50 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



possible, to picture it. On our way we are gladdened 

 by seeing three Wheatears, the first harbingers of 

 spring. As we near the dingle containing the nest 

 both Ravens leave it, and shortly we proceed to 

 business. As the top of the cliff is virtually a bed 

 of solid rock, we are unable to drive the crowbar into 

 it, and so another plan has to be devised. Eventually 

 we climb to a birch-tree growing from the cliffside 

 and some eight or ten feet above the nest, and tie 

 both ropes to it. We then sit astride the tree, 

 while Mr. Pike and the keeper go to the bottom of 

 the dingle. Here Mr. Pike is tied into one of the 

 ropes, and we haul him up the rocks. With some 

 difficulty he succeeds in photographing the nest, 

 which still contains but two eggs ; so clearly we 

 were right in our surmise that the Raven was sitting 

 on these when we were visiting the nest a few days 

 back. This is an abnormally small clutch, and we 

 are at a loss to understand the matter, though the 

 food supply may have been bad when the bird was 

 laying. The Ravens at this nest are in no way 

 demonstrative: one — we think the hen bird — comes 

 back above the nest for a short time, but evinces no 

 signs of anger. 



On the way home we see a sight which one can 

 scarce hope to witness again during a lifetime — a 

 Kite, two Buzzards, and a Raven in the air together. 

 The Buzzards are sailing beautifully in spiral curves, 

 each taking a reverse course ; the Raven is barking 

 angrily at our intrusion, for we are not far from his 

 nest ; whilst the Kite glides straight over the valley, 

 no doubt to his chosen haunt 



