WHAT I HAVE DONE WITH BIRDS 



flight by perching an instant on a tall stump in another fence- 

 corner surrounded by a growth of hickory and sycamore sprouts. 



I set up the camera, leaned two rails against the fence on 

 each side of it, covered it with green leaves and attached the long 

 hose. The scheme worked like a charm. I got three pictures of 

 the full-grown Jay, a rare one with swollen throat as he screamed 

 defiance, seemingly in answer to the cry of an old Gander down 

 by the creek; one with closed beak; and one of the female, all 

 sharp and strong enough to enlarge beautifully. 



These studies proved it quite true that most birds select a 

 route by which to come to and leave a nest. If you watch them you 

 can nearly always discover it. Sometimes the female and male 

 approach from different sides, each coming and leaving by its 

 own way. Both these Jays entered their tree by way of the 

 stump, coming from the west ; and by way of one certain branch 

 of the rambo when coming in from the orchard. Many other 

 birds follow this custom. The Cardinals I knew best each had a 

 route coming to and leaving the nest, and they never varied from 

 it unless some sound startled them. A pair of Baltimore Ori- 

 oles I knew well both used the same route in approach and 

 leaving. 



On the morning the oldest Jay baby first investigated the 

 apple-tree, I posed him, with his mates, on a maple limb and took 

 their pictures. Some young birds are worse subjects, and some 

 are better, but I seldom have made a finer baby picture. Their 

 colors were similar to their elders, not quite so strong as they 

 would be after a first moulting, and their feather-markings were 

 the same. Their beaks always were wide open, and how Father 

 Jay worked! Every few minutes he came slipping into the elm 

 and fed a nestling, and then left in a great hurry to get another 



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