266 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



discovered a varied colony of birds — some breeding, 

 others with young out of the nest. It was a large grove 

 of old pine-trees, almost shut in with a thick growth of 

 thorn and holly, mixed with bramble and masses of 

 wild clematis. It was full of the crooning sound of 

 turtle-doves, and in the high firs several wood-pigeons 

 had their nests. There were several magpies and in- 

 variably on my coming to the spot they would put in 

 an appearance — quaint black-and-white birds, sitting 

 on the top boughs of the thorns always with their 

 decorative tails behind them. A pair of carrion-crows 

 were there too, but appeared to have no nest or young. 

 Better still it was to find a family of long-eared owls — 

 two adults and three young, beginning to fend for 

 themselves. Best of all was a pair of sparrow-hawks 

 with young in their nest ; for the sparrow-hawk is one 

 of my prime favourites, and the presence of these birds 

 delighted me even more than that of the owls. 



It was evident that these hawks did not associate 

 my appearance with the quick sharp report of a gun 

 and the rattle of shot about them, with perhaps the 

 fiery sting of a pellet of lead in their flesh, for they were 

 exceedingly bold and vociferous whenever I approached 

 the nesting-tree. I visited them on several days for 

 the pleasure of seeing and hearing them. The female 

 was very bold and handsome to look at. Sometimes 

 she would perch above me in such a position as to 

 appear silhouetted against the blue, intensely bright 

 sky, looking inky-black on her black branch. Then, 

 flying to another branch where the light would be on 



