108 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



whilst a feather or two, which I noticed at the 

 entrance yesterday, have been removed. To-morrow 

 morning I must get up betimes and watch awhile, as 

 I suspect that they only work in the early morn. A 

 little further up stream I saw the pad-marks of an 

 otter plainly imprinted on a mud bank. 



April i$t/t. Got up at 6 a.m. and went down to 

 the river to watch the Kingfisher's nest. Waited in 

 the oak for nearly two hours, but they never put in 

 an appearance. I cannot quite make out if they 

 have laid yet. Home for breakfast. Noticed a pair 

 of Great Tits inspecting the hole in the apple-tree 

 leaning over the meadow. This same hole I had 

 previously seen a pair of Marsh and Blue Tits 

 inspecting, but it does not seem to quite meet their 

 requirements. The little Goldcrests have built them 

 a snug nest at the end of a yew branch, close to the 

 house. They are now busily engaged lining it with 

 white chicken feathers. After breakfast started by 

 cycle for a dingle beyond E. Noticed many Red- 

 starts on the way, principally males ; also saw and 

 heard a Blackcap. Just after passing E. station it 

 came on to rain. The dingle I went to (in quest of a 

 Raven's nest) was a truly charming spot. The rocks 

 where the nest was (for there was a fresh one there, 

 though the birds were absent) are fully a hundred 

 and fifty feet sheer to the bubbling stream below. 

 There were several old nests of this species built on 

 this cliff one a very ancient one, which will be used 

 by a Kestrel this summer, for I put the hen off the 

 nest ; but of course there were no eggs yet. The 

 Ravens here must have come to an untimely end, for 



