BIRDS OF PEASEMARSH 



commenced making an opening. For hours a 

 bird would remain stationary on the tree work- 

 ing at the hard apple wood. They had bored in 

 almost two inches when, finding the wood still 

 perfectly firm, they gave up. As the boys said, 

 they knew now it was not rotten all the way 

 down the centre and that they could not bur- 

 row out a nest. When birds will start boring 

 into an apple tree upon so slight an indication 

 of a possible nest, they would readily bore into 

 a piece of cedar log, if an opening is started so 

 that they can see the rotten centre, and burrow 

 out their own nest, in which they will be very 

 much at home. Our Flickers refused to nest in 

 nest boxes we bought as an experiment, though 

 they examined them. Nor would the Blue- 

 birds, or even the Wrens nest in them. The 

 Wrens filled one of them with dead leaves, but 

 live in it they would not. As the Wrens are so 

 adaptable, it must have been because more na- 

 tural houses were available. 



The most successful bird houses we have had 

 have been those made out of cedar logs or apple 

 wood, and the flask-shaped cavity is usually a 

 first choice, even with Bluebirds and Tree 

 Swallows that build nests inside the houses. 

 [201] 



