BIRDS 



38. Blue Tit. Parus aeruleus, Linn. 

 Locally, Tom-tit. 



A well distributed resident. It is observed 

 either singly or in pairs throughout the year, 

 haunting the woods and copses in winter 

 and our gardens and orchards in early spring, 

 when it does much good in destroying the 

 eggs of the destructive coccus insect, which 

 infests the bark of apple and pear trees. 



39. Nuthatch. Sitta casta. Wolf. 

 Locally, Nutjobber, Woodpecker. 



In the wooded districts this bird is common, 

 but in some localities its distribution does not 

 always remain constant. 



Near Cranbrook in 1896 the nuthatch 

 bred very sparingly as compared with former 

 years ; while on the other hand a wonderful 

 increase took place in its numbers in the 

 Tunbridge Wells district. Although the 

 nuthatch is partial to woods as feeding 

 grounds, well-timbered grass land proves a 

 still greater attraction, the turf being care- 

 fully hunted for small worms. In Kent 

 holes in apple trees and oaks are for the most 

 part chosen- as nesting sites, especially those 

 in the former trees. A favourite hole is 

 often resorted to annually. A remarkable 

 instance of the building economy of this 

 species came under my notice in the spring of 

 1898. On 25 April a pair commenced 

 building in a hole of an old apple tree. The 

 first thing the birds did was to build up a 

 store of clay and mud in the fork of a branch 

 adjoining the nest-hole. Within a couple of 

 days this lump of clay reached a height of six 

 inches and two in thickness. This material was 

 mixed with horsehair and portions of skeleton 

 leaves. All this work was accomplished by 

 the female bird, the male accompanying her 

 on her journeys. The female next directed 

 her attention to the nest-hole itself, filling the 

 bottom with bits of straw and dead grass- 

 stalks. When this was done she commenced 

 to line both sides of the entrance with clay. 

 After this she would gain the entrance, face 

 about and begin to chisel away the rough 

 ends of the clay lining till the surface became 

 smooth. As the building went on the natural 

 aperture of the hole was soon reduced in size, 

 till at length the bird, on issuing from it, had 

 literally to wriggle her body to and fro to get 

 out. She looked a queer little object on 

 leaving the hole, her back and wings coated 

 with mud. A pair of starlings then attacked 

 the nest and destroyed a great deal of the 

 clay lining. The nuthatches however were 

 not to be beaten. To meet this emergency 

 they at once commenced to draw upon their 



store of clay on the neighbouring branch. 

 Breaking ofF a piece of the hard material the 

 female bird would disappear into the nest- 

 hole, the next minute to appear at the entrance 

 with the clay made soft and ready for use by 

 means of her saliva. In this way the nest- 

 hole was soon rebuilt. 



During the breeding season — about the 

 middle of April — the clear musical whistle of 

 this bird becomes tremulant and might then be 

 described as a series of bubbling notes. The 

 winter call-note is 'tewit,' rapidly uttered and 

 repeated several times in succession. This 

 cry, merely prolonged and slurred upwards, 

 becomes the spring call-note just mentioned. 

 Towards the end of May, when the young 

 are abroad, this bird becomes silent and is 

 seldom heard again till September, when the 

 winter call-note is resumed. 



40. Wren. Troglodytes parvulus, K. L. Koch. 

 A well known resident. In October the 



numbers of our resident birds are increased by 

 migrants which appear on the south coast, 

 generally after strong south-westerly gales 

 have been experienced, when I have noticed 

 numbers hiding in the sheltered dykes and 

 weather-beaten trees and bushes in the marsh 

 land between Rye and Dungeness. 



41. Tree-Creeper. Certh'ia familiaris, Linn. 

 Locally, Tree-crawler. 



A resident sparingly distributed in the 

 county, but more numerous in the well- 

 timbered and wooded districts. 



42. Pied Wagtail. MotacUla lugubris, Tem- 



minck. 



A well distributed resident, more numerous 

 at certain seasons than at others. Many of 

 the old birds stay with us throughout the 

 winter. In the early autumn the young of 

 the year begin to move southward, and at 

 that time these are often seen in numbers on 

 our lawns during the heat of an August day 

 busy catching the flying ants. At the end 

 of September they congregate prior to cross- 

 ing the Channel near the sea-dykes between 

 Rye and Dungeness, and gradually edge their 

 way to the latter place, where the passage is 

 shortest. 



In spring, about the middle of March, 

 adult birds appear along our coast-line, the 

 males as a rule being the first-comers. Al- 

 binistic specimens are now and again met 

 with. There is one in the Dover Museum. 

 This wagtail is locally named ' dishwasher.' 



43. White Wagtail. MotacUla alba, Linn. 

 An irregular summer migrant. There arc 



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