Part 25

In many well-wooded localities in the south, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker may be almost considered common, though from its small size and partiality to the topmost branches of tall trees, it is but seldom seen. In Wales and north of the Midlands it becomes extremely local, and in Scotland and Ireland it has only been obtained as a rare straggler on a few isolated occasions. In food and habits it hardly differs from its larger congener, but the nest is generally hewn out in some dead tree. It has not occurred on migration. The male has the upper parts chiefly black, barred with white; the forehead buff; crown of the head crimson; nape and malar stripe black; cheeks white. The under parts are buffish white with black streaks on the flanks. The female has only got a little red on the fore part of the head. Length 6 in.; wing 3·7 in.

THE KINGFISHER Alcedo ispida, Linnæus

In spite of the ease with which he may be caught, and the demand for his skin brought about by his fatal beauty, we are still able to reckon the Kingfisher as a generally distributed species.

Representative of a family which is essentially associated with tropical climes, he still wears his brilliant dress in these northern latitudes, and resembles, as he darts with rapid flight down our rivers and streams, some huge turquoise.

Having fixed on a favourite piece of water, he seldom wanders far afield, but may be seen at all times of the year, sitting on an overhanging bough, ever and anon dropping into the water to seize some passing fish. His prey being captured, he returns to his perch and kills the struggling fish by knocking it against his stand; it is then swallowed head first, and he resumes his motionless watch. If sport be slow, and he be hungry, he will wend his way with rapid flight down the river to try his luck in another place, and it is at such times that we shall probably get a momentary glimpse of his brilliancy, till a curve in the stream hides him from sight.

Mere cold does not seem to affect him in the least, but when the streams are frozen he suffers greatly from hunger, and after a day or two of frosty weather he reluctantly leaves his accustomed home for the milder reaches of the sea-shore, where the restless tide brings him in a continual supply of food. The sea-shore, however, is not to his taste, and at the first break-up of the frost he returns again to his inhospitable home. Early in April he turns his attention to housekeeping. Like most bright-plumaged birds, he has no song with which to woo his mate, but at such times they may often be seen chasing each other about up and down the stream, uttering their shrill and sharp call-note. A perpendicular wall in the bank of the river is chosen, and near the top of this they excavate a long low tunnel with the end slightly widened out to form a chamber. The nest is peculiar, being formed of a mass of small regurgitated bones, and on this the six pure white and highly glossed eggs are laid. As soon as the young are fledged and thoroughly able to earn their own living, they are driven away from their home and forced to seek winter-quarters elsewhere. Many, especially in the northern portions of its range, go to the sea-shore and migrate, while others seek out some quiet stream where they may fish in undisputed possession, till the return of spring impels them to seek a mate and form a home for themselves. The sexes are practically alike in plumage. The top of the head, wings, and malar stripe are dark greenish blue, mottled with lighter; back and rump brilliant cobalt blue; tail dark blue. The under parts, lores, and ear coverts are chestnut; throat whitish; bill black, orange at the base; legs deep red. The young bird is duller and shows traces of greenish on the breast. Length 7·5 in.; wing 3 in.

THE ROLLER Coracias garrulus, Linnæus

Although stragglers of this beautiful and brilliant species have frequently visited this country in both the spring and autumn migrations, it can by no means be considered as a regular visitor to our shores. It is very numerous in Southern Europe and breeds as far north as St. Petersburg and certain parts of Sweden; in the countries bordering the North Sea, however, it is decidedly rare. In winter it inhabits the southern portion of Africa, being numerous in Cape Colony and Natal.

The sexes are alike. The head, neck, and under parts are of a brilliant greenish blue, the mantle is brown, and there is a patch of gorgeous ultramarine blue on the lesser wing coverts. Length 12 in.; wing 7·7 in.

