BIRDS 
Castle Head near Keswick, at Priest’s Crag, 
at Birch Crag, and at Armathwaite. 
117. Honey-Buzzard. Pernis apivorus (Linn.). 
A rare visitant. An immature bird was 
shot at Raughton Head in October, 1832; 
another near Penrith in the autumn of 1851 ; 
another at Scratmere Scaur ; a fourth near St. 
Bees in 1863 ; a fifth was killed near Wigton, 
and taken in the flesh to my old crony the 
late Sam Watson, who told me that it had 
been feeding on wasp grubs. All these were 
autumn captures; but in 1857 a female was 
killed near Alston in the month of June." 
This latter circumstance recalls the fact that 
Dr. Heysham was informed that the honey- 
buzzard nested at Lowther, whence he re- 
ceived a female shot in June, 1782. Mr. 
James Wilson informed Macgillivray about 
1835, that in his earlier days he had seen at 
least three honey-buzzards which had been 
killed by the Lowther keepers and were pre- 
served at Penrith. 
118. Iceland Falcon. Fako islandus, Gmelin. 
A very rare visitant. A female of this gyr 
falcon was shot near Crossfell on October 13th, 
1860. It was received in the flesh by Blackett 
Greenwell, from whom many years later I 
received the sternum and some loose feathers. 
119. Peregrine Falcon. 
Tunstall. 
A very scarce resident, though I have seen 
some lovely eggs of this bird which had been 
taken among our hills. But the bird itself is 
not excessively rare. On the contrary, it is 
often to be seen by any one who can identify 
a high-flying hawk in the distance, especially 
in the neighbourhood of the coast. The 
female feeds partly on grouse, but the male 
preys chiefly on smaller birds, such as knots, 
golden and green plover, and wood-pigeons. 
I have had the pleasure of witnessing several 
pretty flights of wild falcons, occasionally at 
unexpectedly close quarters. 
Fako peregrinus, 
120. Hobby. Fako subbuteo, Linn. 
A rare summer visitant. A pair of hobbies 
once nested on Penrith Beacon ; both birds 
were killed at the nest, and the eggs were 
taken by T. Hope. An immature bird was 
shot in the same neighbourhood, though just 
outside the county border, on August 25th, 
1899. Others have been killed in Borrow- 
dale, at Castle Rigg and Edenhall. 
121. Merlin. Fako esalon, ‘Tunstall. 
Locally, Blue Hawk. 
A scarce resident, especially among the Lake 
hills, but on the decrease even on the eastern 
fells. Breeding birds return to their favourite 
breeding grounds early in the year; generally 
in the month of March if the weather be 
bright and open, in which case the birds may 
be observed toying together in the air. The 
female scratches a slight hollow in the ground 
early in May, and soon begins to lay. Incu- 
bation is usually commenced by the middle of 
May, and the young hatch in the following 
month. Four is the largest number of eggs 
that I have ever found in a clutch; there is, 
commonly, an addled egg in the nest. 
122. Kestrel. Faso tinnunculus, Linn. 
Locally, Red Hawk. 
A common resident, often seen hovering 
with widely extended wings and tail spread 
out in fan-fashion, carefully steadying itself 
with head to windward, as it watches the 
movements of a field-mouse with many a 
quick turn of its head, ready to drop with foot 
drawn out in act to strike should fortune sug- 
gest a favourable attack; but it often rises 
from the ground with empty talons, its swift 
swoop having been successfully evaded. Dr. 
F. D. Power observed a white kestrel on Dent 
Hill in July, 1873. 
123. Osprey. Pandion halaétus (Linn.). 
A rare visitant on autumn and spring mi- 
gration. Greenwell sent word to Mr. T. C. 
Heysham of a female osprey which he received 
in the flesh in 1841. It was shot about four- 
teen miles from Alston in the month of No- 
vember. Other ospreys were killed at Nether- 
by in the spring of 1837; at Barron Wood 
in September, 1869; at Gosforth in 1881; 
at Clifton on September 27th, 1890. The 
late Mr. J. W. Harris presented to the Car- 
lise Museum an osprey which had been killed 
on the Derwent. The Barron Wood bird 
was caught in a pole-trap, and recorded in the 
local papers as a ‘ brown eagle.’ Whin’s Pond 
at Edenhall has received the attention of os- 
preys on several occasions ; a fine female was 
shot there in the summer of 1848. The 
estuary of the Eden at Rockliffe has also some 
attraction for this species. 
124. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo (Linn.). 
Locally, Water-Crow, Black Diver. 
A frequent visitor to several of our larger 
lakes, abundant also on our estuaries during 
nearly every month of the year. I have seen 
birds of the present species returning at a great 
height from fishing inland. It is interesting 
to notice how they circle round in slowly 
descending curves, until at last they reach the 
sea level, and alight in the tideway. 
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