326 WILD WINGS 



a warning caw as it saw us, and away they all went. The 

 owl sat upon her nest, forty feet from the ground, stolidly 

 gazing down at the approaching company, making no move 

 as we surrounded the tree, and as I took photographs of her 

 from the ground. 



The question then was as to how near her she would let 

 me climb with the camera. Examining the surrounding trees,. 

 I selected a black birch about eighteen feet away, south, 

 toward the light, and likely to afford the best opportunity. 

 The climbers were buckled on, camera strapped over the 

 shoulder, and I began the ascent, quietly, pausing now and 

 then to see if the owl was getting alarmed. She had been 

 facing east, but now she turned her head sidewise toward me, 

 her body crouched down into the nest as far as possible. It 

 was a shrinking attitude, and typical of all owls' attempts 

 at concealment, the feathers drawn closely together so as 

 to look as small as possible, the eyes closed all but a mere 

 slit, the ear-tufts erect, like snags of bark. 



As she did not move, I kept on till I was upon a level with 

 the nest. Now, would she let me work and rig the camera ? 

 Everything was favorable except one small branch in the 

 way ; I must try to remove it. Very slowly I reached out 

 my hand. The owl shrank back a trifle. Taking the twig, 

 I snapped it as softly and gently as I could. The noise was 

 but slight, yet the owl gave a nervous start, and almost de- 

 cided to fly. Keeping perfectly still, I did not even withdraw 

 my hand for a couple of minutes, till she seemed reassured. 

 Then I began operations, cautiously and with deliberation in 

 every movement, driving the screw-bolt into the limb, taking 

 my camera from the case, opening it, clamping it to the bolt, 

 adjusting it and focusing under the cloth, using only the 

 front lens of my doublet, to secure a larger image. A branch 

 was in the way from this spot, so I had to undo everything, 



