286 AUTUMN AND WINTER 



breed very early in spring — some time before the ground 

 was clear of snow — and laid double the usual number of eggs. 

 The concentration of so many owls on this one district is an 

 indication of the great numbers of birds which normally 

 traverse any area during their winter wanderings, and depart 

 unnoticed. Every short-eared owl which came to this land 

 of plenty stayed there ; and the consequent abundance of the 

 species seemed unaccountable and almost miraculous. 



Besides short-eared owls, the vole-ridden sheep-farms 

 were visited on that occasion by large numbers of rough- 

 legged buzzards. This fine bird of prey, with its legs 

 feathered right to the toes, is a regular winter visitor in small 

 numbers from the uplands of Norway where it breeds among 

 the crags. Usually it is a rare bird, and many years may 

 pass without its being noticed in a locality ; but the abund- 

 ance of voles collected the rough-legged buzzards from a wide 

 area — possibly from the greater part of their whole winter 

 range. Normally it lives a wandering life during the winter, 

 chiefly haunting hill ranges and open downs. It is one of the 

 most typical winter visitors, though not a common one. 



Every rough-legged buzzard identified in Britain is easily 

 recognised as a visitor from abroad, because the cases of its 

 breeding here are so rare as to be negligible ; but there is no 

 such easy criterion in the case of some other birds of prey, 

 such as the sparrow-hawk and kestrel, or of the great flocks 

 of diverse species which they accompany and prey upon. 

 The winter visitors to Britain include vast numbers of sky- 

 larks, chaffinches, goldcrests, rooks, crows, plovers, wood- 

 pigeons and many other species which are included among 

 our breeding birds ; and the wanderers from one English 

 county are winter visitors when they appear in the next. 

 There can be no doubt about birds of common English 

 species being visitors when they are seen landing, or passing 



