USING THE ORDINARY CAMERA 191 



exposure, though she is liable to flush at the sound 

 of the shutter. If the nest is in the shade, wait till 

 the bird has become perfectly quiet, and have the 

 shutter previously set for a timed exposure. Most 

 cameras do not have a shutter-movement of more 

 than one second duration. If I wish a prolonged ex- 

 posure, I set the shutter at B, or " bulb-release," and 

 then, steadily pulling the thread, hold it taut, which 

 will keep the shutter open until let go. 



When birds are feeding young in the nest they 

 afford the best opportunities for interesting pictures. 

 At this time they are more willing to approach the 

 camera than at any other. Their movements are 

 very quick, so the exposure must be rapid and in 

 bright light. This involves often the temporary 

 opening up of the nest to the sunlight, and it should 

 not be done at a scorching hot time, particularly 

 if the young are featherless. Better not get the pic- 

 ture than to inflict suffering. Wait till the young are 

 becoming fledged, and select a time when the tem- 

 perature in the sun is comfortable. In hot weather 

 do it early or late in the day, and do not keep at it 

 too long. When the sun is low, the interior of the 

 nest may be in shadow, and the young will be shaded 

 till they rise up to feed, or sometimes one leaf will 

 shade the young, while on the branch where the 

 parents will come the light may be good. 



When the young are seven or eight days old is a 

 good time to pose them on a branch before the cam- 

 era and take the parents in the act of feeding them. 



