338 Bonelli’s Eagle 
photographed from the site occupied in 1878. Owing to the 
situation of this nest, which had an overhanging rock as well as 
a gnarled wild olive tree immediately above it, I was able more 
than once to approach unseen and to watch the female sitting on 
her eggs about 8 or g ft. from me. On such occasions she would 
soon detect my presence, turning her head round and glancing 
upwards before dashing off. 
In 1879 this pair of Eagles moved to a third site in an adjacent 
valley about 500 yards from the first nest. This nest was placed 
on a ledge open to the sky only 15 ft. from the top of a crag and 
about 20 ft. from the base. The ledge sloped downwards and it 
was a marvel why the nest did not slide off. To reach it was 
simple enough, since it was possible to climb to the point where 
the ledge began, whence it was necessary to sidle along for some 
8 or ro ft. A sketch of this nest will be found at the end of the 
chapter on Cliff climbing on p. 90. There was no handhold and 
the ledge was smooth and slippery and without herbage, points 
which no doubt had been duly noted by the Eagles. Close below 
the nest was a cavern in which I secreted myself on several 
occasions in order to watch the old birds. Sometimes I was given 
notice of their approach by the shadow cast as one of them sailed 
round overhead and by cautiously peeping through a crevice 
I could see the Eagle as it alighted on the edge of the nest and 
walked in. It was an ideal spot whence to observe the movements 
and plumage of these beautiful birds. 
Seven years later, in 1886, on my way out on a birdsnesting 
expedition to the Levant, I was at Gibraltar for a few days and rode 
out to my old haunts. I found the Eagles still in occupation of 
this site. Unfortunately they subsequently developed a taste for 
the fowls belonging to a goatherd who lived hard by and he in 
revenge climbed to the top of the crag and dropped stones on their 
eggs, a simple matter enough in the circumstances. In consequence, 
