Bird Notes from the Nile. 27 



These are always soaring above the palm 



groves — 



"... Kites that soar sublime 

 In still repeated circles " — 



or more prosaically doing the work of 

 scavengers in every town and village, or 

 on the banks of the river, and all day long 

 their peculiar whistling cry may be heard. 

 They are protected by the natives, who 

 find them very useful. These kites build 

 in towers and minarets, and also in high 

 trees. Their eggs are laid in February, 

 and by May the young are fully fledged. 

 Another, the Black Kite, is rarer, but we 

 saw one in March at El Kab hovering low 

 over some sont trees by the river, close to 

 the place where our felucca was moored. 



There are a great many Kestrels, and 

 they are seen everywhere. They are not 

 particularly shy. One perched for some 

 time on the long yard of our felucca while 

 we were anchored close under the bank 

 near Mahameed. At Edfu there were a 

 great many Kestrels, and also Sparrow- 

 hawks. We found a pair of the latter, 

 and a nest, in the temple ; rather an 

 appropriate place, for some say that the 



