BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 



227 



about one foot below the hole made therein by the birds." I have known gun- 

 ners to make the excuse for shooting Flickers that they damaged buildings. In 

 one case that came to my notice, a pair reared a brood of young in a bunk of 

 a shooting shanty, having gained admittance by piercing the walls. 



Flickers made a hole in the side of a boat-house on the Ipswich marshes 

 only a few feet above a large opening over a door through which they could 

 more easily have entered the house. There were also several beginnings of holes. 

 These were made during December and January and not therefore, with the idea 

 of nesting. During the winter and spring the birds perched on the beams 

 inside the boat-house as was shown by their droppings which were composed 

 chiefly of bayberries and ants. Like several other birds, notably the Crow, Tree 

 Swallow, Chickadee, and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Flickers are very fond of 

 bayberries. I started fifteen or twenty of these birds from about an acre of 

 bayberry bushes on December 20th, 1903, on Cape Ann close to the sea. 



180 [417] Antrostomus vociferus (Wils.). 

 Whip-poor-will. 



Common summer resident ; May 11 to September 18. 

 Eggs: May 29 to June i. 



On May 22d, 1904, when the sun set at 7.05 p. m., I noted the first song 

 or call of the Whip-poor-will in the Topsfield marshes at 7.30. On June 24th, 

 1904, the sun setting at 7.24 ?. m., the first song was heard at 7.55 p. m. and 

 was much less energetic in force and number of repetitions than in May. In 

 May (see page 45), the Whip-poor-will sings all the night long; on May 22d, 

 1904, the last one was heard at 3.45 a. m., the sun rising at 4.16. I have 

 counted their " tv hip-poo r-iv ills" many times, and 296 is the greatest number of 

 repetitions I have ever noted. This was on May 21st, 1904. By the middle of 

 June, the bird is less energetic and on the night of June 24th and 25th, 93 

 repetitions was my largest count. On this night the bird was silent much of 

 the time, singing mostly in the evening. The repetitions are at times accelerated 

 and at times retarded in the speed with which they are given. 



The song when heard near at hand is very sweet and clear, each song being 

 preceded by a faint, short chuck. When disturbed the birds give a series of 

 inquiring chucks. In the darkness of the early evening I have strained my eyes 

 to see the singer, and have been able to make out the white markings of the 

 neck alone, in the surrounding blackness. 



