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stones across the water.

"Do you c-c-come here every year?" asked Jonathan.

"Yes. My parents aren't home much in the summer. I don't remember seeing you here before, Jon."

"No. This is my first y-y-year." Jonathan suddenly found himself telling Danny all about the summers and weekends he spent "birding" with his parents. "you know, Danny, I really think I H-H-HATE birds."

Danny laughed and skipped another stone. "At least you get to spend some time with your folks and learn some neat stuff."

"You really think it's n-n-neat?"

"Sure. Come on, we better get back."

The next morning after breakfast, Noah, the camp counselor, announced, "Hi, gang. Big surprise for you this morning: we're going on a hike. I found a nest of eagles about two miles from here and I know you'll enjoy seeing them."

Without thinking, Jonathan slapped his forehead with his hand. "Oh, nooo!"

Noah looked at him in surprise.

Danny snickered.

Sam called from the rear of the group, "What's the matter, four-eyes? Afraid of a little birdie?" A couple of the other kids tittered.

After hiking about forty-five minutes, Noah suddenly held up his hand and put a finger to his lips.

"Sh-h-h, over there," he whispered, pointing at a huge pile of sticks and grass hanging out of the top of a tree about a hundred feet away. A large, all brown bird sat on a branch near the nest.

"That ain't no eagle, Noah. Where's its white head?" asked Sam.

"I'm sure that's the nest. There were two eagles here the other day," said Noah.

A small voice piped up from the middle of the group. "That's an eagle, Noah."

All heads turned toward Jonathan. "All bald eagles look like that until they're five years old. It's just immature. There's one adult sitting in the nest. I can see her head move. That's probably the male up in that tree over there, watching us." He pointed.

Danny was staring at Jonathan; so were Noah and a few of the other kids.

"Jon, how come you didn't stutter just then?" Danny whispered.

"I-I-I don't know. I wasn't p-paying attention," said Jonathan, pushing up his glasses, his face turning bright red.

"Sounds like you've done this before," said Noah, laughing. "Thanks for bailing me out. I'd hate to think we came this far and not see an eagle."

"How do you know so much about birds, Jon?" asked one of the other kids.

"My parents do a lot of bird watching for the C-Cornell Lab of Ornithology," Jonathan explained. "And I get to help them on weekends."

On the way back to camp the others asked Jonathan all kinds of

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