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 2^th. 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 I5th, 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 



