12 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



and of the deep woods had their share of crows, 

 hawks, owls; while twenty years after we moved 

 away, a pair of golden eagles nested in the woods 

 pasture, and were shot because they were carrying 

 off small pigs and lambs. The female of this 

 pair is my only mounted bird. 



From my earliest recollection I was the friend 

 and devoted champion of every bird that nested 

 in the garden, on the fences, on the ground, in 

 the bushes, in the dooryard, or in the orchard 

 trees. From breakfast until dinner and from 

 dinner until supper, almost my entire day was spent 

 in making the rounds of these nests, watching the 

 birds while they built, brooded, or fed their young, 

 championing their cause against other children, 

 cats, snakes, red squirrels, or larger animals such 

 as skunks and foxes, which were so numerous that 

 we held organized fox-chases for their extermina- 

 tion. 



I was always on terms of the greatest intimacy 

 with a pewee that built on a rafter supporting the 

 roof of a log pig-pen. It was very easy to climb 

 from a rail fence to the roof, then by working loose 

 a clapboard near the nest I could watch the birds' 

 daily life and make friends with them. 



I do not recall one instance during my childhood 

 when I ever intruded myself into the affairs of 

 any bird in such a manner as to cause it to 

 desert its nest location. I always approached 

 by slow degrees, remained motionless a long 



