ABOUT THE KESTREL 87 



other bird, usually that of a crow or magpie, and often does so within a few 

 days of the evacuation of the rightful owner ; as, for instance, when I found 

 a crow's nest containing five Kestrel's eggs and one crow's egg — ^the female 

 crow having been shot as she left the nest some two weeks before. The Kestrel 

 was, of course, sitting on the six eggs, though I never knew if the young crow 

 hatched under the strange foster-parent. 



I also remember a rookery in which a pair of Kestrels had taken over one 

 of the rooks' nests, in spite of the fact that the young rooks had flown only 

 some week or ten days previously. 



And a pair of Kestrels will often fight for a nest which has happened to 

 take their fancy and which the rightful owner is loth to reUnquish. 



I have watched a pair of Kestrels, who had designs upon a Carrion Crow's 

 nest that was undergoing construction, endeavour, by repeatedly stooping at 

 the crows, to drive them out of the neighbourhood, so that they might take 

 possession of the nest. 



The crows, however, being strong, courageous birds, were not easily 

 intimidated, and gave the Kestrels as good as they received ; although at 

 last, wearying of so much hard flying, they decided to decamp, and left the 

 little hawks victors of the Situation, and free to commence the business of 

 rearing a family. 



Kestrels, like the other hawks, usually return to the same districts annually 

 to nest, and lay from three to six very beautiful reddish-coloured eggs. While 

 the female is sitting the male sometimes takes perch near the nest, and utters 

 from time to time a long-drawn plaintive cry, which, perhaps, is his best attempt 

 at a song. 



I have known of an instance in which the male Kestrel seemed to do all the 

 brooding whilst eggs were in the nest ; in any case I took several photos — one 

 of which is reproduced here — and each of them showed the male bird on the 

 nest. 



There is a very considerable difference in colour between the female and 

 male Kestrel ; for whereas the former is of a uniform rusty brown colour, 

 covered with markings of a darker brown, and has a tail that is laterally barred 

 with black and greyish bands, the latter is of a much more reddish colour, 

 with a slatey-blue tail having a single broad black band across the end. So 

 there is no mistaking a male Kestrel, even in a photograph. 



Whilst attempting to obtain cinematograph records of the Kestrels at home, 

 I had perhaps, unusual opportimities of watching the birds at reaUy close quar- 

 ters, for my observation post was but 8 feet away from the nest ; and, since when- 

 ever I tried for photographs I generally stopped in it all day, I could not very 

 well do otherwise than witness some interesting and amusing incidents. 



Of course various preliminaries in the way of fixing the sacking, of arrang- 

 ing the cinema camera platform, of lashing in position a small branch to act as a 



