3S^ Bird - Lore 



hacked away at the trunks with monotonous regularity, and every time I 

 visited the feeding-place the incessant hammering could be heard. A Hairy 

 Woodpecker, feeding nearby, did not show this indifference to its surroundings, 

 or the one-minded purpose to locate its food. It would hammer on a Hmb, 

 utter its cry, fly to another tree, eye me with its head on one side, shift cau- 

 tiously to the far side of the tree, and repeat the whole performance, with 

 variations. This behavior was also followed by several Downy Woodpeckers. 

 They displayed much more restlessness than the Three- toed Woodpeckers, 

 and, in the same length of time, secured much less food. Too much time was 

 spent in flying about and in other unnecessary maneuvers, and they did not 

 seem to possess the patience to hew so persistently to one line until the choice 

 tidbits appeared. 



The Three-toed Woodpeckers did not seem to be aware of my presence 

 so long as I approached them slowly and quietly. On one occasion, I reached 

 out and touched a bird with the short barrel of my rifle. I observed, among 

 other things, that the Three-toed Woodpeckers deliver a less direct blow upon 

 a tree than do others of the family. They prefer a side movement or glancing 

 blow, which appears to be just as efficacious in removing the bark and wood. 



It was not only at Ross Lake that I found the Arctic Three-toe to be an 

 extremely industrious and patient worker. Birds seen and studied at various 

 places near Munising and in the pine reservation near Grand Marais, Alger 

 County, showed the same habits. The shining black back of this bird and, in 

 the male, the golden spot upon the forehead make identification easy. The 

 American Three-toed Woodpecker, distinguishable from the Arctic by its 

 barred white and black back, does not seem to inhabit the Upper Pensinsula, 

 although I was under the impression that I saw one at Grand Marais, but 

 could not make identification certain. 



There were several Pileated Woodpeckers feeding on the dead hemlocks 

 at the Ross Lake projection. These birds were rather shy, probably because 

 the Pileated is a mark for nearly every hunter. They did very effective work 

 upon the trees, tearing off large sections of bark with their strong, chisel-like 

 bills. The 'Logcock' is not uncommon in Upper Michigan, but it is losing out 

 in the struggle for existence because its large size and flaming red crest make 

 an attractive mark for the ignorant or reckless hunter. On Grand Island, 

 where birds are protected, the Pileated would feed in close proximity to our 

 camps. 



The Pileated is rarely seen feeding on live trees, but the dead hemlocks, 

 which practically have been pulled to pieces by this bird, show something of 

 its strength and energy. It has a clear, rattling call, similar to the spring call 

 of the Flicker, but much more penetrating. 



While I saw no FHckers at Ross Lake, the trail a few miles away was thick 

 with them, and, as they suddenly rise from beneath one's feet, it is with diffi- 

 culty that the Grouse hunter refrains from shooting at them for his legitimate 



