PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 61 



begin with, but with patience and careful handling 

 good photographs can usually be secured without very 

 much waste of time. A good photograph of a young 

 bird is not necessarily a pretty or pleasing picture, 

 for it is in the power of the bird, be he old or young, 

 to appear pretty or the reverse according to his 

 mood. When the feathers are laid tightly down 

 and the bird is stretched out thin, he shows fear and 

 is looking his very worst. With young birds this is 

 particularly noticeable. The same bird can in a 

 moment change from a lean, scrawny, scared-looking 

 atom to a fluffy little ball of soft feathers, a pleasure 

 to look on and a pleasure to photograph. I only 

 refer to this peculiarity of birds in order that the 

 reader may not be in too great a hurry to *' press the 

 button." Let him wait until the bird assumes a 

 pleasing attitude, until he *' looks pleasant." The 

 results will surely justify the delay. 



An interesting feature of bird photography is the 

 portrayal of the growth of an individual. Take for 

 example a young robin the day it leaves the egg. 

 Photograph it as soon as possible, then each day 

 repeat the operation until the time comes for the 

 bird to leave its nest. This series will be most in- 

 teresting, more especially so if several diff^erent types 

 of birds are treated in the same way and careful notes 

 made of the dates. It is unnecessary here to enter 

 into details as to how much interesting material may 



