ROUGH NOTES IN EAST SUSSEX IN 1908. 347 
well rewarded my hard work. On several occasions I came again 
to visit this curious ménage. It was amusing to stand in front 
of the tree and make a noise which would bring a dimly-seen 
white head to peer from the hole, followed by the grand swoop 
of the bird as it left the tree. 
Amongst the other interests of the park is a rookery ; this, 
which consists of about seventy nests, is in two portions. There 
are a few nests in large trees in a hollow, while the most are 
in a fir plantation on the edge of a higher level some slight 
distance away. Climbing up to one nest I found it contained 
one egg and three naked youngsters, one of whom was noticeably 
larger than his brethren; from there I could pull another nest 
close enough to see that it contained one egg. As I left, one of 
the numerous Rooks that were in the air hovered high above the 
tree, and then, seeing its treasures safe, gave vent to a couple of 
“‘caws,” exultingly as it seemed, before flying away again. 
April 14th.—To the park again. A Stock-Dove flew out of a 
hole in an oak-tree, so I climbed up; inside was a slight nest of 
sticks and coarse grass-stems containing one egg. These birds: 
are common there and nest in the numerous holes, but as a rule 
they are very hard to get at. One nest I found was at the 
end of a very tall rotten birch-trunk—quite unapproachable. 
Strangely enough Jackdaws are not as common as might be 
expected; I only remember seeing one—carrying a stick in 
its beak, though plenty are to be seen with the Rooks outside 
the park. 
April 17th. Spent the greater part of the day in the park. 
By sitting down and watching a pair of Nuthatches through my 
glasses I found they were preparing a small hole in one of the 
upper boughs of a fair-sized oak. I went up to inspect, and saw 
the wet mud pitted with little holes made by the point of the 
bird’s bill. Apropos of Nuthatches, a pair brought off a brood 
this year in the circuit-wall of Battle Abbey above the pavement 
by the main road, yet scarcely any of the passers-by were aware 
of the fact. 
About half a mile from Tower Lodge a Kestrel came out of 
an oak which had been broken off at some little height from the 
ground. At the top was an open hollow, strewn with castings, 
but as yet it contained no eggs. Close to the nest a Squirrel 
