﻿NESTING 
  HABITS 
  OF 
  COMMON 
  BUZZARD. 
  99 
  

  

  instance 
  Raven, 
  Buzzard, 
  and 
  Kestrel 
  successively 
  occupied 
  the 
  

   same 
  nest 
  the 
  same 
  spring, 
  but 
  in 
  each 
  instance 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  

   taken. 
  In 
  nesting 
  the 
  Raven 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  prefer 
  a 
  western 
  aspect, 
  

   while 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  avoids 
  the 
  west, 
  disliking 
  exposure 
  to 
  wet 
  

   winds 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  Raven 
  chooses 
  a 
  deep 
  niche, 
  well 
  overhung, 
  and 
  

   thus 
  obtains 
  shelter. 
  

  

  Even 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  unlimited 
  choice 
  of 
  nesting-sites 
  

   upon 
  wooded 
  rocks, 
  a 
  tree 
  is 
  sometimes 
  selected. 
  Oak 
  is 
  the 
  

   natural 
  growth 
  of 
  these 
  valleys, 
  though 
  little 
  is 
  left 
  except 
  in 
  

   isolated 
  spots, 
  chiefly 
  in 
  rocky 
  and 
  inaccessible 
  gulleys. 
  When 
  

   an. 
  oak 
  is 
  chosen 
  it 
  is 
  noticeable 
  that 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  selects 
  a 
  side 
  

   branch, 
  while 
  the 
  Kite 
  prefers 
  the 
  main 
  fork 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  

   larger 
  branches 
  diverge. 
  A 
  first 
  year's 
  nest 
  is 
  small 
  and 
  com- 
  

   pact, 
  often 
  founded 
  upon 
  the 
  substructure 
  of 
  an 
  old 
  Crow's 
  or 
  

   Magpie's. 
  In 
  several 
  cases 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  has 
  taken 
  to 
  nests 
  built 
  

   and 
  formerly 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  Kite. 
  One 
  such 
  was 
  for 
  a 
  single 
  

   season 
  in 
  possession 
  of 
  Ravens 
  ; 
  the 
  Kites 
  are 
  gone, 
  and 
  the 
  

   Buzzards 
  are 
  now 
  in 
  undisputed 
  possession 
  of 
  the 
  huge 
  structure. 
  

   I 
  once 
  found 
  a 
  presumably 
  young 
  and 
  inexperienced 
  pair 
  building 
  

   a 
  nest 
  of 
  easiest 
  access 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  sycamore 
  close 
  to 
  a 
  ruined 
  

   sheep-fold. 
  Nearer 
  to 
  the 
  low 
  country 
  where 
  the 
  valleys 
  alter 
  in 
  

   character 
  and 
  become 
  less 
  rocky, 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  becomes 
  ordinarily 
  

   a 
  tree-builder. 
  Where 
  larch-plantations 
  prevail, 
  as 
  upon 
  the 
  

   Cardiganshire 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  mountains, 
  that 
  tree 
  is 
  often 
  selected, 
  

   sometimes 
  a 
  Scotch 
  fir, 
  or 
  occasionally 
  a 
  spruce. 
  The 
  trees 
  are 
  

   not 
  of 
  tall 
  growth, 
  and 
  the 
  nest 
  is 
  commonly 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  

   25 
  to 
  30 
  ft. 
  from 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  For 
  nest-building 
  purposes, 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  selects 
  sticks 
  of 
  

   smaller 
  diameter 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  chosen 
  by 
  the 
  Raven. 
  

   Built 
  up 
  by 
  annual 
  additions, 
  the 
  pile 
  often 
  becomes 
  three 
  feet 
  

   across, 
  and 
  of 
  nearly 
  the 
  same 
  height. 
  But 
  sometimes, 
  when 
  

   placed 
  upon 
  a 
  ledge, 
  the 
  nest 
  is 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  hollow 
  formed 
  

   by 
  flattening 
  down 
  the 
  heather 
  and 
  bilberry. 
  Mr. 
  Grubb 
  men- 
  

   tions 
  a 
  nest 
  of 
  this 
  description 
  as 
  consisting 
  of 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  

   half 
  a 
  dozen 
  sticks, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  one 
  young 
  bird 
  rested 
  upon 
  the 
  

   bare 
  ground. 
  In 
  another 
  instance 
  the 
  whole 
  ledge, 
  nearly 
  a 
  yard 
  

   wide, 
  was 
  a 
  nest-platform, 
  littered 
  with 
  bits 
  of 
  stick, 
  sedge, 
  and 
  

   dry 
  grass, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  middle, 
  in 
  just 
  the 
  slightest 
  grass 
  -lined 
  

   hollow, 
  lay 
  the 
  two 
  eggs. 
  The 
  lining 
  ordinarily 
  consists 
  of 
  finer 
  

  

  i2 
  

  

  