LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER & 



Woodpecker at work. At length I saw that on a 

 dead bough was a small hole, and through a field- 

 glass it was seen that a small bird was moving 

 about within. This wary little creature put out 

 its head to remove some chips with its beak, but 

 she was very startled at seeing an intruder. I 

 recognised her at once as a Lesser Spotted Wood- 

 pecker, and was agreeably surprised at seeing her 

 there ; while on her part she watched intently, and 

 seemed almost as interested in me as I was in her. 

 How long we might thus have looked at each other 

 I do not know had not my arm ached while holding 

 up the field-glass. I was compelled to stop rny 

 gazing, and this movement broke the spell, the 

 Woodpecker left the hole, and settled in a tree 

 near at hand. As I had my camera I focussed the 

 hole, and retired some distance with the pneumatic 

 tube, thinking I might get a picture of one of the 

 birds. They both soon returned, one running 

 about the branches above, while the other perched 

 on a branch lower down, surveyed the camera for 

 the rest of the afternoon, or until it was too dark 

 to expose the plate. This is the first nest that I 

 have heard of in my own district, but hope it may 

 not be the last. 



The Wood-Pigeon is to be met with in our 

 woods, but not in very great numbers, although 



