The Nest in the Gutter 



73 



opened bill. After I had taken the first picture, the bird remained standing 

 quietly over the nest while I changed the plates, focused the camera and snapped 

 the shutter for another exposure. 



Pictures were taken every two or three days, but the longer I worked with 

 the birds the more fierce became their attacks upon me, quite in contrast with 

 a pair of Chickadees with which I had been working a few davs before, which 

 came and fed their young without paying any attention to me while I was stand- 

 ing near, arranging the camera. After the second day, whenever I approached 

 near enough the nest to set up the camera, the Kingbirds flew at me furiously, 

 poising themselves above me and then darting quickly at my head, now com- 

 ing near enough to strike me with their bill. In no case was blood drawn, but, as 

 they usually struck about the same spot each time, I was glad of an excuse 

 to cover my head with a cloth 

 while focusing the camera. Their 

 rage seemed to grow from day 

 to day, and on the morning of 

 the fifth day my appearance out- 

 doors was the signal for both 

 birds to hover over my head and 

 utter loud cries, while waiting for 

 an opportunity to dart down at 

 me. In the afternoon of the same 

 day, while I was watching the 

 birds from a distance of about 

 fifty feet, one of them, which had 

 been standing on the gutter near 

 the nest, suddenly made a dash 

 straight for my head with such speed and quickness that I barely had time to 

 throw up my arm to ward off the attack. They never attacked me unless both 

 birds were present, and even then only one came near enough to strike me. 



An occurrence on the fourth day, which might have resulted in a tragedy, 

 doubtless tended to strengthen the feeling of antagonism which the birds dis- 

 played. It was an extremely hot day, and, as there were no trees near the house, 

 I fastened a bough of a tree to the ladder in such a way as to shade the nest. 

 Although the birds attacked me vigorously as usual, I thought that the shade 

 might prove just as grateful even if furnished against their will. During the 

 afternoon a terrific thunderstorm arose, in which the rain fell in torrents and was 

 accompanied by a gale of wind which blew the bough and ladder past the nest, 

 tearing off one of the shingles near. After the storm I looked at the nesting site, 

 expecting to find that the torrents had washed the nest and young from the 

 gutter, but fortunately everything was as usual, and apparently both nest and 

 young were in as good condition as ever. 



The food given the young seemed to consist chiefly of small insects, too 



KINGBIRD SHIELDING YOUNG FROM 

 THE RAYS OF THE SUN 



