LETM5 



THE DRUMMING OF WOODPECKERS. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



giRS^ — I was much interested in the article on the Drumming of 

 Woodpeckers {antea,y. ^o). I have, on several occasions, got to very 

 close quarters with the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker [Dryobates m. 

 comniinutus) when it has been drumming. In May 191 4, when on 

 a holiday in Hampshire, I happened to be up a tree inspecting a 

 Green Woodpecker's {Picus v. pluvius) nesting hole, when a Lessei 

 Spotted Woodpecker settled on a dead branch about four yards away 

 from me and started drumming. I noticed that it had its beak open 

 all the time, and seemed to vary the sound by slightly opening and 

 closing its beak. 



In May 191 6 I had a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker under obser- 

 vation for about a fortnight. Every morning between 6 a.m. and 

 7 a.m. it came to the same dead branch and drummed for several 

 minutes. I used to conceal myself in a spot about forty feet away 

 from it and watch it through powerful binoculars. I noticed on 

 every occasion, that it had its beak open when drumming and varied 

 the sound by opening it a little further, or by partially closing it. 

 The bird never shifted its position on the bough whilst drumming, 

 but occasionally paused and scratched the back of its head with 

 its right foot, and then commenced again. N. Tracy. 



King's Lynn. 



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