FRIENDS IN FEATHERS 



big spikes I climbed the ladder to the top, and opposite the nest 

 fastened up and focussed my camera. As I had to stand high in 

 air, on the ladder placed perpendicularly, and reach around the 

 pole to operate the camera, it was rather awkward work. The 

 birds would not come to the nest with me on the ladder, so I 

 attached a long hose, then sat under a tree in the lot to make the 

 exposures, being compelled to climb the ladders at each, to reset 

 the shutter and change the plate. In the meantime, afraid to 

 w r atch me, my sister sat in a back room and prayed that I 

 would not break my neck. 



As the birds gain confidence in man, it appeals to me that 

 Orioles are building a trifle lower. In more recent years, I have 

 had opportunity to work around two nests from the top of a 

 twelve-foot step ladder, by building up a few feet with boxes, so 

 that the nests must have been close fifteen feet from earth. 

 One nest was beautiful, built in the top branching of a small plum 

 tree, on the A. P. Hardison farm, where I had permission to work 

 among the birds as I chose; so I was free to lay down fences and 

 drive into the orchard, there to spend days making friends with 

 the birds. Mr. Hardison told me of the nest, and at my request 

 set up a ladder where he thought I would want it, so that the birds 

 had time to become accustomed to it before I added the box. 

 I gave them a day with it, before beginning with the camera 

 which disturbed them so little that twenty minutes after it was 

 set up the female was coming before it for her regular feeding, 

 then in a short time the male, who worked as assiduously as the 

 mother bird. 



The nest was the usual construction of plant fibre and lint 

 having one piece of cotton cord hanging in a free loop across the 

 front, but the end was woven in the top then carried many times 

 around the largest limb, as was a white carpet rag, also. The 

 other end had several pieces of cord, a long strip of cotton cloth 



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