Identifier: camerastudiesofw1911reed (find matches)
Title: Camera studies of wild birds in their homes
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Reed, Chester A, (Chester Albert. 1876-1912
Subjects: Birds Photography
Publisher: Boston : W.B. Clarke Co.
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library

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ful evolutions in the air. Sometimes they make perpen-dicular descents from high altitudes shooting downwardswith folded wings at bullet-like speed and turning upwardso suddenly that the air rushing through their wings pro-duces a hollow booming. On a warm, still evening duringearly June and the latter part of May, these boomingsmay very frequently be heard. Although so exceedingly expert in aerial evolutions,Nighthawks are very awkward when on the ground. Theirsmall, weak feet give them a very wobbly gait so that theyoften require the services of their wings to keep their bal-ance. When roosting on the limbs of trees and fence railsthey almost invariably sit lengthwise, their mottled plumageand motionless attitudes rendering them very inconspicious. They build no nest at all,—just lay their two mottledeggs on the bare ground, usually choosing a small sandyspot in a pasture or in very open woods; frequently theyare laid in hollows on rocks or even (very commonly) on 41 zmfw- >■
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Fig. 35. NIGHTHAWK ON ITS NEST. Note that it is not at all conspicuous, Sometimes they can be-touched before they will fly. 42 flat gravel roofs of city blocks. The eggs resemble the peb-bles so closely that it is difficult to see them. A friendknowing that I am always ready to go almost anywhere tosecure a good bird picture, came and informed me that aNighthawk was sleeping on his roof every day; that it satbehind a certain chimney and would allow him to approachwithin a few feet before flying. I thought it strange thathe made no mention of seeing the eggs, but I went alongand^ sure enough, the bird, a female Nighthawk, was justwhere he said it would be. When we were about four feetdistant it sailed easily away over the- surrounding roofs.My friend watched the bird until it disappeared and thenturned to me with a self-satisfied air saying: I knew itwould be here; strange that it comes to the same buildingto roost every day, isnt it? He could hardly believe hiseyes when I showed him t

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