284 THE TREE-CREEPER 



or birch hanging from a piece of loosely attached bark, or protruding 

 from one of those deep indentations of the trunk peculiar to silver 

 birches, do not neglect to examine these more closely, as they 

 frequently form part of a tree-creeper's nest. Sometimes the actual 

 nest forms a cup-like depression at the end of a large quantity of 

 twigs, especially when it is placed between two supports ; but if 

 in a hole, less material is used. In the Norfolk Broads district 

 one year, I found five nests in a small plantation near the water, 

 each one composed of dead reed-stalks, though other material was 

 close at hand ; three of these nests were old ones. 



The female tree-creeper is no craven ; she, like the nuthatch, 

 will, when disturbed, hiss loudly, and retiring to the far corner of 

 the nesting-place, ruffle up her feathers, and make sundry ineffectual 

 dabs at your hand with her bill before disappearing by the back 

 entrance ; for these birds, if possible, choose a site provided 

 with an emergency staircase. Both parents are assiduous in 

 feeding the young. They have been observed during a period of 

 nineteen minutes making thirty visits, bringing green caterpillars 

 and insects. 1 



The tree-creeper's nest seems particularly liable to the depreda- 

 tions of mice, not only when built in sheds or outhouses, but also 

 when placed in trees, both eggs and young being frequently destroyed. 

 This fate befell the young tree-creepers whose home is shown in my 

 photograph on Plate XL, when they were a week old. As the birds 

 playing hide and seek, referred to above, were not far from this 

 destroyed nest, it is just possible they may have been the bereaved 

 parents making the best of things, and perhaps meditating starting 

 afresh upon family cares. 



When fledged, the young cluster on the bark of a tree, and thus 

 early in their career begin to "creep." Mr. Seaby's picture, which 

 is from life, shows the nestlings in this attitude, waiting for food. 

 They also roost thus clustered, but soon leave the vicinity of their 



1 Coward and Oldham, Zoologist, 1902, p. 405. 



