170 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



is not much more than a grassy slope, but the 

 east face is almost perpendicular ; and, on rounding 

 the rock, sure enough the Peregrine sailed out from 

 a ledge some 20 feet up and circled round, 

 calling repeatedly. Her note closely resembled that 

 of the Sparrow Hawk, but was not quite so clear 

 and ringing as the call of the latter bird. 



I succeeded in gaining the nesting ledge after 

 rather a risk}' climb up the face of the rock, and was 

 rewarded by finding five eggs lying in a slight depres- 

 sion scraped in the earth. There was absolutely no 

 attempt at nest-making, but a few bones of Grouse- 

 captured during the preceding season lay in the 

 hollow and one or two feathers from the parent bird. 

 The eggs were very similar to those of the Kestrel in 

 colour, but were larger in size, and a clutch of five 

 is, I believe, a very rare occurrence. On the way 

 up the hill we were struck by the great number 

 of Grouse which rose in front of us, and from 

 this surmised that the Peregrine could not be 

 nesting in the vicinity. Within fifteen yards of 

 the Peregrine's rock a cock Grouse was flushed, 

 and his alarm note sounded very weird as the 

 echo was thrown back from the rock. A blue hare 

 also was sheltering near, and it was quite evident 

 that the Hawk was not dreaded by the birds and 

 beasts in the vicinity. 



Having no camera with me at the time, I re- 

 turned nine days later to the eyrie with photograph- 

 ing apparatus. The previous afternoon had been very 

 stormy with heavy snow on the hills, accompanied 

 by a southerly gale a rare occurrence for early 

 May. Leaving not long after daybreak, the eyrie 

 was reached before eight o'clock, and on cautiously 

 peering round the rock we had a very fine view 



