i64 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
the habit of poising motionless in air, even in a fairly 
stiff breeze, wings spread and eyes directed to the 
ground below. 
Occasionally it may eat a small bird (Sparrow for 
preference), but its ordinary food is insects, lizards, 
frogs, and, in particular, the mice which infest hay- 
stacks. On the road to Torquay, one autumn, I 
saw a family of seven Kestrels engaged in prospecting 
one haystack for mice. It would seem that farmers 
generally recognise what a useful bird the Kestrel is, 
with the result that it alone of the district Hawks 
escapes persecution, and is really on the increase. 
Another factor which makes for its preservation is 
that in this part of the country it always lays its eggs 
on a bed of decayed wood in the hollow of a gum tree 
— a site which may easily escape detection altogether. 
In fact I have seen very few nests containing eggs, 
although dozens of broods must be hatched every 
year about Geelong. A nest near Ceres was in a 
doubly secure position, for the dead gum in which 
the nest-hollow was situate was standing in the 
middle of a deep pond. 
The note of the Kestrel is a shrill twitter of a 
single, oft-repeated note. 
BOOBOOK OWL 
Spiloglaux boobook marmorata 
This is at least one of the birds which produce the 
so-called " mopoke " sound at night. Far be it 
