A Jackdaw's Nest
Something made me look up at the particular moment that a jack- daw flew on to the crags above me, and I watched it enter a hole. It did not come out, and I set off up the slope to the spot where I had last seen it. The climb was easy. I put my hand against a stunted conifer, and levered myself up so that I could look into the hole. As I got into position, the jackdaw flew out. There was a nest down in the cavity in the rock. I could see one blue-green egg in a mass of wool, twigs and bits of paper. It was' out of reach of my hand, had I wanted to get it, and out of danger from rain and the weather for there was a slight bend in the tunnel that gave the nest protection from above. Jackdaws are clever at finding such nesting-places. Usually they are qu.te out of reach unless one can climb and crawl up a cliff like a schoolboy. I was preparing to climb down again when I dislodged a piece of rock. It crashed down, and I glanced to see where it stopped rolling. It was only then that I realised that the nest was in a more dangerous position than I had first thought. The way down was more difficult than the way up, and I was thankful when I was back on level ground once more.
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