64 WILD LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS 



as I dared, I found that it was impossible to do anything for the branches 

 were swaying and bending in the most alarming manner. The fact of roping 

 together as tightly as possible three of the upright beech branches had the 

 effect of steadying them somewhat, and as I fixed into position a ' dummy ' 

 camera, I devoutly hoped that the weather conditions might improve by 

 the time photography should be attempted. Whilst fixing this imitation 

 camera, I saw the female Hobby dash out from the trees, and give chase to 

 one of the Peregrines which were flying at hack, 1 and which seemed quite scared 

 at her screaming and at her powerful stoops. 



The tinkling of a Peregrine's bell would be a certain signal for the appear- 

 ance of the Hobby, who never allows one of them to come within less 

 than about eighty yards of her nest. 



Unhappily the weather conditions did not improve, so I had to prepare 

 to make the best of things, and on July 22nd, tried for some photographs. 

 The weather, however, was every bit as bad as it had been during the previous 

 visit, and the light was, if anything, worse. 



Before climbing the beech to fix the camera, I clapped my hands with 

 the idea of sending the Hobby away, so that she should not see me climb the 

 tree ; and became somewhat anxious when she did not go off. However, when 

 half-way up to the camera position, I was much relieved to see her swing 

 away from the nest and settle on a dead branch some ninety yards off, whence 

 she could watch my movements. From the camera position I could look 

 across on to the nest and could see the young Hobbies little balls of down 

 watching me with their dark eyes. Owing to the high wind that was whistling 

 over the hill and through the branches, an unusually long time was taken in 

 fixing the camera, and when it was in position I had the greatest difficulty in 

 focussing on the nest ; the camera and myself swaying from side to side, and 

 backwards and forwards, in such a manner as to make it almost impossible to 

 persuade the nest to remain in the picture at all. 



But at last things seemed satisfactorily arranged, and I had just made the 

 final adjustments when, glancing at the Hobby's nest, I saw, to my amazement, 

 that the female Hobby had returned to her young and was at the moment 

 shuffling herself over them, just as a chicken snuffles herself over her eggs and 

 all the while looking directly at me ! 



Needless to say, I exposed one of the two plates that I had with me. I 

 thought that perhaps she had not noticed me, and that at any moment she 

 might dash screaming off the nest. Nevertheless I reset the shutter, changed 

 my dark-slides, and exposed another plate. 



Now I was placed in a quandary, for I hardly dared to risk frightening 

 the hawk by climbing down the tree but I had no more plates with me. 



* Young Peregrines before being reclaimed and trained are 'flown at hack' (or allowed 

 absolute freedom) for some five or six weeks. 



