C. Naether—Amateur Photographer meets a Humming Bird Family 325



AN AMATEUR BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER

MEETS A HUMMING BIRD FAMILY


By Carl N aether


On a sunny Sunday afternoon in March, an amateur gardener

and I were joyously exclaiming over the beauty of the camellia blossoms

in one of California’s rare plant gardens. Truly it was a gorgeous sight—■

literally hundreds of large, rose-like flowers in white and in shades of

pink, red, and rose set among the shiny, dark green leaves of these

splendid evergreens. Suddenly my companion pointed to a very small,

cup-shaped something, made of plant-down and fine mosses, and bound

together with cob-webs : “ Why, there’s a humming bird’s nest! ”

A look into the nest, which was only approximately 4 feet above the

ground, disclosed two tiny white eggs, in shape elliptic ally oval. Since

there were many other visitors in the camellia gardens, whose attention

we did not wish to attract to our find, we left the vicinity of the nest

without further delay.


As an amateur bird photographer of long, though to be sure not

very high, standing, I decided at once to secure, if possible, a series of

close-ups of the Humming Bird’s activities about the nest, though

each time I went it would mean a 30 mile drive and the better part

of half a day. As a matter of fact, my wish to photograph such a nest

w r as of many years’ standing. Only last summer I discovered a similar

nest in a live oak far up in Spanish Canyon. Alas, the nest was not only

too far off the ground but in other respects altogether unreachable.


The following Sunday I rose early so as to arrive at the gardens hours

before a curious public had opportunity to observe me about the nest.

The moment I came within sight of it, I heard the familiar “ Zst, zst ”

and knew that all was well. Madame Humming Bird was busily

incubating her little white eggs. Her mate I did not see once. My hopes

ran high. Would she stay on the nest and let me come sufficiently

close to get a good likeness of her ? As if answering my query, she flew

off the nest immediately, disdaining to have anything to do with me

at such uncomfortably close range. Quickly I set the tripod and camera

up, for I did not want the tiny eggs to get chilled in the cool morning



