WESTERN BIRDS Woodpecker 



popped right into the hole without any preliminary head- 

 bobbing. 



Never in any bird family I have watched have I seen 

 such gallantry and consideration shown toward the 

 female as was manifested by this little male. Several 

 times he came to the tree with food just a little ahead 

 of the female, once being about to pop into the hole 

 when his mate lighted near him. Instead of rushing in 

 before her, as most birds would have done, he backed 

 down the tree, or flew over to the rope before it was 

 taken down, and waited until she had fed and gone 

 before leaving his offering. It was as if he had said, 

 "You first, my dear." I could not help but contrast 

 these actions with those of the Western Gnatcatchers 

 that I once watched. Both of these birds scrambled, 

 post-haste, to beat each other to the nest, showing no 

 consideration for sex. And, too, in the case of the Wood- 

 peckers, I noticed that it was always the male who 

 cleaned the nest. 



As the young grew, their loud, purring noise always 

 attracted the attention of the picnic parties, which were 

 of almost daily attendance, and there was always some 

 child that must be raised up to stick its finger down the 

 hole. Usually, this resulted in an exclamation, for the 

 nestlings promptly grabbed the finger thus thrust among 

 them, much to the surprise, and delight, of the owner. 

 The adults did not mind the crowd just so they stayed 

 back about thirty feet. 



On one occasion one of the girls of the party, wishing 

 to help the hard-working little birds, dropped a piece 

 of bread into the hole. Shortly afterwards the male 

 appeared with food and disappeared into the tree. He 

 was only gone a minute when he stuck his head out of 

 the hole and in his bill he bore the bread. As he flew 

 away he dropped it where, no doubt, a Song Sparrow, 

 Blackbird, Towhee, or Grosbeak had a feast of it. It 



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