Woodpecker WESTERN BIRDS 



outer tail feathers, and the larger size, will identify this 

 bird from the Cabanis and Harris. The Gairdner differs 

 from the Willow, chiefly in having smoky under parts. 

 It is found as far north as .southern British Columbia. 



Though these western birds are not wild, scrambling 

 over the trees in Downy fashion unmindful of the on- 

 looker, yet they are more often seen in the foothills, 

 and along the streams, than in orchards and gardens. 

 To be sure, one of these shrill-voiced little birds often 

 comes over from the Arroyo Seco to forage on my pepper 

 trees, and sometimes helps himself to an English walnut 

 in the garden, but for the most part, one would not look 

 for them in a city yard. A pair of them also once 

 selected a nesting site in a park which joined the Arroyo 

 Seco, showing that the presence of mankind did not 

 bother them. 



The place selected for the nest-hole was in a limb of 

 a partly decayed sycamore tree, one of the gnarled, de- 

 formed old beauties of the park. The limb was a good- 

 sized one which had grown at right angles to the trunk, 

 and after reaching out ten, or twelve, feet, had started to 

 grow downward. In this downward part, about six feet 

 from the ground, the birds had hewn out their nest on the 

 west side of the tree. On the projecting horizontal limb 

 hung a swing which, as time went on, was in almost 

 constant use and so prevented the birds from feeding 

 that, at my request, the superintendent took it down. 



On June third there were young, which I judged to be 

 about a week old, in the nest and the old birds were 

 industriously feeding. At this time they were very fond 

 of coming to the rope, nearly always lighting on it, and 

 hopping up it, before flying across the short space to the 

 nest. The male had a way of resting beneath the hole 

 and bobbing his head about before entering. The female 

 was much shyer and at first minded my presence, but 

 when assured that no harm was contemplated, she 



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