90 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



promptly settled on a slab of rock on the sky-line, 

 and number two male drove the other male off. Saw 

 several Dippers on the way home. 



March igth. Left to photograph the Raven's nest 

 in the I. valley. The hen left the nest when we were 

 about fifty yards off. We found that she still only 

 had one egg ; so it would appear that she had begun 

 to "set." This seemed very extraordinary, for the 

 Raven usually lays four or five eggs. I pulled Pike 

 up on the rope to the tree behind which the nest was 

 built, and he got half a dozen photos of it. It was 

 very windy, which did not facilitate matters. The 

 cock Raven was especially angry, and came within 

 an ace of striking a Daw which had ventured too 

 close to the eyrie. In the afternoon left the hill 

 country very regretfully, but went to pay the Colonel 

 a visit in Herefordshire. 



March 2Oth. In Herefordshire. My host and I 

 went out for a stroll in his grounds. I examined 

 some hollow trees for a Brown Owl's nest, and even- 

 tually found what will, I think, be the nest-hole. We 

 saw one Owl the male I expect sitting in its usual 

 ivy-tree. We noticed a pair of Long-tailed Tits 

 building their charming nest in a gorse-bush in the 

 orchard ; as well as a pair of Missel Thrushes doing 

 the same in a fir-tree. Hedge Sparrows and Black- 

 birds were also building. In the afternoon we went 

 to R. nursery, where we saw the Long-eared Owls 

 last Christmas ; but we climbed up to many old nests 

 before finding what will probably be the chosen haunt 

 of this species. We did not see the Owls, however, 

 though we found many fresh pellets and remains of 



