538 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



of his (the kestrel's) nest. When last I saw them over the trees, the 

 eagle had apparently accepted the terms, and the kestrel was plying 

 htm with sundry sayings and maxims while he saw him safely out of 

 his neighborhood. 



In August they gather into small parties and hover about over the prairie, feeding 

 priucipaliy on grasshoppers, though they are quite capable of capturiug better ganje. 

 On two occasious I have seen tneiu kill aud carry off meadow larks ; these I shot in 

 the act. Another time I found the remains of a red squirrel and a purple finch in 

 the stomach of one, but the most extraordinary feat I ever saw one attempt was its 

 attack on a crow. The hawk struck viciously at the crow, knocking hiui down into 

 the road just iu front of my hou^e ; the hawk diopped on the fence just over his in- 

 tended victim, and sat there while the poor crow siiuatted close to the ground with 

 his wings and tail spread out aud mouth wide open looking the picture of terror. I 

 had pulled up to watch the outcome of the performance, but uufortunately my horse 

 moved and attracted the attention of the parties to the duel aud they both flew oil 

 in opposite direct.v^ns. The hawk could hardly have been driven to this bold act by 

 hunger as it was late iu the spring and there were numbers of small birds about. 



Early iu the morning of Aigust 31, I saw a party of five or six of these hawks and 

 a single Sharp-shin enjoyng a regular romiJ around a deserted house on the prairie. 

 They chased and dodged each other round and round the building, settling when 

 tired on the roof and chimueys. The Sharp-shin took his turn with the rest in 

 chasing and being chased, the whole game apparently being carried on in the most 

 friendly spirit by all parties. I watched them for over half an hour and left them 

 still at it. (,Nash, in MSS.) 



At Carberry on Sejitember 7, 18H3 : In the morning I found a considerable assembly 

 of American kestnls (T. sparverius) round a small cluster of aspens about a mile 

 north. I several times saw one of them chasing meadow larks, but with no success, 

 apparently. At one time I got into quite a flock of them, twenty-five or thirty at 

 least, and shot three, one fine old one, male, aud two young ones both of which ha<l 

 only grasshoppers in their gizzards. All day they were round the house hovering 

 and chattering just like the English kestrel, and sitting on posts and building quite 

 tamely. I ran out of aumiunition or could have shot lots, so tame and numerous 

 were they. They must have some migration on hand as I have never before seen 

 them so numerous, though sometimes I have seen single ones around the house. " 

 * * Septembers. Kestrels are stiU about, but not in such large numbers. I shot 

 another nice old male with plenty of grasshoppers and other insects in his gizzard. 

 September 10. Kestrels are still fairly nunu^rous about the premises and one was iu 

 the garden catching grasshoppers among the i^otatoes a good many times during the 

 day. (Christy, in MSS.) 



122. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. American Osprey, or Fish Hawk. 



Rare summer resident; James Falls, Winnipeg Eiver (Hind;: Win- 

 nipeg: Summer resident; rare; Shoal Lake (Hiue). Eed Kiver Val- 

 ley: Summer resident; rare (Hunter). Common, nests along the Churchill 

 and Grass Rivers (Bell 1880). Very rare; one seen over the Assiniboiue 

 River at Portage la Prairie, on May 11, 1885 (Kash). Saw it on the 

 lakes behind Porcupine Mountain, and in the Winnei^egosis region; 

 saw nest in a tree on a rocky jjoint (Wilkin's) Lake Winnepegosis 

 (Macoun). Shell River: 1885; is a common summer resident aud breeds 

 here; first seen April 4; afterwards seen everyday (Calcutt). Occa- 

 sional summe!" resident at Qu'Appelle (Guernsey). Only observed once 

 or twice (between Norway House and Carleton) (Blakiston). 



