62 WILD BIRDS 



around me. When I reached the end of the high 

 hazel shoots I saw one of the birds at once. It 

 wheeled about me under and amid the oaks, moved 

 silent as a shadow, and though it came within 

 three or four yards of me, I only once heard the 

 faintest sound of wings. This bird seemed almost 

 fearless on the wing, though when it alit on the 

 ground once on the rough farm road along the cross 

 side it seemed more shy. At first I thought it 

 might be trying to draw me from its eggs or young, 

 but soon I saw it was hawking for insects. 



On this evening I saw it hover at the edge of the 

 copse and sweep an insect off a hazel leaf ; whilst 

 often it hovered for several seconds in the open 

 five feet or so above the ground. I think it may 

 hang itself thus in the air to look around and note 

 if there is a chaffer or moth within range, and, seeing 

 one, glide off in pursuit. The action of the night- 

 hawk whilst hovering differs, I think, from the 

 kestrel. Whilst it hangs in the air the nighthawk's 

 wings beat strongly, and each stroke must be a 

 full stroke. The kestrel, well poised, will often 

 hover with only a slight fanning of its wing tips ; 

 for a fraction of a second it seems to be balanced 

 motionless. The nightjar can only remain station- 

 ary by incessant vigorous wing play. Its ease in 

 the air is superb, but it appears to be ease got only 

 by quick and full wing action. 



The tawny owl is all buoyancy ; I put one off its 

 perch in the Sussex glen, where it was causing a scene 

 of frenzy among the clinking blackbirds and some 



