September 



disappointed of, or mistaken in, its quarry ; at other 

 times its disappearance is less momentary, and either 

 a mouse or some small bird has paid the price of 

 its weakness. It affects the windward slope of any 

 rising ground, to profit, as I suspect, by the uprush 

 of the wind, which aids it in its poising. Even in 

 our flat lands it shows this preference, but it is more 

 manifest on the great Derbyshire " cops," where it 

 will continue to circle and poise at the front of the 

 ridge the whole day through. In dull calm weather 

 it often flies low to the ground, at times quartering 

 the hedgerows, or taking up its post of observation on 

 a tree. I have sometimes seen it skimming the grass 

 long after sunset, when one would have thought that 

 it had need of an owl's sight to detect its prey. 



As the bird came into sight on the 6th September, 

 it was beating up to a strong north-wester which was 

 blowing at the time, and eventually circled about 

 above a field where between two and three hundred 

 rooks were feeding in two large companies. I was 

 surprised to see the whole body of rooks rise at the 

 hawk's approach, some perching on trees, others 

 remaining on the wing, while now one, now another, 

 made a dash at the kestrel as it ran the gauntlet 

 between the two companies. Although I have seen 

 the kestrel attacked scores of times by birds great 

 and small, I have never known him to strike back. 

 He invariably wheels aside with a chattering cry just 

 so far as is necessary to avoid the attacker, and 

 resumes his hovering as if nothing had happened. 



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