PHOTOGRAPHING THE NliST LIFE OF THE OSPREY 



257 



of the birds from the fact that I still re- 

 mained behind. 



To my rehef, everything proceeded ac- 

 cording to plan and I obtained the first of 

 my records. 



THE YOUNG OSPREY RESEMBLES A 

 PHEASANT 



In due time the young ospreys hatched — 

 little fellows covered with prettily marked, 

 brownish down, rather like young pheas- 

 ants. 



While the female brooded them, the 

 snowy-breasted male perched and re- 

 mained on the stick at the back of the nest, 

 as if to complete the family group. Pres- 

 ently he flew away, to return later on with 

 a fish probably weighing three or four 

 ])Ounds. This the female took from him 

 and, holding it in her foot, tore oH tinv 

 pieces with her beak and distributed them 

 among the family. Her extreme tender- 

 ness as she did so can only be compared 

 with that of an eagle as she feeds her 

 young. 



Such a fierce-looking, wild-eyed crea- 

 ture, and yet so extraordinarily gentle ! 

 During the whole of this meal the male os- 

 prey remained on the nest as if deeply in- 

 terested in the proceedings, and only made 

 his exit when the female, havingdistributed 

 all the food, prepared once more to brood 

 the family (see page 255). 



The whole attitude of the family — fa- 

 ther, mother, and little ones — was one of 

 complete harmony, and I consequently was 

 amazed when, a few days later, two of the 

 youngsters commenced to fight with such 

 determination that I feared for the life of 

 one of them. 



While filming golden eagles in Scotland 

 I obtained some extraordinary pictures, 

 which show two young eagles fighting so 

 desperately that in the end one of them 

 killed the other. For a while I feared that 

 I was going to be a witness to a similar 

 tragedy on this osprey's nest, for one of 

 the little ones seized the other by the scruff 

 of his neck, biting and shaking him un- 

 mercifully and in spite of his squeals of 

 ])rotest. In the end, however, the less 

 pugnacious became the aggressor and at- 

 tacked his opponent with such vigor as t(j 

 vanquish him completely. 



During the whole of this battle the 

 mother osprey stood looking on, as if half 

 inclined to interfere and yet deeming it 

 advisable to refrain from so doing. In the 



A STUDY OE AN OSPREY ALIGHTING 



Few birds fly with more grace or drop from 

 the sky to seize their prey with greater speed 

 than the fish hawk. 



