132 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



A Pheasant's nest containing some half-dozen eggs 

 was the next find. It was on a very exposed bank 

 at the side of a frequented lane, but had we not seen 

 the hen leave her treasures, exposed as they were, we 

 might have passed them. In a stone wall not far off 

 was an unfinished Redstart's nest. 



By the way, I know of a nest of this species close 

 to my cottage, in the cleft of an ash-tree, only about 

 a foot from the ground. 



From here we started up to a large larch planta- 

 tion on the brow of the C. hills in quest of a Sparrow- 

 hawk's nest. After finding several old tenements of 

 this species, we found the new nest, ready for eggs. 

 In the same plantation was a Magpie's nest con- 

 taining five eggs of rather a pale type. 



Returning to a field close to the line, we searched 

 for and found a couple of Peewits' nests, one contain- 

 ing four the other a single egg. The former clutch 

 was rather a curious one, as most of the markings 

 were collected on the small end of the eggs. 



May ^tJi. — Visited the Buzzard's eyrie in the Black 

 Rocks, but there are no eggs there as yet. Both the 

 Hawks were on view. This nest was lined entirely 

 with mountain grass. Noticed a very spruce-looking 

 Dipper by some falls, and following the course of the 

 C, reached P. wood after about an hour's walk. We 

 disturbed some Curlews on the way, but spent no 

 time in looking for their nests. We first reached 

 P. quarry, now disused, where we had noticed the 

 Daws building as early as March i6th. There are 

 fully a hundred pairs nesting here, but even then, 

 unless the birds be marked carefully from their 



