26 Northern Observations of Inland Birds 



would seem that the damage the buzzard does on a grouse 

 moor must be sHght indeed. 



But the counsel for the prosecution has another point 



of evidence, one which at first sight may seem indisputable 



— namely that the hovering, eagle-like flight of the 



buzzard is disturbing to the grouse, and may lead to 



their migration. A good deal has been made of this point, 



and many excellent authorities hold that it is the only 



excuse whereby the destruction of the buzzard is justified ; 



but for reasons which seem to me entirely convincing, I 



hold that the belief is based on supposition which has very 



occasional support in actual fact. In contradiction to 



this keepers have informed me that they have repeatedly 



found game absent from a certain portion of the moor 



immediately succeeding the presence of buzzards there, 



and that in this way they have known buzzards entirely 



to spoil sport for the party. I, too, have repeatedly found 



an entire absence of game on a certain portion of the moor 



over which no buzzards had been seen for months, and 



because there was no one to blame, the absence of sport 



did not rouse much comment. Anyone who has studied 



the grouse must admit that this bird becomes well 



acquainted with the various conditions of its surroundings, 



and, as already inferred, grouse know well enough what 



is to be feared and what is not to be feared. 



To quote from my own observations. Living on the 

 shores of Loch Ken, I had at one time unique oppor- 

 tunities of studying the abundant bird life that frequents 

 the north end of the loch, and almost daily two, three, 

 or even four buzzards were to be observed systematically 

 working along the Bennan slopes at the loch side, circling 

 and hovering over the water in their flight. Immediately 

 the buzzards appeared there was a distinct sensation 

 among the wild fowl, but it passed immediately. A few 

 of the more timorous would begin to swim at a leisurely 



