THE " WOODCOCK " OWL 125 



or on the rounded, pincushion top of a clump of 

 spiky heather far from standing erect, it holds 

 itself on the slant at an obtuse angle, crouching 

 low on its natural pedestal ; and elongating itself 

 it assumes an even slimmer pose than it really pos- 

 sesses. Now, full in the open it is easy to see : it 

 is only when the bird is partially concealed in long, 

 rough stuff that it becomes difficult of detection. 



Although the wings, from being raised slowly 

 and almost vertically at each flap, are, as if to restore 

 retarded action and lost balance, flicked down 

 sharply and quickly, the whole flight is neverthe- 

 less beautifully smooth and buoyant. After the 

 Owl has been flushed especially should the nest 

 hold young it often settles repeatedly, on each 

 occasion with a slight tremor of the long wings as 

 they are neatly folded across the back and stubby 

 tail, beyond which their extremities slightly extend. 

 Every now and again it returns towards the 

 intruder. Again it varies its flight with brief 

 hoverings, or it may hang in the air motionless 

 head to wind, albeit seldom at at all a lofty eleva- 

 tion when the " nest " is menaced. All the same, 

 when sportively flying out of sheer pleasure 

 especially towards sundown a single bird or a 

 pair will ascend to a considerable height and soar 

 drift would perhaps be a more apposite term 

 in slow and incomplete circles. Then, for no 

 apparent reason, the two friends will enter upon 

 a sparring match, one buffeting the other playfully 



