Bird Life in Dutch Marshes 



251 



White Storks. Greetings. 



The bird, tliou<>li its four eggs 

 were hard sat on, deserted sooner 

 than approach such a suspicious- 

 looking object, and tliev Avere 

 eventually sucked l)y Crows. 



It was a great treat to ])e 

 able to watch the fine flight of 

 these Harriers, as they soared in 

 great circles, hardly seeming to 

 move their broad wings, while 

 they sailed round against the blue 

 sky. Every now and then they 



would settle on some low bushes near their nest, which was 



situated on a dry part of the marsh, and placed on a small 



mound amid the sedge. The nest itself was carefully made 



of sedge. This failure was a great disappointment : but had 



the camera been hidden as at the 



Purple Heron's nest, 1 am confident 



that a successfid photograph woidd 



have been obtained. There woidd 



have been a better chance, perhaps, 



if the eggs had been hatched and 



the young birds waiting to be fed. 

 This is the only Harriers nest 



I ha\'e seen here, though in former 



years an odd bird or two have been 



ol)served. From the train window. 



in 181)7. I watched one flying over 



Stork kl.^ppering. 



