BIRDS 100. Buzzard. Buteo vulgaris, Leach. Formerly a res>ident, breeding not uncom- monly in trees in the more densely-wooded parts of the county ; now, owing to persecu- tion, a rare occasional visitor of which half a dozen modern occurrences in the county are recorded by Lord Lilford (i. 35-39). lOi. Rough-legged Buzzard. Buteo lagopus (Gmelin). An occasional winter visitor, of which three or four occurrences in Northants are noted {Lilford, i. 39-40). 102. Golden Eagle. Aqulla chrysaetus {L. n.). Very rare occasional visitor, usually seen in England in winter. One Northants example is on record [Lilford, i. 3-5) shot near Walcot, by Barnack, in October, 1849. 'Golden' eagles are constantly reported in the local papers, but the birds in question are, nineteen times out of twenty, young sea-eagles. 103. White-tailed or Sea-Eagle. Haliaetus albicilla (Linn.). An occasional winter visitor, haunting sheets of water and living on fish and water- birds, but not averse to any carrion. English examples are usually immature, without the white tail, which is not attained till the bird is five or six years old. It has been four times shot in Northants {Lilford, i. 3-7), and more often seen. I saw one near Milton on October 25th, 1895, and more recently still one has passed two winters at Blatherwycke, where it was carefully protected (an example worthy of imitation) notwithstanding the dis- turbance it naturally caused amongst the feathered population. 104. Sparrow-Hawk. Accipiter nisus (Linn.). A resident of wandering and migratory habits, which would long since have been exterminated but for the immigration from abroad. I cannot say much in its defence, for it is a bloodthirsty little rascal. Chiefly haunting woodlands, it builds itself a nest, usually in a tree (only occasionally adopting an old one built by a crow or a woodpigeon), and laying its eggs in May. 105. Kite. Mih'u; ictinus, Savigny. Formerly a resident, brfding not uncom- monly in the larger woodlands in Northants ; now almost exterminated as a breeding bird in Britain, the greater part of the few occur- ring at intervals being wanderers from the continent. Many records in Northants (for which the reader is referred to Lilford (i. 30-35), but none newer than 1850. 106. Honey - Buzzard. Pernis apivorus (Linn.). This bird is entirely harmless to game, but has nevertheless been freely destroyed as an enemy by ignorant gamekeepers. It formerly bred in the south of England, not uncom- monly, but is now a rare wanderer on passage in autumn, feeding chiefly on the larvs which it scratches from wasps' nests. Some half a dozen obituary notices may be found in Lilford (i. 41-44). 107. Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus, Tunstall. An occasional winter visitor, staying for some time in woodland districts when not persecuted. Perhaps more plentiful about Lilford than elsewhere in our county, for the above reason. I have seen a good many there in the late Lord Lilford's days, and noticed that they were very indifferent to the proceedings of a shooting party, not having learnt there to fear a gun. I have also there enjoyed partridge hawking with trained pere- grines — a magnificent sport. The presence of wild falcons at Lilford certainly had no ill- effect on the quantity of game, or the sport. 108. Hobby. Falco subbuteo, Linn. A not uncommon summer visitor, appear- ing in May, and breeding in old nests of the crow or wood-pigeon where not persecuted. Chiefly seen in woodland districts. 109. Merlin. Falco asalon, Tunstall. A winter visitor of not uncommon occur- rence, from the north, where it breeds, when permitted, amongst heather on the moors, and where it is, undoubtedly, somewhat destruc- tive to young grouse. With us it does no harm whatever (unless it takes an occasional snipe), as it feeds entirely at that season on small birds, e.g. larks and thrushes. The last merlin I saw here was over our boundary certainly, and was hanging by the legs in Colworth Thick, having been massacred by the keeper. 1 10. Kestrel or Wind-hover. Falco tinnun- culus, Linn. A fairly common resident, and would be commoner, if people only recognized that the bird feeds chiefly on mice (occasionally on small birds, oftener on frogs, grasshoppers, beetles and worms). Occasionally a kestrel develops a vicious habit of visiting the pheasant-coops and taking the chicks, and these individuals ought to have a short shrift, as we punish a vicious man. On the whole, however, a kestrel ought to be protected as strictly as an owl. 21
