25G 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



FliATIIIvRI'D LIGHTNING IN SLOW MOTION 



The two lower pictures illustrate the position, 

 feet in front of beak, wliich the bird assumes be- 

 fore striking the water (see text, page 259). 



book I discovered the motor license of its 

 one-time owner. 



A niUING PLACE OF WRl'CKAGL IS RUILT 



Intimate photographs of such a keen- 

 eyed, watchful bird as the osprey cannot be 

 obtained without a deal of prolonged prep- 

 aration, careful reasoning, and hard work. 

 We (two of the Scotsmen who live on the 

 island and myself) commenced operations 

 by building up, a few feet away from the 

 selected nest, a great pile of wreckage — 

 crates, boxes, and heajis of seaweed — the 

 rough semblance of the actual hiding place, 

 from which I hoped that I could one day 

 obtain the longed-for photographs. 



In my experience this preliminary, the 

 building of the hiding jjlace and the way in 

 which it is carried out, is of the utmost im- 

 portance where the photography of shy 

 birds is concerned. My rule is, "Work 

 with a definite object in view and never be 

 about the place too long." A bird kept 

 from her nest for any length of time is lia- 

 ble to become apprehensive, suspicious ; 

 and, if that once happens, woe betide the 

 photographer and his hopes of those inti- 

 mate, home-life pictures! 



Work on the hiding place proceeded 

 gradually, and the heap of wreckage grew 

 as the time passed. Each day more boxes 

 and seaweed were added ; each day we 

 breathed a sigh of relief, as we saw from 

 a distance that the old osprey was in no 

 way perturbed by the appearance of the 

 growing pile. At last, one day, with the ut- 

 most expediency, the great heap of wreck- 

 age was transformed into an actual, habit- 

 able blind — a blind roomy aiid dark within 

 and camouflaged on the outside with the 

 familiar wreckage, branches, and seaweed. 



The stage was set : the great moment had 

 arrived. When my coitipanion and I had 

 fixed the camera in position and made 

 everything ready for photography, we re- 

 tired to a distance to watch developments. 

 We were, of course, rather skeptical as to 

 whether our subject would accept the 

 changes we had made in the appearance of 

 the bide and breathed a silent prayer of 

 thankfulness when we saw her glide to- 

 ward the nest, alight, and settle down to 

 brood her eggs. 



The next day I attempted close-up pho- 

 togra]jhs. My companion accompanied me 

 to the hide, and, when everything was ar- 

 ranged, walked away as obviously as pos- 

 sible, hoping thereby to divert the attention 



