120 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



mobbing a Crow. This latter had ventured too 

 close to a marshy field where a few pairs of Lap- 

 wing are nesting. The Corncrake was heard for the 

 first time this year, and a Lesser Whitethroat seen. 

 By the river we saw a Heron and a pair of Lesser 

 Black-backed Gulls, which came sailing down the 

 river some twenty feet above the water. 



April 26th. — Noticed a large nest in an oak close 

 to the railway embankment, which may be a Heron's, 

 as it is close here that I so often see one. The nest 

 looks too large for a Carrion Crow's, and is certainly 

 not a Sparrow-hawk's ; but I have not been up to it 

 yet. At present, however, it is only a foundation of 

 sticks, as in places I can see through it. Then a visit 

 to see the young Brown Owls ; but on arriving there 

 I was perfectly infuriated to find that they had dis- 

 appeared. 



I now set a trap for the marten-cat, baiting it with 

 a squirrel, after which I put one of the Kestrels out of a 

 tree just above the rocks. Had a good hunt for its 

 nesting site, but did not find it, though there are 

 several likely looking ledges which may be tenanted. 

 What a difficult thing it is to find a nest of any kind 

 in a big range of cliff, even a Raven's or Buzzard's, 

 unless one actually flushes the bird from it or watches 

 it back. We noticed that the Crow whose nest is in 

 the oak bordering the line is sitting hard. 



April 2'jtli. — In the morning had a very pleasant 

 hour's ramble by the river. I first inspected the 

 Kingfisher's haunt and found the hole well used. 

 There were a few droppings under the hole — sure 

 proof of its being tenanted, I then sauntered down 



