148 OUR RARER BRITISH BREEDING BIRDS. 



WRYNECK. 



THIS sober - coloured, but nevertheless beautiful 

 migrant is fairly plentiful, and breeds most 

 numerously in the south and east of England. 

 Although not much seen, its presence is always 

 easily detected by its loud Kestrel-like note, 

 which is uttered about nine times in quick suc- 

 cession, and never fails to arrest the attention of 

 the bird student. 



I have met with it in Norfolk, Suffolk, Sussex, 

 and Surrey. Our illustration was obtained in the 

 first-named county. 



Whilst near to Lewes last spring, a gardener 

 told me he knew of a hollow tree in which a 

 Wryneck was building her nest, as he had actually 

 seen her taking materials in. This was so inter- 

 esting that I got him to take me to the place at 

 once, and when we arrived there, sure enough the 

 bird flew out. The hole was about six feet high, 

 and ran down into an open crack several inches 

 wide. This was filled with newly gathered rnoss. 

 I saw the bird alight upon the ground in a park 

 hard by, and watched for a long time to see 

 whether she would bring any more moss, but she 

 did not return whilst I was there. Upon visiting 

 the same place a few days later I put a slender 

 twig down the hole, but could feel nothing but 

 soft yielding moss. The bird, however, laid in 

 the hole and succeeded in rearing a brood. 



The Wryneck generally adopts the deserted 

 nesting-hole of a Woodpecker, if it has not already 

 been usurped by some other species, and is not 

 averse to it even after it has been lined with 

 moss, wool, and feathers, and used by a Great 

 Tit. 



