﻿NESTING 
  HABITS 
  OF 
  COMMON 
  BUZZARD. 
  97 
  

  

  under 
  side 
  of 
  its 
  wings. 
  Higher 
  it 
  goes, 
  till 
  lost 
  against 
  the 
  

   blue, 
  then 
  coming 
  into 
  sight 
  again 
  against 
  the 
  white 
  cloud- 
  

   masses 
  which 
  herald 
  the 
  coming 
  shower. 
  The 
  whole 
  of 
  this 
  

   aerial 
  evolution 
  is 
  directed 
  by 
  slight 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  tail 
  rather 
  

   than 
  by 
  any 
  appreciable 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  wings. 
  At 
  other 
  times 
  

   the 
  bird 
  presents 
  an 
  entirely 
  different 
  outline 
  as 
  it 
  crosses 
  the 
  

   valley, 
  flying 
  fast 
  and 
  low, 
  with 
  wings 
  incompletely 
  expanded, 
  

   i. 
  e. 
  bent 
  at 
  the 
  carpal 
  joint. 
  Or, 
  partially 
  closing 
  its 
  wings 
  in 
  

   this 
  way, 
  it 
  will 
  fall 
  rapidly, 
  almost 
  in 
  the 
  style 
  of 
  the 
  Raven. 
  

   Occasionally 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  hovers 
  like 
  a 
  giant 
  Kestrel, 
  but 
  the 
  

   mechanism 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  different, 
  as 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  tremulous 
  

   movement 
  of 
  the 
  wings, 
  the 
  downward 
  glide 
  and 
  quick 
  recovery 
  

   observable 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  bird. 
  An 
  old 
  shepherd, 
  

   seeing 
  a 
  Buzzard 
  hang 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  against 
  the 
  wind, 
  remarked 
  

   that 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  sign 
  of 
  foul 
  weather 
  to 
  come, 
  and, 
  sure 
  enough, 
  a 
  

   notable 
  storm 
  of 
  wind 
  and 
  rain 
  shortly 
  followed. 
  

  

  Early 
  in 
  the 
  day, 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  working 
  in 
  a 
  

   business-like 
  way 
  along 
  the 
  rocky 
  slopes, 
  alighting 
  frequently, 
  

   and 
  evidently 
  making 
  its 
  morning 
  meal. 
  In 
  close 
  damp 
  weather 
  

   it 
  will 
  remain 
  listlessly 
  perched 
  for 
  hours, 
  but, 
  if 
  the 
  evening 
  be 
  

   fine, 
  always 
  soars 
  towards 
  sunset. 
  A 
  bold 
  craggy 
  hill 
  at 
  the 
  

   meeting-point 
  of 
  two 
  valleys 
  is 
  a 
  favourite 
  rendezvous 
  and 
  place 
  

   of 
  call 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  large 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  district. 
  Here 
  half 
  a 
  dozen 
  

   Buzzards 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  thus 
  disporting 
  themselves, 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  catch 
  

   the 
  last 
  rays 
  of 
  light. 
  The 
  birds 
  are 
  late 
  abroad, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  

   come 
  overhead, 
  shadowy 
  and 
  Owl-like 
  in 
  the 
  dusk. 
  

  

  The 
  staple 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  — 
  at 
  any 
  rate, 
  upon 
  the 
  sheep- 
  

   walks 
  — 
  is 
  probably 
  furnished 
  by 
  dung-beetles 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Geo- 
  

   tnqjes. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  averse 
  to 
  carrion, 
  and 
  joins 
  the 
  Ptaven 
  at 
  the 
  

   feast 
  when 
  a 
  sheep 
  has 
  perished 
  in 
  the 
  March 
  snowdrifts. 
  One 
  

   was 
  seen 
  carrying 
  off 
  with 
  some 
  difficulty 
  a 
  dead 
  lamb 
  of 
  perhaps 
  

   three 
  days 
  old 
  ; 
  its 
  mate 
  flew 
  round 
  it 
  excitedly. 
  A 
  friend 
  of 
  the 
  

   writer's 
  watched 
  a 
  Buzzard 
  rise 
  from 
  the 
  hillside 
  above 
  Barmouth 
  

   with 
  a 
  snake 
  writhing 
  in 
  its 
  claws. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  catch 
  a 
  

   wounded 
  Partridge, 
  and 
  is 
  partial 
  to 
  Moles. 
  It 
  was 
  observed 
  

   that 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  Buzzards 
  completely 
  cleared 
  off 
  the 
  latter 
  from 
  the 
  

   fields 
  below 
  the 
  rock 
  which 
  they 
  had 
  selected 
  as 
  a 
  nesting-site. 
  

   The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  supplied 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  birds 
  will 
  be 
  referred 
  

   to 
  later. 
  

   Zool. 
  4th 
  ser. 
  vol. 
  VIII., 
  March, 
  1904. 
  i 
  

  

  