. Notes on the birds of Northamptonshire and neighbourhood . it was generallyknown as the Moor-Buzzard, I have only once metwith in Northamptonshire, and much regret that I haveno record of the exact date. It was, however, in awinter between 1860-65 ; I was looking for wild fowland Snipes along a brook between Aldwincle andThrapston, and had just fired both barrels at someSnipes, when a fine Marsh-Harrier, with the darkplumage and yellow head of immaturity, rose withinsome thirty yards of me from the brook-side, andsailed away to the northward. I never even heard ofanother in our neighbourhood
. Notes on the birds of Northamptonshire and neighbourhood . it was generallyknown as the Moor-Buzzard, I have only once metwith in Northamptonshire, and much regret that I haveno record of the exact date. It was, however, in awinter between 1860-65 ; I was looking for wild fowland Snipes along a brook between Aldwincle andThrapston, and had just fired both barrels at someSnipes, when a fine Marsh-Harrier, with the darkplumage and yellow head of immaturity, rose withinsome thirty yards of me from the brook-side, andsailed away to the northward. I never even heard ofanother in our neighbourhood,—which is remarkable,as before the draining of Whittlesea Mere and theadjoining fens the bhd was exceedingly commonthereabouts; our river-valley is near that district,and, one would suppose, presents sufficient attractionsto a marsh-loving bird to induce it to extend itstravels occasionally in our dkection. This is one of the most widely distributed of ourEuropean birds of prey, and, from my own observa-tion, I should be inclined to say one of the most. Lay4^-f^L/yy?^/--ceyr-^, ^y,i^/y79^.<z^yy?ey AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 45 abundant in all localities suited to its habits. It hasbeen driven away from its old haunts in Englandby the draining and cultivation of the fen-lands, andruthless persecution, but I have met with it in Cam-bridgeshire and East Norfolk, in Merioneth, Cardigan,and Caermarthenshire, in various parts of Ireland, inFrance, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily, Algeria,Tunis, Greece, European Turkey, Crete, and Marsh-Harrier is a slow-flying bird, and appearsto be constantly on the search for food. We oftennoticed twenty or more of this species on the wingtogether about the reedy marshes of Albania, where awounded Snipe had very little chance of escape fromthem. I never saw a Marsh-Harrier attack anyunwounded bird, but they do, no doubt, occasionallytake young Water-fowl, and are great devourers ofeggs. All the Harriers seem to have regular beats,which t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1895
