24 Northern Observations of Inland Birds 



either a very exceptional grouse (possibly sick or injured) 

 or a very exceptional buzzard. 



A great many keepers destroy buzzards and their 

 nests whenever an opportunity occurs, there being a 

 deep-rooted idea that the birds are harmful in many 

 ways, particularly to grouse chicks. There is no special 

 reason why buzzards should not take grouse chicks, 

 while there is every reason to suppose that such fare 

 would be as welcome to them as mice and other 

 small things. However, the fact that there are observant 

 keepers who have no quarrel of any kind with the buzzard, 

 would seem to prove that the harm done in this way is 

 so occasional as to escape the notice of many. Of the 

 various buzzards* nests I have examined none have 

 contained the remains of grouse, either young or old, 

 but this may prove little, as very young chicks would, 

 like the schoolboy's apple, disappear entirely — skin, 

 pips, and core. 



. Let us take it as accepted, then, that buzzards are in 

 no way opposed to lifting young grouse ; the next question 

 that arises is — how much harm do they do in this way } 

 Common sense would seem to answer " very little 

 indeed." In the first place I have watched buzzards 

 hunting for hours on end during the nesting season, and 

 have never observed anything which seemed to suggest 

 that they were hunting for grouse chicks. On the contrary, 

 I have repeatedly noticed at a time when the moor was 

 alive with *' peepers," that buzzards have done quite the 

 major portion of their hunting over the lower slopes, 

 where grouse were comparatively scarce, but where small 

 rodents, including rabbits, were plentiful. For we need 

 to remember that for ten months in the year the buzzards 

 are mainly dependent upon these rodents, and that, at 

 the time when the grouse chick harvest takes place, the 

 rodent harvest is also taking place. The number of 



