WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 217 



Redpoll's. It turned out to be rather an unusual 

 type of a Chaffinch's home, containing young just 

 hatched. 



June 2Oth. Went up over the C. hills, taking the 

 Fern Owl's haunt en route. Had a great hunt for the 

 female whose egg had disappeared yesterday, think- 

 ing that she might possibly have removed it, for this 

 species will certainly do this if much disturbed, but I 

 could not flush her. At the Black Bog I heard a Snipe 

 " bleating," but could find no second nest there. Whilst 

 looking for it I dropped across three Meadow Pipit's 

 nests with two fives and four eggs respectively, but 

 none of them contained a Cuckoo's egg. I was rather 

 surprised at this, for there are many Cuckoos up here 

 on these hills, and 95 per cent, of their eggs must be 

 laid in Meadow Pipits' nests. 



I visited the Kestrel's eyrie in the " Marten-cat " 

 rocks. Climbing to it from above, I again disturbed 

 the male from the nest ; indeed, he did not leave it 

 until I was just above him. There are four young 

 Kestrels there now, so it would appear that the fifth 

 egg came to no good, nor was it in the " nest." Very 

 shortly the female put in an appearance, so either the 

 cock procured a fresh mate or else the hen was away 

 foraging when I found the eggs just hatching on 

 June 4th. 



Both birds were very noisy, flying backwards and 

 forwards, chattering incessantly, though well out of 

 gunshot. Lying at the top of the cliff a little Merlin 

 swept by me, only some twenty yards off, so I had a 

 fine view of him. Clearly there must be a nest here 

 somewhere. The Red Hawks followed me till I was 



