KESTREL. 
3 
frequenting the towers of churches and other buildings ; on the moors in the north the steep rocky faces oi 
the numerous ravines and old ruins arc for the most part resorted to. In the summer of 1868 1 found a 
brood of young Kestrels on a perfectly bare spot on an open moor in Sutherland. It was not for the want 
of a suitable locality that such an unusual spot had been chosen for a cradle (there was not the slightest 
suspicion of a nest), as a rough and broken precipice was within a few yards distance. The following year 
I was shown three eggs on a shelf in a shepherds’ shoaling on Een Alisky, in Caithness, which had only been 
deserted by its rightful owners the previous month, the bird making its escape through a hole in the chimney 
while we were entering the building. I do not believe that the Kestrel makes any attempt at building a nest 
for itself. I have frequently noticed that not even a strand of grass or a single twig was on the ledges where 
their young had been hatched. 
The number of rats that one pair will occasionally destroy, and the pertinacity with which the female 
will return to her nest in spite of frequent interruption, will be seen by the following short extract from my 
notes of 1867, jotted down while collecting specimens in East Lothian. The nest was in a small hole 
six or eight feet from the top of the cliffs on the east side of Canty Bay. Being anxious to secure the young 
as soon as they were perfectly covered with down, I had gone over the rocks with a rope on two or three 
occasions to learn how they progressed. 
“Juncl. On examining the Kestrels’ nest I found the young in the state I required for preserving. 
The female was now more reconciled to having her treasures inspected, and simply hissed without making the 
slightest attempt to use either beak or claws when I lifted her up. As on previous occasions, the remains 
of rats were the only food. After paying the poor bird so many visits, I did not feel inclined to catch her on 
her young ones and slaughter her in cold blood; so I left her sitting, and hauled myself to the top of the 
cliffs with the assistance of the rope. On reaching the summit I determined to let her have the chance of 
a fly for her life; so picking up my gun I took up a position with firm standing-ground, from which I could 
shoot as she flew out. It required three or four stones pitched onto the ledge to induce her to move. At 
last she dashed out, but instantly swept round a projecting slab of rock, and was out of sight before she was 
twenty yards distant. When once on wing she appeared wild enough ; and as she gave no signs of approachin- 
within range, I discovered I should have to use the traps (which I had brought to set for the male) in order 
to effect her capture. The work of placing the traps (it needed a couple to cover the space at the entrance of 
the hole) was by no means easy, swinging on the rope with only a small ledge about an inch wide on which 
to get a foothold. At last the operation was accomplished ; and the traps being of considerable weight, I did 
not think it would be necessary to make them fast. The rope was then drawn up, and we left the spot, making 
our way down to the inn. An hour and a half later we retraced our steps ; and on stretching over 'the cliff 
I was surprised to find the traps vanished. On descending to the ledge I discovered the young were also -one 
Before regaining the top of the rocks my attention was attracted by a party of three or°four small °boys 
diligently engaged in scraping a hole in the sand at the foot of the cliffs, between two and three hundred 
yards to the west. On examining their movements through the glasses, I discovered them just in the act of 
placing two traps in the hole and carefully covering them. I also noticed that they carried a couple of covered 
baskets. As I had strong suspicions that these youngsters had managed to possess themselves of our tn»s 
and birds, I directed the two men with me to take the path at the top of the cliirs and cut off their vet , 
towards North Berwick, while I watched their movements through the glasses. The time they spent b, 
endeavouring to conceal the spot where they had buried the traps enabled the men to get round them T 
could only discern, from where I was stationed, that the contents of the baskets were given up and the t,' 
brought out from their place of concealment. On their return the men brought with them tb f 
Hawks, the old female, and also the traps. They also had the remains of the rats I had Hoticed o 7 
in addition to a large one the captured bird must have brought with her when taken. ‘ It seems that l!e b ^ 
