WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 131 



first brood) had obviously flown, for there were many 

 droppings underneath it. This nest was built simply 

 on a ledge of rock, and only some three feet above the 

 stream. A Grey Wagtail passed us, but we did not find 

 his nest. Again we saw nothing of the Ravens, and 

 the nest was empty as before ; so now we feel sure that 

 evil has overtaken them. Saw the male Kestrel here, 

 but there are no eggs in the old Raven's nest which 

 they have chosen for quarters. The cliff here is very 

 treacherous, being composed of shaly slate and small 

 pieces of stone, and in getting to the Kestrel's abode 

 I had to trust to a ridiculously small and rather rotten 

 tree growing from its side, with a clear drop of 

 one hundred and fifty feet into the abyss below. 



In this part of the country Kestrels go to nest later 

 than their relatives down south. In the hill country, 

 indeed, they seldom start laying before the middle or 

 third week of May. On the way back we found a 

 Green Woodpecker's nest-hole utilised by a Starling ; 

 and saw an enormous Rook's nest large as any 

 Heron's. 



May ^rd. With two companions went in search of 

 Kites. On the way we found a Carrion Crow's nest, 

 and questioned a ploughman and a farmer about the 

 Kites. The former said that the birds he had seen 

 had broad, rounded tails, but the latter, omitting all 

 mention of tails (barring the one he was telling), said 

 that they had long pointed wings, which spoke more 

 of a Kite, whereas the former's narrative pointed to 

 their being Buzzards. I think, however, that they 

 may have been a pair of Kites looking for a suitable 

 nest haunt after their first domicile had been plundered. 



