TRUNK-CLIMBING BIRDS. 143 



Distribution. — Fairly general in the wooded parts 

 of England, chiefly south and Midlands, rare north of 

 Durham ; Brecon, but scarce in other parts of Wales ; 

 south-eastern Scotland, but rare ; east coast of Scot- 

 land on migration ; not in Ireland. 



The Spotted Woodpecker, resident in the more 

 southerly counties of England and reinforced by 

 numerous migrant birds in autumn, is, like all our 

 Woodpeckers, a bird of the woodland. Here, running 

 up the trunk or along the leading branches of trees, 

 he hammers the bark to discover lurking insect-life. 

 He has all the. peeping habits of his kind, but ranges 

 as a rule higher in the trees, so that he is less often 

 seen. When seen, however, the large, highly varie- 

 gated, black-and-white bird clinging to trunk or 

 branch is easily identified. It is probable that he 

 will be heard ere seen, and his presence is indicated 

 by a repeated ' Cheek ! cheek ! ' or by a series of taps 

 with the bill upon the bark of a tree, performed so 

 quickly as to cause them to run up into a continuous 

 rattling sound. He is seldom, if ever, seen on the 

 ground, but the fruit and berry season draws him into 

 garden and orchard, besides offering him a change of 

 diet in the shape of acorns and nuts. The bird drills 

 a round hole in the trunk or in a leading branch of 

 a decaying tree ; the eggs are placed upon the floor 

 of a chamber hollowed out within, either unlined, or 

 lined with a portion of the chips. 



BAKRED WOODPECKER^e inches. Besides being leas 

 than half the size of the Spotted Woodpecker, this bird 

 is marked ou nape, hack, and wings with a system of 

 fine white hars on a black ground. Also drums with the 

 bill on tree-trunks, but with less force. 



