HAWK NOTES 



A CLOUD from the sea dragged over the 

 mountain so that the buzzards wheeling 

 in the upper air were hidden, and only 

 their mewling cries came down. I suppose 

 they outsoared the cold autumnal vapours; 

 they often sail in the heavenly freeness a 

 mile and more above the earth, broad wings 

 for ever lifted by the winds. 



These big hawks are quite common in 

 the West Country; I have seen as many as 

 ten pairs on the wing at once. They are 

 clumsy in the lower air, flapping heavily 

 and beating over the slopes of heather and 

 gorse very much like an owl. But when 

 they attain to high solitude they are trans- 

 formed. Sometimes as they turn the sun 

 throws a golden lustre on their pinions. 



All the British hawks that I have seen 



kestrel, sparrowhawk, merlin, peregrine 

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