The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-04-02
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no vegetation of any sort available, it
was not possible to add anything to
disguise the appearance of the tent. 1t
must therefore have been most con-
spicuous object, and yet, as there was
no indication of any human being, the
birds appeared to take very little no.
tice of it.
Afterwards I camped out at the edge
of a creek, about the margins of which
they were feeding. They had no hest
tation in passing me on the further
side of the creek at a distance of
about ten yards. Besides avocets,
both oyster-catchers and red-shanks
fed within a short distance, and Meth
er of these birds is particularly con-
fiding, the redshank in particular be-
ing of very suspicious nature. But
the best and most satisfactory test, as
well as the most interesting, was ex.
perienced at the nest Of purple
heron. All the herons are VIGOROUSLY
shy and difficult of approach, and the
purple heron is certainly as shy as
any of them.
hours, and on one occasion whole
day, in the vain attempt to photograph
this bird on its nest Success was
only eventually obtained by the use of
an automatic electric device, by which
the heron photographed itself auto
matically without knowing anything
about it. 1 had found a nest well
CT 70 hn Oft MT
in shallow water, it could be ap-
preached dry-shod, and was able to
set up the camera and tent within six
yards in the shelter of small sallow
bush already growing there. The ad.
| dition of more sallow branches made
the tent very inconspicuous indeed.
1 hardly dared to breathe lest she
should discover my whereabouts; but.
although 1 was so close to her, she
climbed on to the nest and stood erect
in splendid position.
| Quie close to my camera here we
found a nest of SAWS warbler, from
| which the bird slipped off as we ap.
| preached. l had suspected for some
years that this bird nestled in this par
ticular locality, but had never before
succeeded in finding nest. In fact
this was the first l had ever seen, al.
| though I had heard the curious reel.
| ing note many hundreds of times in
Hungary and in the Dobrudscha. From
| the nature Of their usual haunts amid
the almost impenetrable recesses of
| the densest reed beds, the tangled un-
dergrowth is so extremely thick as to
render a successful search very diff
cult. This nest was on the ground,
perfectly concealed by the under.
growth, and was entirely composed of
dry sedge. In this singular cup of
brown and withered leaves were five
eggs, thickly freckled all over with
ashy brown spots. Very distinguished.
looking eggs they were and quite un-
like any others with which / am ac-
| quainted. The nest also is quite dis
tinctive. The Dutch call the bird
| 'Schnoor," and l have also heard ii
called Schneider" which signifies, /
believe, a tailor, probably from the
whirring, Keeling note resembling the
whir of sewing machine.
The spoonbill also breeds in this
marsh, but 1 was told by old Jan, the
keeper, that the birds were very shy.
So many people had visited them re.
Gently, intent on photographs. that
they had, according to him, refused to
go to their nests, and had dropped
food for their young from above with.
out alighting. Under these circum.
J stances 1 was prepared for a long
wait, and perhaps failure, and set up
the tent about eight yards from the
nest, with but faint hopes of success.
| l sat on an old nest, covered by the
tent, with my legs in the water, and
was agreeably surprised to see the
spoonbill standing up on it's next just
in front of me long before 1 had be.
gun to expect it. / was able to secure
three photographs without alarming
| it at all.
Within an hour I had set up the
camera, exposed three plates, packed
up again and departed, leaving the
| birds very little disturbed.