The Birds of Pembrokeshire. 57 
small Hawks, one nearly black, and the other a brownish black ; 
very pointed wings, like a common Swift, and about eight to 
ten inches in length. I have never seen them before, and I put 
them down to be the Red-legged Falcon.” Mr. John Stokes 
was an excellent ornithologist, and we have little doubt that he 
was correct in the name he gave to these rare visitors. Ferny 
Glen is only distant about a mile from the coast of St. Bride’s 
Bay. Sir Hugh Owen has informed us that an example of the 
Red-footed Falcon was obtained at ‘Tregwynt, a well-wooded 
spot on the northern coast of the county, and a noted Wood- 
cock cover, at the time when it was the residence of Mr. 
Llewellin, now many years ago, but could give us no particulars 
as to the season, sex, &c., of this rarity. 
KESTREL, Zinnunculus alaudarius.—A common resident. The 
most numerous of all our Hawks, to be met with all over the 
county, nesting in woods, in old ruins, and in many places on the 
cliffs all round the coast. The Kestrel was common in our 
plantations at Stone Hall, and an old Crow’s nest was generally 
occupied by it, and we have taken some very pretty varieties of 
its handsome eggs. One summer we witnessed a conflict that 
was maintained for several days between a pair of Crows and a 
pair of Kestrels for the possession of an old nest in a hedge-row 
elm: it ended in favour of the Kestrels, and a brood was suc- 
cessfully brought off. One bitter day we started a Kestrel off 
the snow-covered ground, and seeing it drop something as it flew 
off, went up to the spot and found a partly devoured Starling. 
We do not believe that Kestrels attack small birds unless they are 
unable to procure mice or insects, or are driven hard to find food 
for their young, when we have known them to carry off young 
Pheasants. One very foggy day, we shot a Kestrel by mistake, 
as it was fluttering low through the bushes, when we took it for a 
Woodcock. On picking it up, we found it had a diseased 
mandible, and was little more than a skeleton, having evidently 
been unable to feed. We have found a pair of Kestrels at every 
station of cliff birds we have visited, whether on the mainland or 
on the islands. 
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