1 86 Photography for the Sportsman Naturalist 



for they then seem to be more fearless and many 

 of them congregate in flocks. A flock of cedar- 

 waxwings, sitting upon some bare tree in the 

 peculiar attitude which they assume, could be 

 easily photographed with the telephoto lens. 



At any time in releasing your shutter from a 

 distance a piece of twine can be substituted for 

 the tubing, but it is not so good, for on several 

 occasions I have had birds alight on the tubing, 

 and once, when photographing a catbird at her 

 nest, the old bird actually fought with it, catching 

 it in her bill and claws and giving it vicious tugs. 

 Had I been using the twine, this would have 

 released the shutter, and a number of plates would 

 have been needlessly wasted. 



Old birds sitting upon their eggs or brooding 

 their young can be photographed successfully, even 

 in the shade, by means of the telephoto lens at a 

 distance of twenty-five or fifty feet or even more, 

 for they sit perfectly motionless, allowing of suffi- 

 cient time for any length of exposure. With this, 

 as well as with all work upon birds, absolute 

 quietness and slowness of motion are requisite. 

 A bird will often remain calmly upon her nest and 

 allow one to approach to within a few feet of her 

 if the approach is made slowly and gently, but 

 any sudden movement or sharp noise, such as 

 the snapping of a twig, will cause her to leave 

 instantly. 



