262 The Osprey 
In this picture of the profile of the Osprey’s cliff, taken from 
a point on the talus about 150 ft. above the sea, the Osprey Is 
seen leaving her nest which is the dark mass on the summit of 
the prickly pears on the same level as the bird. 
A careful reconnaissance with a telescope from the deck of 
our vessel had made it clear to me that my difficulties would 
only begin with our arrival above the nest. Once clear of the 
dangerous talus we got amongst dense lentiscus and brambles, 
also prickly pear, aloes and all the usual obstacles presented 
by a semi-tropical jungle. Finally we emerged, blown and 
exhausted, on the grassy summit, and lay down to get our 
wind. Next, we had to fight our way through the dense scrub 
to the point which we imagined to be above the nest and then work 
our way down the steeply sloping cliff until brought up short by a 
sheer drop of some feet. 
Now commenced my work and | descended on my rope to 
terrace after terrace, forcing my way through thick rows of prickly 
pear—a most painful operation. And now we found that there 
was nobody below to signal to us where the nest lay. The 
inevitable result was that after descending over 100 ft. I had 
to signal to be hauled up again, always through the prickly pear. 
Again did I descend and again did I fail to find the nest. On 
the third occasion I reached a recess in the great cliff whence, 
after unbending my rope (and securing it to a bush for obvious 
reasons) I made a cast along a ledge to the south and reached 
a point which I identified as being not far from the nest as seen 
from below. So I retraced my steps, and regaining my rope was 
hauled up for a third time. During this operation I passed a ledge 
where a Peregrine Falcon was nesting. The old female swept 
close around with shrill cries and eventually alighted on the sandy 
shelf of rock within a few feet of me and with outspread wings 
and every feather standing on end, lowered her head and screamed 
