NOTES ON BIRDS IN KENT. 347 



Just now these birds are extremely restless ; most of their time 

 is taken up in putting by a winter store of food, and this especially 

 consists of hazel-nuts, which are plentiful this year. 



The Sparrowhawk is still numerous. The thick portions of 

 the Bedgebury and Hemsted woods often defy the keepers' search, 

 and consequently not a few broods reared in these localities 

 escape at least premature destruction. In this neighbourhood 

 the nest is invariably placed at the base of two forked branches 

 which jut out of the main stem of a fir or larch tree, and from 

 25-30 ft. from the ground. The front of the nest always faces 

 the warmer side, while the back is usually protected by the main 

 stem of the tree. During winter the old nest is resorted to as a 

 roosting-place. In this way they often fall victims to the trap 

 placed on the nest by the keepers. By the time the breeding 

 season comes round again the winter storms have reduced the 

 nest to a mere ragged bundle of sticks. On this foundation the 

 new nest is occasionally built, although the general custom of 

 this species is to build an entirely new one. Many authorities 

 have stated that a deserted Crow's nest or Wood Pigeon's is 

 made use of. I have never found it to be the case in this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



The Green Woodpecker, that bird who mocks with its bright 

 laughter the treacherous coming of Spring, finds it difficult to 

 rear a brood here, and consequently it is yearly decreasing as a 

 breeding species. I attribute this fact to the great increase of 

 the Starling. The big plagues of the small oak-green caterpillar 

 and other arboreal insects, experienced the last two seasons, have 

 caused large numbers of Starlings to breed in the woods, and 

 these birds are not slow to take advantage of the old homes of 

 the Woodpeckers. More than this, they engage in pitched battles 

 with them over their newly-made holes. It is not unusual to find 

 the Green Woodpecker resorting to the same nest-site of the 

 previous year. In this instance the old hole is deepened. The 

 drilling of a new one is accomplished generally by the tenth daj', 

 but the time varies according to the nature of the tree. The 

 process of boring, as a rule, takes place during the small hours 

 of the morning, when chances of discovery are thereby lessened, 

 since the boring sound can be heard at a considerable distance. 

 During the day the hole is left, and not returned to till the 

 following morning. The Starling is quick to avail himself of 



