174 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



The Vicar showed me a Willow Wren's nest in his 

 garden with four eggs of a distinctly unusual type, 

 with bold blotches on them instead of the usual 

 speckles. A Creeper, whose nest was taken about 

 ten days ago, has built a fresh nest in identically the 

 same spot. This nest is in a pollard willow, behind 

 some peeled bark. 



May 2yd. About noon I noticed a pair of Gold- 

 finches fly into a tall sycamore close to the house, 

 with wool in their beaks. I then knew that they 

 were building there, but had not time to locate the 

 nest, which will be no easy matter, for the foliage is 

 well out by this. On the way to the river we found 

 a Long-tailed Tit's nest and a Willow Wren's ; the 

 former in a wild rose-bush, the latter in a small bank. 

 Then off in search of the Golden Plover's home. On 

 our arrival we saw both the old birds, but again they 

 foiled us. They were further along the bog than on 

 our last visit. One of the birds, probably the female, 

 flew right away ; but the other one endeavoured to 

 draw us from the spot with divers alluring antics. 

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

 built in an ash-tree growing down a small ravine, 

 containing four young, which I promptly killed. 



May 24^. Started for L. wood. The young 

 Grey Wagtails under the railway bridge have flown. 

 I located two more pairs of Pied Flycatchers in the 

 wood, and watched the Herons feeding their young 

 for some time. One beautiful male Heron came into 

 the tree under which I was standing, affording me 

 a remarkably fine view. One has to keep well hidden 

 and very quiet in order to watch these huge grey 



