Devon Birds
That always interesting document, the annual record of the Devon Bird-watching and Preservation Society (Secretary E. H. Ware, Beech- wood, Highbury, Exeter), holds up this view of the fieldfare. January 24th and February 7th are two of the dates for the appearance of the flocks. The oddest incident described in the report is the discovery of a buzzard's nest containing three buzzard's and five mallard's eggs, which were all brooded by the buzzard. The nest was twenty-five feet from the ground. The highest duck's nest I ever found was about twelve feet, but no feet is the normal. It is common knowledge that this most splendid of the hawks has increased rapidly of late years and is extending its range (like the nightingale), but as many as twenty-six " wheeling and soaring over the park " together exceeds any grouping I have heard of. Devon seems to be rich in the hawk tribe ; and they include the kite, which is said to have nested successfully in a sycamore near Knightsbridge. Several species of harriers and a rough-legged buzzard are in the list.
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