46 BIRD-HUNTING 



the surrounding pines it was always worth a visit. 

 Many Booted Eagles (Aquila pennata) were nesting 

 in them. 



And here I may mention that the silver poplar is 

 a favourite tree with the large raptores, and is often 

 chosen by them to nest in : I can recall many 

 instances. Besides these Booted Eagles we found 

 in these trees a nest of the Short-toed or Snake 

 Eagle (Circa'etus gallicus). In Albania, in 1906, I 

 found a nest of the Sea Eagle (Haliaetus albicilla) 

 in a silver poplar, and in the following year nests 

 of Black Vulture [Vultur monackus) and Imperial 

 Eagle [Aquila imperialis) in the same kind of tree 

 in a Roumanian forest. 



To show the abundance of raptorial birds in 

 these forests, in a space of not more than a few 

 acres were the nests of a Black Kite, a Short-toed 

 Eagle, and a Booted Eagle, and none of them were 

 half a mile from a village. 



The first nest we found was that of a Black 

 Kite, placed at the summit of a small pine-tree. 

 As it contained three well-marked eggs, a choice 

 collection of old rags, and an empty matchbox, 

 I carried the camera up and photographed the 

 nest in situ, as it has been said that the Black Kite 

 does not use rags in constructing its nest. We had 

 seen the bird leave the nest, so that there was no 

 doubt about its being that of a Black Kite (Milvus 



