Concord, Mass.
(Ball's Hill)
1900
April 29
  Cloudless with fresh W. wind. Decidedly warmer. Ther.
  Just after we had had our breakfast four Downy
Woodpeckers, a male and three female female arrived practically together
and began theirs at the suet in the oak just west of the
cabin. The male and one of the females fed for some time on 
opposite sides of the lump while the other two birds
had to wait their turn. There was a good deal of
bickering among them before any of them began to eat.
When thus engaged two birds facing one another & a 
foot or two apart would erect the feathers of the crown
into a loose crest and hop about in a circle always
keeping face to face and nodding or bowing their heads
in an odd way, sometimes uttering a querulous chattering
cry very like that of the English sparrow. This note
evidently expresses rage or defiance & is never given save
under conditions such as those just described.
Downy Woodpeckers
behaving in 
a peculiar manner.
  While Gilbert & I were watching the Downy Woodpeckers
standing not twenty feet from them a shadow passed
us and a male Sharp-shinned Hawk darted low over 
our heads and into the middle of the little party 
of Downies. He evidently stooped at one of the females but
she dodged him. Before he had flown six feet in 
pursuit of her he discovered us and turning back
alighted in the oak low down facing us. After
sitting there about a minute he raced off through
the woods. He was a beautiful, blue-backed
adult bird.
Sharp shinned
Hawk swoops
at Downy Woodpecker
  Walking around the Hill in the early morning
47