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New compiler? I found it very difficult, anyway, and there are three left I'm not sure about. Any hints, please?

8a Once upon a time some surgery (4)
A?O?
No idea of anything that parses

21a Noisy little thing about to trap one hound (6)
?I?I?A
I'm fairly sure of the answer to this, but "hound" doesn't look right

17d Shoot round exceptional bird (7)
?U?T?R?
I can think of two birds that fit, but neither seems to parse.

17d bud & star

Thanks stevie gee

21a I think your second I is wrong.

Yes, sorry rossim - it's always been an A. I'm still not happy with ?A? for "hound" though - I suppose there is a context, but it's more of a stretch than one would expect in the RT.

21a is an insect that rubs its legs together!

Yes, that's what I thought, DJA. I can see the "hound", but I'm not happy about it!

8a could be another word for 'upon'
a t(ime) + 2 letters for operation

Ah, old word for "upon". Thanks jazzy!

21ac My Collins dictionary gives a meaning for hound as "a despicable person" which quite happily fits 3 letters in the answer.

16ac I have a word which means "run" (as might be used for drug dealers etc,) but I do not see how my answer fits in with any of the rest of the clue.
Have I got it wrong? If not , please explain.