Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-30

OF O string running Gown 10 puuo
beneath the tree.
with the high hopes that are
always q part of a nature-photog-
rapher's equipment. Frank entered
the blind to await the old bird while
padded away in the canoe. The eagle
circled above the nest, but would not
return, so in two hours I relieved
Frank Of his wait in the blind. had
no better success.
"A T Sis, AFTER a seven-hour wait
"a in the blind, the eagles ma
ternal instinct to feed her hungry
young overcame her fear OF the
camera and she returned. A slight
pull of the ctring and we had our
picture Of the bird-at least 1t was
ours after We had climbed the tree
and taken down the camera. A whole
day spent for one picture and q diff
hcult climb up and down Of 30 feet
at each click IF the camera seemed
bit too much. but we were sure OF
better luck next time.
Apparently we should have known
better than to pit our luck against q
wary mother eagle and stormy March
weather.
THE following visit was on Marcr
26, and we arrived early. We
paired the blind, camouflsg ed Id
cameras and then waited. We or
know whether the mother Emera,
anything to feed the yonad not
whether she was afraid Ge padded
but, whatever the caYhow FOR our
returned at pm. nnetitss
s sso,,st.. wiz, nu. i Ssa again. and to
Troubles Du' success We arrived
Aprn at 9 in the evening,
illahe SUD; and padded across
OIL INC - the island in the gray OF
t s,.p, -. ming. All we did was spend
'lie fruitless hours praying that
eatening sky would clear and thus
5w us to take pictures.
Another overnight expedition again
roueht failure, for the willy mother
I'd fed her young while 1t was sun
ark and refused to come near during
10 day when 1t would have been
ossible to take pictures.
eve now realized. that our only
nance for pictures was to outwlt al
ell as outwait the mother eagle, so
nth provisions for a three-day "TRIP
ve returned. On the evening OF Apru
7 we climbed to the eagle nest ana
emoved two catfish, bass ana q
mex from the eyre, SO the eagle ccuio
lot again feed the young In the early
morning hours. At 9 o'clock the next
low when the sun was well up, the
ish and duck were returned 70 tne
,est- We then waited for her to come
,ack and feed her young.
cat 400 the eagle arrived ana we
rot a picture with each camera. a
covering was put over one
camera and we slept in the blind Win
Lhe hope of getting q picture IN tne
At dawn . high vino was
and the already swollen river
rising rapidly, SO we took down our
camera and left while 1t was stiu
possible. ,..t
"This trip proved to be our !ast
.hance to photograph the old oiro.
The next time we visited the eyre
the Young were quite far advanced
and the old eagle returned only long
enough to leave fish for the young I"
tear up and eat.
zach visit to the nest revealed sew sew.
z eral catfish, carp and bass that
had been carried to the eyre. II was
a nuzzle how the eagle got so mucn
food knowing that the bald eagle N
largely a scavenger we decided that
some of the fish were picked up aitsi
thew had died. This was later verl-
fed by observation. 49,.
son several occasions. however, the
fish looked fresh and in perfect con-
dition. Circumstantial evidence point
~ In the fact that the eagle at least
caught some live fish. We mad never
seen this done and did not believe
bird as heavy as an eagle couio very
well take of again after once piune-
ing into the water. The riooie Was
eventually solved. A..
"The eagle, 1t seems, follows tne
aee-old idea of why work when you
can get some one else to 90 ~ AoI
voup' especially when you are King OF
birds. An osprey or fish-nawk oi0
the work.
"As the osprey was the more pa
tent and successful fisherman, the
eagle would bide hts time, circhni
nigh in the air until the osprey mads
a catch. Then he would drop ike
plummet down after the screamini
osprey. The osprey. becoming scarce
and being burdened with his eaten
would drop the fish. The eagle con
tinuing his dive, would catch 1t as
fell. It is a clever bird that can &c
work out of others. Although Tn
CONTINUED on Ninth Page)