, mother, and little ones—was one of complete harmony, and I consequently was amazed when, a few days later, two of the youngsters commenced to fight with such determination that I feared for the life of one of them. While filming golden eagles in Scotland I obtained some extraordinary pictures, which show two young eagles fighting so desperately that in the end one of them killed the other. For a while I feared that I was going to be a witness to a similar tragedy on this osprey's nest, for one of the little ones seized the other by the scruff of his neck, biting and shaking him un- mercifully and in spite of his squeals of ])rotest. In the end, however, the less pugnacious became the aggressor and
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