. Camera studies of wild birds in their homes . as rewarded by seeing a sparrow-like bird flyfrom the grass, across the fields. Another wait of a halfhour and she returned, first alighting on the rock besidethe male and then, as she had no idea anyone was watching,she flew about fifty yards away and dropped into the grassat the same point she had risen from. I got quickly over the wall and rushed to the spot; as thewatchman had no time to warn her, she flushed from thenest within ten feet of me. It contained five pretty, white,spotted eggs in a little grass cup well arched over on thesouthern
. Camera studies of wild birds in their homes . as rewarded by seeing a sparrow-like bird flyfrom the grass, across the fields. Another wait of a halfhour and she returned, first alighting on the rock besidethe male and then, as she had no idea anyone was watching,she flew about fifty yards away and dropped into the grassat the same point she had risen from. I got quickly over the wall and rushed to the spot; as thewatchman had no time to warn her, she flushed from thenest within ten feet of me. It contained five pretty, white,spotted eggs in a little grass cup well arched over on thesouthern side so as to always be shaded within. Daily visits were now paid, and the habits of the femalegradually underwent a change as the eggs advanced in incu-bation, until she would allow me to reach a point where Icould look in and see her. The next time, I took the cameraalready set on a short tripod. In order not to startle hertoo suddenly, I walked slowly by the nest several times,as though I did not see her, pausing a little longer each 12 178. Fig. 153. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. 179 time when in front of the nest. But as soon as I broughtthe camera in view she was off like a flash and the trialswere over for that day. Several more trials on succeeding days got her a littleused to the machine and one day I was able to get focussed,draw the slide from the holder and give an exposure of twoseconds^ the result of which is shown in the picture of hersitting on the nest. Her brown eyes twinkled with excite-ment and anxiety but she kept her place and I quietly re-moved the camera and left her. The eggs hatched the nextday but I troubled her no more as I could not spare moretime for pictures of her, and I doubt if it would have beenpossible to have gotten them. THE IMPOSTOR. A happy pair of Maryland Yellow-throats selected as aplace in which to build their house, a spot on the bank of atiny brook. The male Yellow-throat was a beautiful bird,a gentlebird of leisure and fashion; he had a han
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcamerast, booksubjectbirds
