BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY 611 



It is advisable, even with the least timid of birds, to place the tent at first three or 

 four yards from the nest, and move it nearer for working purposes which will probably be six 

 or eight feet, according to the focal length of the lens after a day or two when the birds have 

 become accustomed to its presence. Most Passerine birds thrushes, finches, warblers, etc. 

 with young to feed will come freely to the nest, in the absence of any further preparation. It 

 is, however, a good plan, whatever bird it may be, and, in my opinion, almost vital for success 

 if it is a very timid species, to partially or wholly cover the tent with branches. (See Plate 

 LXXVIII. Fig. 2.) 



My usual method when dealing with a timid bird, such as one of the Wader family, is first 

 to stick up some small branches ten or twelve feet from the nest, choosing a position that will 

 ensure a satisfactory lighting on the bird. After an interval of one or two days, I move the 

 branches nearer and add to them, arranging them so that they form a mass about the size that 

 the whole structure will be when the tent is erected. Then allowing another short interval of a 

 day or more to elapse I put up the tent, surrounding it with the branches, which I fasten 

 securely with string to prevent them or the tent-cover from blowing about and frightening the 

 birds. 



I prefer doing this if possible the night before I intend working in the tent ; in fact, the 

 longer the final structure is in place before the work of observation and photography begins the 

 greater will be the likelihood of success. 



At one time I did not use a tent for these timid ground-nesting birds, but made a complete 

 bower of branches and litter. But a tremendous amount of building material is necessary to 

 make the walls sufficiently dense to prevent a bird seeing movement inside. On the other 

 hand, a tent gives absolute obscurity. Nor can the inside of a bower, however neatly con- 

 structed, form so clear a chamber for working in as a tent. 



Birds are quick to detect the least alteration in the structure, and I have known the addition 

 of the lens showing through the side to keep a nervous bird away for hours. A gamekeeper 

 friend hit on the ingenious device of fixing a bottle in the branches, so that the round glass 

 bottom appeared in the place where it would be replaced by the lens. 



Many otherwise good photographs of birds are rendered inartistic by careless focusing. 

 It is not sufficient to focus on the nest and leave the surroundings to chance. As the depth of 

 the subject that can be brought into sharp focus is limited, make sure that the surroundings in 

 front, and in the plane of the nest, and as much as possible immediately behind, are sharp. 

 The more distant parts may be out of focus, and frequently aid the artistic effect by giving a 

 soft background to the bird. But all surroundings that are nearer or as near as the bird should 

 be sharp. As the work proceeds and the birds are found to favour certain perching-places, it may 

 be necessary to refocus for these spots. With nests on the ground it is a good plan to mark the 

 width of the area covered by the lens with small sticks stuck in the ground but not so that 

 they come into the picture. They will serve as a guide as to when the bird is in the focused 

 area. 



Photographs can be secured without a tent, by concealing the camera near a nest, and 

 operating the shutter from a distant hiding-place by means of string, pneumatic, or electric 

 release. The method has its advantages in such cases where for some reason a tent cannot be 

 used, but the difficulty of seeing when the bird is in the focused area, and the necessity of 

 revealing oneself after each exposure to change plates, and so cause fresh alarm to the bird, are 

 serious limitations, and the method can only be regarded by the serious worker as a reserve. 



I always carry a folding stool in my kit. Even when working at a nest in such a position 

 as to need the tent erected at full height, when it will be most convenient to work standing 

 behind the camera, it is a relief to sit and rest occasionally. When working at ground-nesting 

 birds the stool is indispensable. One can sit for hours without the need of any but slight 



