*5* 



NOTES on BIRDS. 



Squirrel and Spotted Woodpecker.— Mrs. E. G. Oacroft-Amcotts 

 writes from her place, Kettlethorpe Hall, Lincoln: — 'We feed Squirrels 

 [Sciurus vulgaris) liberally close up to the house, and even on the window 

 sills. In the winter of 1899-1900, a Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) 

 came daily to dispute with the Squirrels over the nuts, within two yards 

 of the window. We have several Spotted Woodpeckers in the woods, 

 especially in the 'Quebec." — E. Adrian Woodruffe-Peacock, Cadney, 

 Bri gg, 13th May 1901. 



Curious Nesting-Site of Blue Tit near Flamborough. -We fre- 

 quently hear of curious nesting-places chosen by birds. This year, on the 

 20th of June, I found a pair of Blue Tits (Parus ccendeus) had chosen a very 

 strange position. A few miles from Flamborough, indeed close to Bempton, 

 a pair of whale's jaws' have been erected over a gateway. One of these 

 jaws is very much decayed, and a hole runs right clown the centre. This 

 hole had been selected by the Tits as a home for their children, and a fine 

 brood of six or seven were just ready to fly. — K. McLean, Harrogate, 

 21st June 1901. 



BirJ-Notes from Court Leys, Lines. — Owing perhaps to the hedges 

 being so bare of leaves at the nesting-time, many birds come to make their 

 homes in the evergreens in the garden here ; and the g-arden is not par- 

 ticularlv suited for nesting', being very open, having only a single row of 

 bushes round it, and passed on one side by the high road, and it is on this 

 side, too, that most of the nests occurred. 



The following are a few of the nests we noticed : — Two pairs of Robins 

 {Erithacus rubecula) brought off five young ones each, in the ivy ; they sat 

 for twelve days; the young ones hatched on 7th May before 9 a.m. ; both 

 lots left the nest on the evening of 20th May ; one nest contained a sixth egg. 



A Thrush (Turdus musicus)'s nest, containing five eggs, was forsaken, 

 and another pair fell a prey to 'Tabby' when the four young ones were 

 six days old. Probably for the same reason a Missel Thrush {Turdus 

 viscivorus) left her nest in a yew bush, after sitting for seven days on three 

 eggs. 



Two pairs of Blackbirds (Turdus merula) each safely reared four young 

 ones. 



One pair of Hedge Sparrows {Accentor modular is) reared five, and 

 another four young ones ; the fifth egg in this last case was addled. 



A brood of Green Linnets (Ligurinus chloris) were brought up in the 

 same yew bush as the nest of Thrushes were. 



Five Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) managed to thrive in their tiny nest ; 

 the eggs were laid each day before nine in the morning; the old bird sat 

 for eleven davs, the voung ones hatched on 14th May, and left the nest on 

 28th May. 



In a hole in a branch of a wych elm, which forms an arbour, an Ox-eye 

 Tit (Parus major) brought up nine young ones ; they hatched on 31st May, 

 and flew away on 15th June. We found her when sitting, and much wanted 

 to see the eggs, but, though allowing us to stroke her, she would not leave 

 the nest. 



There are two Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) 's nests in the hawthorn 

 hedge, but no eggs in either yet. 



A pair of Swallows (Hirmido rustica) particularly wished to build in the 

 summer-house, but, because of the litter they made, we had to close up 

 the door and windows, but when, every few days, the shutters were taken 

 down they came instantly back, and commenced to build, and it was not 

 until more than a fortnight had elapsed that they were banished. 



A Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) often comes and sits on the tennis poles; we 

 first heard it on 21st April. 



I have noticed that there are many more birds' nests in hedges here 

 this season than there have been for some years, also that they contain 

 more eggs ; in 1897 many of the Blackbird and Thrush nests contained but 

 three eggs. — S. C. Stow, Court Leys, Brandon, Grantham, 25th June 1901. 



Naturalist, 



