WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 107 



larks to be sitting so hard, as this bird must have 

 been doing, or even for them to have started laying 

 in this altitude. Therefore I was all the keener to 

 find the nest. On the way up we saw a few Meadow 

 Pipits and a VVheatear, but our thoughts were with 

 " The Three Trees," which shortly came in sight — 

 simply three insignificant trees in a row. Almost 

 immediately I found the nest under a piece of 

 withered bracken, which proved to be a Woodlark's — 

 rather a scarce bird in these parts, as indeed every- 

 where. It contained three nestlings about four days 

 old and an addle egg. Shortly we saw both the 

 parent birds bringing food to their offspring. The 

 nest was a simple little structure, composed almost 

 exclusively of mountain grass, with a few bits of 

 horsehair in the lining. It was in a very exposed 

 position, and therefore a very slight structure. Had 

 it been more compact it would have attracted 

 attention immediately. Saw the Tree Pipit to-day 

 for the first time this year ; also several Swallows 

 and Sand-martins by the river, but no House- 

 martins. Came home about three, and went down 

 to the river to see if the Kingfishers would visit their 

 nest-hole. Sat in the oak for seventy minutes, but 

 they never came. A Green Woodpecker came into 

 the tree I was in and watched me quietly for fully a 

 minute before taking wing. What an erratic flight 

 the Sandpiper has ! One quite expects to see them 

 fall into the water as they career along just above 

 the surface ! I now descended and examined the 

 hole, which they are only digging out after all, as 

 there was freshly scratched-out earth under the hole, 



