the trail that led away from the nest. As soon as I stopped, he began turning and twisting, stretching his neck to look under a leaf. He hung by his toes head down and swung back up like a trapeze performer. Then he swung head down again, dropped and lit right side upon the branch below. He made a high jump of over a foot, but grabbed nothing. And such unconcern! He never looked at me. "You're entertaining, but not so public-spirited as you seem" I said, as I followed him off down the wrong path away from the nest. I'll never forget the day we trudged up with the camera to get a picture of the eggs. When we reached the chickadee villa, the mother was at home. I
An image should appear at this position in the text.NEST AND EGGS OF CHICKADEE; STUMP OPENED FROM REAR;
ALL SEVEN EGGS HATCHED
knocked at the base so she would leave. Then I shook the stub, but she didn't take the hint. I took a little twig and poked in, trying to lift her up. She met my advance with a peculiar little explosion that sounded like a mad cat in a box. Finally, I cut a piece right out of the back part of her house where the wall was thin. There she sat, immovable, while I focused my camera. The little black eyes showed a brave determination that I've seldom seen in a bird. I carefully slid the piece back again and locked it with a string.
I knew she had performed a heroic act. I sat down under the tree to watch. The instant all was quiet she shot from the door like a winged bullet and struck right on the limb beside her mate, who had been "dee-dee-ing" to her all the while.
Of course birds do not feel as we feel, but I don't believe a sweetheart ever met her lover returning from a field of battle with a greater show of joy. They simply threw themselves into each other's arms. It wasn't a silent meeting either; there were real cracks of kisses and twitters of praise. Chickadees are not human by any means, but had she not defended her home all alone against the mighty invasion of a giant?
A day or so later I really did catch both the owners away from the nest, and I counted seven dotted eggs on a cottony couch. When the mother returned. she was so flustered and worried that I closed the door and started to leave in a hurry. But I hadn't stepped away more than ten feet before she was clinging at the
