stray notes on the birds of the country-side. 227


species, especially when on the wing, and in a number of cases I

have been quite unable to identify what were almost certainly very

common species as will appear hereafter.


This country (Montgomeryshire) appears to be exceedingly

rich in avifauna, and perhaps the best plan would be for me to give

a list of species so far identified, together with such notes on each

that I think may be of any interest. I will commence with birds


of prey ‘ HAWKS.


KESTRELS are fairly common and I have seen as many as

four in the air at the same time.


SPARROW Hawks. Two seen for certain and very possibly

more. On one occasion, for instance, a hawk that certainly looked

like a kestrel, but whose behaviour was more like a sparrow-hawk

or merlin, suddenly swooped down from some tall branches at some

small bird, which it pursued alon^ a hedge-row, closely following it

in all its twistings and turnings and finally securing it.


Merlins. I am almost positive I have seen two or three of

these fascinating little hawks at different times, hut have never been

quite close enough to them to definitely identify them.


Besides the above I saw a very large hawk of some species I

could not at the time identify,*' it was the size of a curlew I should

say and was soaring in wide circles around the summit of a high hill

behind the house; I thought at the time it looked like a kite, but I

don’t suppose it could have been. This was at the beginning of

March and I hoped it would turn up again, hut so far it has not

done so.


In connection with hawks it is extraordinary how soon birds

of all species seem to get to know that one does not wish to harm

them, and already the kestrels round here seem to realise the fact

that I mean them no harm, and though they run wild at first I

have latterly on several occasions passed within fifteen or twenty

yards of one tranquilly sitting in a small tree or more often on the

telegraph wires along the railway lines.


OWLS.


Brown Owls. These owls are very plentiful round here

and I have on occasions heard five or six hooting from different



(?) Buzzard.—ED.



