OLD AND YOUNG AWAY FROM THE NEST.
Once the young have left their nest, there are about two days before they learn to fly well enough to keep out of one's reach. This is the ideal time for getting photographs of them, as they are just as dependent on their parents for food as they were while in the nest. The first thing to do is to catch one (or more if you can) of the brood. Let him fly if he wishes until he is tired ; then place him on a suitable twig and after you have your camera ready, call the parents. Sometimes they will come and sometimes they won't, but after they have once come you may make pictures to your heart's content. They will, as I have often seen them, perch on the camera without the slightest fear, even on one's shoulder or hand while in motion. Be sure in arranging the camera to have plenty of room on either side of the youngsters for the adult bird. It is better to have too much than too little room. Make a mark on the twig to show just how much the camera covers, bearing in mind that in feeding the young the bird frequently perches above the twig upon which are her fledglings, if there is any pos sible perching place.
While you have the young in your power is a good time to make portraits of the parents alone, using the young as the lure, of course. Select a place where there is hut little brush and no conspicuous twig except the one on which you have placed the young birds. Then place a twig a few feet away from them, and the chances are that the parent bird in coming with food will stop each time for a moment or so on this perching place. If you would make still more sure of her hesitating, stand or arrange the camera quite near the young birds. This frequently has the effect of preventing the parent bird from coming too readily. Focus the camera on the part of the twig on which she most frequently alights and watch your chance. \Vhen I say focus on the twig I mean on a point an inch or so nearer than the twig. This will allow for the size of the bird, whose head will project at least that distance.