Page:Condor8(2).djvu/6

 llar., x9o6 I HERONS AT HOlIE 37 When I first climbed in mnong the nests of a smaller tree with my camera, it sounded as if I were in the midst of a gigantic henhouse. Some of the birds were clucking over their eggs that were soon to be hatched; others were wrangling and squabbling, so that there was a continual clattering fuss above which one had to yell his loudest to be heard. I sat straddling a limb, with my notebook in hand. THE LARGEST TREE IN THE HERON VILLAGE, CONTAINING 69 NESTS, 41 NESTS OF THE GREAT BLUE HERON AND 28 OF THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON C-opj,rg lzted About me, seemingly almost within reach, I counted thirty-six sets of blue eggs. I was high above the tops of the alders and willows. Set all about below, in the background of green, were the platforms each holding several eggs of blue. The trees were dotted with them in every direction. I counted over 4.00 eggs in sight.