260 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



hardly 'realise what difficulties we have had to con- 

 tend with, for the few Kites left breed on ground 

 which is hardly preserved, if at all, and are there- 

 fore at the mercy of any vagabond who may chance 

 to find them. Besides which, Welsh farmers and 

 shepherds are so suspicious of strangers that it is 

 extremely difficult to get information at all, let 

 alone reliable information. Another thing is that 

 all too frequently they confound the Kite with the 

 Buzzard, and on more than one occasion in my own 

 experience a reported Kite's nest has turned out a 

 Buzzard's. This latter species is often called the 

 Kite in Wales, and the Kite the Fork-Tailed Kite, 

 so altogether one has to be extremely careful in 

 accepting any information. 



The Kite, though a tree-builder in our Islands, 

 has nevertheless become almost a " hill bird," for 

 it is in the oak woods " hanging " on the mountain- 

 sides that it makes its nest. The reason, I think, 

 that the species under notice has vanished quicker 

 than the Buzzard is because the latter prefers a 

 more secluded spot to breed in and confines itself 

 to such diet as moles, mice, rats and rabbits, whereas 

 the former commits fearful depredations among 

 chickens, ducklings, and suchlike farm produce. 

 One can well picture the irate farmer getting down 

 his ancient muzzle-loader and laying low the Fork- 

 tailed Kite with a charge of " slugs," as it swept 

 down for the last of a promising brood of goslings. 

 Nor can one fairly blame him, for he had but him- 

 self to depend upon, with no master to make good 

 the damage. 



