THE KESTREL 161 



to look for a mate early in the year, when we 

 may hear the lively chatter of the suitors, as 

 they pay court to the ladies, and conduct their 

 love affairs among the trees. As a rule pairing 

 takes place in the neighbourhood where they 

 mean to settle, when the happy couple drive off 

 all other kestrels and keep their territory to 

 themselves. During March, or at the beginning 

 of April, the question of a nest crops up for 

 consideration, but the kestrel is a lazy bird, and 

 prefers to make use of a ready-made one to 

 building for itself. An old sparrow hawk's nest, 

 a flattened-out squirrel's drey, or a disused crow's 

 nest meet its requirements to a nicety. For 

 situation it prefers a tall spruce, by reason of its 

 heavy evergreen foliage giving more shade and 

 shelter than anything else. If you want to dis- 

 cover a kestrel's nest keep watch in the woods 

 where there are a few tall old firs, and sooner 

 or later you will hear the chattering cry of these 

 talkative little hawks, or see one come gliding 

 overhead, perhaps to take perch on a projecting 

 bough, when you can note what a dainty sprite 

 it is, its reddish plumage showing up against the 

 heavy dark green needles of the fir trees. 



Yet, even when you have located the spot where 

 the kestrels have established themselves, you 

 have still to discover which nest they are 

 occupying, for old spruces like these are usually 

 made good use of, and high up against their 

 tall red trunks will be seen various bundles of 

 twigs, some bigger, some smaller, being the nests, 



11 



