10 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



4. PEREGRINE FALCON. 



Falco 2^<^i"^(/i'i'^iis. 



This Falcon is an irregular, but by no means an 

 uncommon, visitor to this part, at all events, of 

 Northamptonshire ; and though the county does not 

 possess any localities suited to its breeding-habits, I 

 consider it, after the Kestrel and Sparrow-Hawk, 

 unquestionably our most common diurnal bird of 

 prey. To record occurrences would be tedious and 

 unnecessary, but I may mention that there are stuffed 

 specimens of the Peregrine in most of the country 

 houses in this division of the county that I have 

 visited, and that, from the middle or end of kSeptember 

 till March or April, few days occur when it may not 

 be seen about the valley of the Nen between Thrap- 

 ston and Oundle. In this locality we have several 

 high old trees, for the most part ash or elms, with 

 dead boughs near the top ; these are the favourite 

 look-out stations of the Peregrine, commanding as 

 they do a long and wide range of meadow and arable 

 land, and rendering the unperceived approach of a 

 human enemy almost impossible. I believe that the 

 Falcons follow the autumnal southward migrations of 

 the Duck tribe, as I have several times observed that 

 their first appearance hereabouts occurs exactly at the 

 same time as that of our first autumnal wild fowl. 

 Teal or Wigeon, for the former of which species the 

 Peregrine has a very marked predilection. Besides 

 the wild fowl, a good many Wood-Pigeons, Peewits, 

 Starlings, Waterhens, and an occasional Partridge 

 fall victims, but I do not look upon the Peregrine in 

 this county as such an enemy to game as the Sparrow- 



