118 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



Buzzard's eyries are at present without eggs ; but I 

 saw both the birds. I noticed that the two Herons' 

 nests apart from the main colony which seemed 

 deserted on the 8th instant are now both in use, as a 

 Heron flopped off each on my approach, and further 

 on still I discovered two more nests occupied : so at 

 present this Herony consists of eleven pairs — a small 

 but select company. Saw several eggs on the 

 ground which the Crows have sucked, and lying up 

 for some time, had the felicity of watching one of 

 these sable villains plundering a nest, taking advan- 

 tage of the absence of the sitting Heron. The 

 Magpie which has nested in a tall oak close to the 

 main Herony has laid five eggs, and the black horse- 

 hair employed in the lining again struck me as being 

 very unusual. 



The young Dippers under the bridge are progres- 

 sing well, but the Wagtails there have not started 

 laying yet. 



April 24/"//. — To-day my chief object was, if 

 possible, to find a Fork-tailed Kite's nest. The 

 day fortunately turned out fine. Leaving my 

 velocipede at Y. farm, I crossed the T river by a 

 very rickety bridge. Then, working the rocks in the 

 D. valley, where the Raven's nest is that we dis- 

 covered on March 15th, I saw a Buzzard, but do 

 not think that there was an eyrie anywhere close, 

 judging from the bird's actions. Then across the 

 moor to T. wood, which " once upon a time " 

 always held a Kite's nest. There was not one there 

 to-day, however, though I had a great search. The 

 Buzzards, too, are not breeding in the rocks facing 



