43 The Bearded Vulture 
but my friends, upon whom I depended entirely to handle the 
ropes, had only limited leave of absence and so, strongly against 
my better judgment, we set out When less than 1,000 ft. above 
the sea we entered the clouds and the rain came on and persisted 
for three days and three nights. We got within half-a-days ride 
of our cliff but it was absolutely out of the question to proceed 
further amid the precipices and we had perforce to retire dis- 
comfited. Our return through the mountains was not without 
adventure since the burns were all in full flood. 
Despite this third repulse, I was still sanguine of success, for 
I reasoned that nobody else would be likely to get at the nest 
and that if I but gave the birds sufficient time before returning 
to the attack they would have hatched out their young and | 
would be rewarded by being able at any rate to photograph the 
young Bearded Vulture in its nest. It savours somewhat of 
counting one’s chickens prematurely, but from what I had seen of 
the Vultures the preceding year and from what I knew of their 
habits when unmolested, I felt sure that they would again nest 
in the same cliff this year. I had reckoned on re-visiting the spot 
in about four weeks but owing to wild weather in the sierras it 
was close on seven before I once again found myself within striking 
distance of the great cliff. 
It was on a fine but cold morning very early in April that we 
rode out from our halting place of the previous night and proceeded 
to work our way up the mountain. After some hours we arrived 
at our old point immediately below the nest. The cold was intense 
and we lit a huge bonfire of scrub and heath to warm ourselves 
whilst we watched the cliffs. It was whilst thus employed that a 
Bearded Vulture came sailing over us quite low down anxiously 
turning its head towards the cliff and on us alternately as it passed. 
I now felt confident that the nest must be occupied. Nor was I 
