WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 121 



the line, and was much gratified in watching innumer- 

 able Swallows hawking for flies on the embankment ; 

 which just here is exceedingly steep and well wooded. 

 Saw the usual Heron and the Lesser Black Backs again. 

 I hear that these last appear on the river every year 

 in the early spring, and do not leave it till late on in 

 the summer. What can they be doing here ? for they 

 are in mature plumage apparently, and must surely 

 attempt to breed somewhere, unless they are barren, 

 which is extremely unlikely. Whilst standing under 

 a small decaying oak, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 

 came into it and searched some of the top branches 

 for food. I do not think that he (for it was a male) 

 saw me at all, for it stayed in the tree for fully four 

 minutes and then, uttering its oft-repeated note, " kee, 

 kee, kee," flew with dipping flight to another likely 

 looking tree. I was much pleased to have had such 

 a close view of so shy and, for this part of the 

 country, so rare a species. 



Just here the river runs parallel and very close to 

 the line, and I caused considerable anxiety to a 

 female Grey Wagtail easily recognised by not 

 having the black throat-patch which characterises 

 the male ; but though I searched some adjacent rocks 

 I could find no nest. I next had a grand view of a 

 female Sparrow-hawk in pursuit of a Sandpiper. 

 Had it not been for my presence (for the Sand- 

 piper took refuge within a few feet of me) she must 

 have had it. Baffled in this direction, the Hawk now 

 skimmed over the metals, snatching en route an 

 unsuspecting Yellow Bunting. It caused consider- 

 able agitation among the Swallows, which banded 



