NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
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363. Woodpecker’s Love Call. — Respecting Natural History Query No. 
76, I presume that Mr. Daubeny refers to the well-known “ drumming ” note 
made by the Woodpecker, and the Lesser Spotted species in particular, when 
tapping vigorously to waken the lurking insects. I have watched the Lesser 
Spotted engaged in these operations many times, but I cannot see any connection 
between this tapping for insects and a love call. The note of the Lesser Spotted 
seems to be “ chee, chee, chee, chee.” The well-known laughter-like notes of 
the Green Woodpecker only require mentioning, whilst the Great Spotted seems 
to be a particularly silent bird, if his “ drumming” noise is excepted. 
The noise drummed out by the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a delightful 
woodland sound, but it has never struck me that the noise was in any way con- 
nected with courtship, but rather entirely owing to the quest for food. 
W. Percival Westell, F.R.H.S., M.B.O.U., 
St. Albans , Herts. 
June 13, 1906. 
364. Can Swifts take Wing from the Ground ?— The following 
letter from Mr. John R. Carr-Ellison, of Hedgeley, Alnwick, has been sent to 
us for publication : — 
“ I read a discussion in the Daily Journal last week on the subject of 
whether or not a swift can take flight if laid on the level ground. I have to-day 
had proof that very often they cannot, and this is the third time in the last thirty 
years that the same thing has happened at the same spot. I was sitting in my 
study about 5 p.m., when my wife came and told me that two starlings were 
fighting on the walk in the garden outside my window. I found it was a cock 
starling pecking at a swift. The starling then flew onto an apple espalier close 
by, and watched the swift, which then made an attempt to fly along the walk, 
slightly down hill ; but it never got its wings clear of the ground. I then ran 
out and caught the swift on the ground, and brought it to the window to show 
my children. I then threw it up into the air, and it flew away, but had evidently 
been hurt by the starling or was weak from the cold weather and want of food. 
The cause of this happening three times, to my knowledge, in the course of 
thirty years is this : Above an upstair window, not far from my study window, 
there is a hole made on purpose for birds to build in. Starlings always build in 
it, in April or early in May ; and after they have left the hole the swifts come 
and build in the same hole. But sometimes they arrive before the starlings have 
left, and explore the hole, and get caught by a starling returning to feed its 
young. The swift is immediately pulled out onto the ground below, where he 
lies helpless, and is pecked by the starling whenever he attempts to move, and 
no doubt would soon be killed or die of starvation. On the two former occasions 
the swift had not suffered so much, and on being thrown into the air went away 
with his natural strong flight. I consider that a swift cannot rise from the level 
ground, and never alights on it willingly, but always builds its nest and roosts 
on ledges, or in holes of cliffs and towers and high buildings, from which it can 
throw itself into mid-air. 
365. Rooks. — In answer to a query, No. 42, in Nature Notes of 
February, 1905, re rooks measuring their nests with potatoes. Last year I found 
three or four small potatoes under our rookery, but they had all been more or 
less pecked. This spring, so far, I have only found three. The first was half 
a medium-sized potato, which had been cut and healed again in the ground ; the 
best part in the middle was pecked away. The second was a bit of well-pecked 
rind, roughly about an inch square ; the third, also, has the inside all pecked 
away, and is too large to represent a rook’s egg. I think the rooks must carry 
them to their nests to feed their young ones ; I have only found the potatoes 
after some had hatched, and they probably drop the very small, round potatoes, 
as they would be so difficult to hold while pecking at them. Also in the rookery 
here 1 have never noticed the rooks on the ground under the trees, so think they 
would not pick them up again. I have not found any potatoes in the autumn. 
B. G. Stilwell. 
366. Hens. — A hen here contracted the habit of going to the top of a holly 
tree to lay her eggs. As the eggs fell to the ground, and, of course, were 
