Chapter I: Preface

The practice of photographing birds in Nature is of too recent origin in this country to permit of its being treated authoritatively. The methods which may be employed are so numerous, the field to be covered so limitless, that many years must elapse before the bird photographer’s outfit will meet his wants, while the constantly varying details which surround his subjects almost prohibit duplication of experience.

But it is these very difficulties which render all the more imperative the necessity of conference among workers in this fascinating and important branch of natural history. The causes of both success and failure should, through the medium of books and journals, be made accessible to all, thereby shortening this experimental stage of the study of birds with a camera, and hastening the day when the nature of the outfit and methods shall have been settled with more or less definiteness.

It is as a contribution toward this end, and as a means of answering the queries of numerous correspondents, that the following pages, embodying the results of my own experiences, are offered. It is sincerely hoped that they may increase the interest in the study of birds in Nature, and at the same time furnish a more profitable and delightful outlet for the hunting instinct than is afforded by the shotgun or rifle.

A large proportion of the Bird Rock pictures and several of those from Pelican Island have appeared in the Century and St. Nicholas respectively, and are here reproduced by the courtesy of the editors of those magazines; others have been previously published in Bird-Lore.

FRANK M. CHAPMAN.

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
NEW YORK CITY, _March, 1900_.

CONTENTS

PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
What is bird photography?—The scientific value of bird photography—The
charm of bird photography.

_THE OUTFIT AND METHODS OF THE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER_
THE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER’S OUTFIT 6
The camera—The lens—The shutter—The tripod—Plates—Blinds—Sundries.
THE METHODS OF THE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER 26
Haunts—Seasons—Nests and eggs—Young birds—Adult birds.

_BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA_ BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS AT HOME 40 THE CHICKADEE—A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE 47 THE LEAST BITTERN AND SOME OTHER REED INHABITANTS 62 TWO HERONS 76 WHERE SWALLOWS ROOST 89 TWO DAYS WITH THE TERNS 106 PERCÉ AND BONAVENTURE 128 THE MAGDALENS 146 BIRD ROCK 152 LIFE ON PELICAN ISLAND, WITH SOME SPECULATIONS ON THE ORIGIN OF BIRD MIGRATION 191

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
1. Gannet, Murres, Puffins, and Razorbilled Auks _Frontispiece_
_Tailpiece._ Young Baltimore Oriole 5
_Initial._ Long-focus camera and telephoto lens 6
2. Lens test No. 1 14
3. Enlargement of the bird in test No. 1 15
4. Lens test No. 2 16
5. Enlargement of bird in test No. 2 17
6. Lens test No. 3 18
7. Enlargement of bird in test No. 3 19
_Initial._ Young Great-crested Flycatcher 26
8. Spring 27
9. Summer 27
10. Autumn 28
11. Winter—four pictures (Nos. 8–11) from the same
point of view 28
12. Nest locality of five species 29
13. Nesting site, nest, and young of Marsh Hawk 30
14. Young Marsh Hawks and nest 31
15. Young Great-crested Flycatcher 32
16. Young Baltimore Orioles and nest 33
17. Wood Thrush on nest 34
18. Chestnut-sided Warbler on nest 35
19. Catbird scolding 37
_Initial._ “Fairview” 40
20. House Sparrows and Junco 41
21. Junco 42
22. Female House Sparrow and nest 43
23. Screech Owl 44
_Initial._ Chickadee 47
24. Chickadee on ground 49
25. Chickadee taking piece of bread 50
26. A bird in the hand 51
27. Chickadee at nest hole 54
28. Chickadee at nest hole 55
29. A Chickadee family 58
30. A Chickadee family 59
_Initial._ Red-winged Blackbird 62
31. Least Bittern’s nesting site 64
32. Least Bittern’s nest and eggs 66
33. Least Bittern mimicking surroundings 67
34. Least Bittern mimicking surroundings 68
35. Young Red-winged Blackbirds 71
36. Least Bittern eating her eggs 73
37. Least Bittern on nest 74
_Initial._ Where the Night Herons feed 76
38. Five Night Herons’ nests in swamp maple 79
39. A view in the Heron rookery 80
40. Night Heron feeding 81
41. Young Night Herons in nest 82
42. Young Night Herons leaving nest 83
43. Young Night Herons on branches 84
44. Great Blue Heron, nests and young 88
_Initial._ Tree Swallows on wires 89
45. Hackensack marshes in August 91
46. Marsh mallows 93
47. Wild rice 94
48. Tree Swallows on wires 97
49. Tree Swallows in tree 100
50. Tree Swallows on wire and at pile 102
51. Swallows in the road 104
_Initial._ A corner of Penikese 106
52. Nesting site, nest, and three eggs of Common Tern 110
53. Tern hovering above nest 111
54. Nest and eggs of Tern on upland 112
55. Tern’s nest and eggs in drift _débris_ 113
56. Young Tern hiding on rocky beach 114
57. Young Tern hiding in the grass 115
58. Tern alighting on nest 116
59. Tern on hillside nest 117
60. Tern’s nest and hatching eggs in seaweed 118
61. Tern about to feed young 119
62. Tern brooding young 120
63. Tern on beach nest 121
64. Tern on beach nest 121
65. Tern on upland nest 122
66. Young Terns about four days old 123
67. Young Tern about a week old 124
68. Young Tern, second plumage appearing 124
69. Young Tern, further advance of second plumage 125
70. Young Tern, stage before flight 126
_Initial._ A Percé codfisher 128
71. Percé Rock from the north 131
72. Percé Rock from the southeast 134
73. Splitting cod on Percé beach 136
74. Young Savanna Sparrow 137
75. Gannet cliffs of Bonaventure 140
76. Cornel or bunchberry 142
77. A ledge of nesting Gannets 144
_Initial._ Grosse Isle 146
78. Nest and eggs of Fox Sparrow 148
79. Young Guillemots 150
_Initial._ The Bird Rock light 152
80. Bird Rock from the southwest 153
81. North side of Bird Rock 156
82. A corner of the Rock 160
83. The landing at the base of the Rock 164
84. The landing on top of the Rock 165
85. Kittiwakes and young on nests 168
86. The lighthouse, keeper’s dwelling, and other
buildings 169
87. Razorbilled Auks and “Ringed” Murre 170
88. Puffins 172
89. Murre’s egg 174
90. Young Murres and egg 175
91. Kittiwakes and young on nests 176
92. Entrance to Puffin’s burrow 177
93. Puffin’s nest and egg 178
94. Young Puffin on nest 179
95. Leach’s Petrel on nest 180
96. Young Leach’s Petrel with nesting material 181
97. Young Gannet 182
98. Gannets 183
99. Gannets on nests 186
100. Gannet on nest 188
_Initial._ Young Pelicans in nest tree 191
101. Pelicans on ground nests 197
102. Interviewing a group of young Pelicans 198
103. Among the Pelicans 199
104. Head and pouch of Pelican 200
105. Pelican’s pouch from above 201
106. Newly hatched Pelicans and nests 206
107. Young Pelican in tree nest 208
108. Young Pelican, downy stage 209
109. Young Pelican, wing quills appearing 211
110. Young Pelicans, stage preceding flight 212

BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA

WITH INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS ON THE OUTFIT AND METHODS OF THE BIRD
PHOTOGRAPHER