1 903 Our Common Wild Birds 3 1 9 



striking appearance. Really the best way to see one is to 

 go bird-nesting, and climb the fir trees, spruce or Scotch, 

 which contain big nests, and then we may get within two 

 yards of the bird before it silently flits away. Its presence 

 in a wood is generally indicated by the bird's cast-up pellets 

 of fur and bones which strew the ground below its roosting- 

 place. 



The Barn Owl {Strix flammed), in some places known 

 as the White Owl, is the most delicately beautiful of all the 

 family. Not uncommon in some districts, it may be easily 

 distinguished when seen on the wing — -and it often flies early 

 in the evening — by its pure white plumage, for although the 

 bird's upper parts are orange-buff with delicate markings, 

 it is apparently a large zvhite bird that we see flying. 

 Church towers, cliffs, old farm buildings, and large hollow 

 trees, are its favourite haunts by day. When abroad in 

 the evening it is impossible to mistake it for any other owl, 

 or indeed any other bird, as it gently flaps its way silently 

 along a hedgerow or round a building. 



The Kestrel (Falco tiiuiuuculus), though we wish it 

 were commoner, is still one of the most noticeable birds 

 of the open country. It is our commonest hawk, and may 

 easily be known by its remarkable habit of steadily hover- 

 ing in the air over field or meadow, as though hanging 

 suspended from the sky. As it hovers, with spread tail and 

 quickly quivering wings, the bird apparently neither moving 

 up, down, nor to the right or left, it is a sight beautiful 

 and without parallel in bird life. After hovering for some 

 minutes, it will either drop straight to the ground and secure 

 its field-vole, or wheel round, hover again, and then sail 

 away across the fields. When seen from above, the kestrel, 

 which is about the size of a pigeon, appears chiefly of a 

 reddish-brown colour, though the smaller male bird is bluish 

 grey on the head, neck, and tail. 



The Sparrow-Hawk {Accipiter nisus) is about the same 

 size as the kestrel, and, though much less easily detected, is 

 more common than generally supposed. As with rapid, 

 dashing flight it skims over the fields and through wood- 

 land glades, snatching up its prey, usually a small bird, 

 before its victim is aware of its presence, its actions are 



