AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 137 



56. TREE-CREEPER. 



Certliia familiaris. 



This is a very common bird with us at all seasons. 

 I find that Morton mentions it as " not unfrequent " 

 at various places in our county, and adds, " At 

 Desborough 'tis said to build in walls and to feed on 

 cherries in cherry-time, and so is called the Cherry- 

 bird by some " ; but continues, with discrimination, 

 " this I look upon as a mistake ; its proper food 

 being insects." The Tree-Creeper, although, as I 

 have said, abundant with us, is, from its creeping 

 habits and small size, more often to be heard than 

 seen ; the song is loud for the size of the bird, and 

 the call-note, though low, is quite unmistakable. 

 These little birds are always on the move, and, 

 beginning their examination near the foot of a tall 

 tree, will climb rapidly, by a series of jerky springs, 

 round and round it, till they reach the uj)per branches, 

 when they fly oif to another tree and recommence 

 the same operations. With a good glass the constant 

 action of the beak in probing the crevices of the 

 bark, and extracting and devouring the insects there- 

 in discovered, may easily be observed, though the 

 rapidity and seeming hurry with which the search for 

 food is carried on are marvellous. I have often seen 

 a Tree-Creeper enter the holes pierced by Wood- 

 peckers in our old elm trees, but I do not know that 

 this species ever makes use of such retreats for 

 nesting-purposes, though the sites chosen are some- 

 times very peculiar. I think that the favourite 

 situation is between a semi - detached piece of 

 bark and the trunk of a tree, but crevices in old 

 wood- work, rough thatch, stacks of fagots, and many 



