CHAPTER VI 



VIREOS AWAKE AND ASLEEP 



THE moment I touched the spreading branch of a witch- 

 hazel bush out flew a bird, and the next instant my eye 

 rested on the nest of a Red-eyed Vireo. It was suspended be- 

 tween the forks of a twig about six feet from the ground, and 

 was well protected and concealed by the leaves. It then con- 

 tained two young birds, four or five days old. After examining 

 it carefully I retired, but before doing so fixed a cord to the 

 branch and drew down the nest so that its brim was horizontal, 

 and the whole about four feet from the ground, a convenient 

 height for future study. 



The young were quite naked, save for a sprinkling of light 

 down on their heads and backs. They had yellow-rimmed 

 bills, bright yellow throats, and were just beginning to see 

 through the narrow slits, which admit light gradually to the 

 eyes. The old birds betrayed no unusual anxiety, but uttered 

 their unobtrusive piort! piort! and the female soon approached 

 with an insect. This nest was surrounded by tall bushes with 

 barely space to pitch the tent in front of it, and as I decided to 

 make no further changes, a spotted leafy background was un- 

 avoidable in the pictures. Coming again on July 3ist, the 

 tent was soon in place. The female, who was brooding at the 

 time, flew off quickly, but returned in a few moments. 



These Vireos soon became quite unaware of being observed, 

 although literally as near the eye as one would hold a book to 

 read. I spent parts of three days on this spot watching a most 

 fascinating panorama of bird -life. On the third day the tent 

 was moved up to within eighteen inches of the nest, but ex- 

 perience has amply proved that the best pictures of the nesting 



