HEN-HARRIERS 151 



haunted by four pairs of Hen-Harriers, two 

 breeding on its east flank, two on its west. These 

 nests are about one-third of a mile apart. Very 

 often a Short-eared Owl or Merlin has its eyrie 

 close to that of a Harrier. Once, within twenty 

 minutes I found nests of all three species. That 

 was a red-letter day. 



The Hen-Harrier's diet mainly consists of voles 

 and half -grown rabbits, varied by a few young 

 Grouse in their season and other birds, which are 

 pounced upon suddenly as they squat in the heather. 

 Rarely does a Harrier pursue a winged quarry, 

 though I once saw a male chase a Twite for some 

 fifty yards unsuccessfully. Eggs are also devoured. 

 When a rabbit is the victim, a good deal of " fleck ' 

 is torn off it, before the 'breaking up" takes 

 place, while the legs are neatly skinned as far as 

 the " pads." 



In common with all the birds of prey and some 

 few others, pellets, composed of the indigestible 

 portions of food, are ejected through the mouth. 

 An average "casting" measures from If in. to 

 1^ in. in length by 2^ in. in circumference. 

 Recognized ' boards " are resorted to regularly, 

 and these, seldom very close to the nest, are 

 generally on a hillock of solid ground, on a round 

 of stiff, dense-growing heather, or on a mound, 

 thick with moss and lichen. 



In very hard, snowy weather, the Harriers 

 forget part of their wariness and pay fleeting visits 



