. My life among the wild birds in Spain . Pale-chested HarrierâMarsh Harriers deepengrossment in search of quarryâTheir boldness and strengthâQuicknessof visionâRelative quickness of vision in birdsâThe small Gulls apparentlythe quickest â Colonies of Harriers â Young Harriers in nestâTheirpugnacityâAn unlucky days birdsnesting. T HIS beautiful family is well repre-sented in southern Spain. TheMarsh Harrier [Circus ceruginosus)is especially abundant and is to befound in great numbers in all thelow-lying and marshy the year and in allweathers, from earliest dawn to thelinge
. My life among the wild birds in Spain . Pale-chested HarrierâMarsh Harriers deepengrossment in search of quarryâTheir boldness and strengthâQuicknessof visionâRelative quickness of vision in birdsâThe small Gulls apparentlythe quickest â Colonies of Harriers â Young Harriers in nestâTheirpugnacityâAn unlucky days birdsnesting. T HIS beautiful family is well repre-sented in southern Spain. TheMarsh Harrier [Circus ceruginosus)is especially abundant and is to befound in great numbers in all thelow-lying and marshy the year and in allweathers, from earliest dawn to thelingering light after sundown, theyare to be seen patiently quarteringthe reed beds and swampy portionsof the plain in quest of anything thatmay turn up, for nothing seems tocome amiss to them. They are particularly fond of the fresh-wtortoises which abound in such localities; they are also famousegg-sti alers and in the spring months, as already described, exacta heavy tribute from the nests of the Purple Herons and mm . m 102 The Harriers To the sportsman they are an ever-present trial, for they areconstantly on the look-out for wounded wild-fowl or Snipe andthey have a knack of suddenly appearing- from nowhere and annex-ing a wounded bird within sight but beyond shot of the bird not immediately picked up by the shooter is sure to bedevoured by these diligent searchers. The rapidity with which theydo this is both surprising and annoying. Not long ago I dropped aWigeon dead on the top of a grassy bank about 50 yards acrossa river; not having my retriever with me I walked down to a fordnot half a mile off and crossing, returned along the opposite bankto pick up the bird. But in the brief interval a Harrier had beendown and had eaten the best part of the Wigeons breast! Itmay be taken as a rule that any duck shot at evening flightwhich are not picked up at the time will be found by the Harriersat dawn and devoured. Now and again, if a goose or duckchances
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidmylifeam, booksubjectbirds