THE BEE-EATER Merops apiaster, Linnæus

A good many stragglers of this southern species have occurred from time to time, chiefly in the southern half of England, but a few have also been taken in Scotland and Ireland. In Southern Europe it is extremely abundant throughout the summer, wintering in Africa. The sexes are alike. The head, neck, upper back, and a bar across the secondaries are chestnut brown; forehead white, turning to green; lores and ear coverts black; tail green, two central feathers elongated and tipped with black. Throat yellow; a black band across the lower neck; under parts greenish blue. Length 11·25 in.; wing 6 in.

HOOPOE Upupa epops, Linnæus

In the spring of every year, with unfailing regularity, a few misguided individuals of this interesting bird seek the hospitality of our shores, and, were they unmolested, would eventually settle as one of our permanent summer visitors in the southern counties. Unfortunately, apart from its striking plumage, which cannot fail to arrest attention, it is of a very confiding nature, stalking about lawns and grass fields with its peculiar walk, while it prods the ground with its long bill in search of grubs and insects. Such a sight is too much for the so-called collector or ignorant loafer, whose only idea on seeing a strange bird is to kill it, and thus it happens that our would-be guest either reposes as a fearful caricature in a glass case till moth and rust have done their work, or is frightened off to some other country where his appearance excites less curiosity and murder. From time to time, however, protected by some enlightened farmer or landowner, this species has been spared to pass the summer unmolested, and, choosing a hollow tree, preferably in an orchard or near some open grass fields, has reared a young brood to maturity and finally departed in peace to spend the winter in Southern Europe or Africa.

The nest is placed in a hole in some tree, and the eggs, seven in number, are of a uniform pale greenish blue.

General colour of the head, mantle, and under parts pale cinnamon; wings and tail black, broadly barred with white. Lower back broadly barred with black, white, and buff. The sexes and young resemble each other in plumage. Length 12·2 in.; bill 2·5 in.; wing 6 in.

THE CUCKOO Cuculus canorus, Linnæus

The arrival of the Cuckoo, as heralded by his well-known note, is eagerly awaited by every one who lives in the country, ornithologist or otherwise, and so anxious are some to record his arrival, that they persuade themselves that they have heard him before the March winds have abated. There is little doubt, however, that this species rarely, if ever, arrives in March, and not before mid-April can his pleasing note be generally heard. Throughout the whole of our islands this bird is common and well known, inhabiting equally the wild open country, the enclosed arable land, or thickly-wooded estates. It feeds entirely on insects, especially caterpillars, those of the common Tiger-moth being an especially favourite delicacy. Its flight is direct and fairly rapid, the short wings and long tail giving it very much the appearance of a Sparrow-Hawk, for which it is frequently mistaken by the smaller birds, and mobbed accordingly.

This bird solves housekeeping difficulties in the simplest way by leaving its eggs to the tender mercies of other species. It apparently usually watches other birds when building, and as soon as the chosen nest contains a few eggs, it lays its own egg on the ground, and picking it up in its beak deposits it in the nest, throwing out at the same time a few of the rightful eggs. The eggs are, as a rule, deposited one by one in a different nest of the same species, and when two Cuckoo's eggs are found in the same nest, they are almost assuredly the produce of two different birds. Having deposited its eggs, the mother Cuckoo takes no further interest in her progeny, but continues to lead a life of leisure, till early in August both sexes leave us for their southern winter-quarters. The eggs of this species are extremely variable, but as a rule are of a pale bluish or greenish ground colour, with reddish spots and mottlings; sometimes they agree so closely with the eggs of their foster-parents as to be almost indistinguishable, but such cases are exceptional. When the young Cuckoo has been hatched about twenty-four hours, he sets to work to eject the other nestlings by getting them on his back, in which there is a hollow, and pushing them over the side of the nest. He is most importunate in his demands for food, and continues to be a burden on the foster-parents long after he is able to feed himself. Once, however, he is fledged, he wings his way southwards and we see him no more, till he returns the following spring to gladden us with his cheering "cuckoo." Various species of insectivorous birds are made use of as foster-parents, and there is no doubt that much discrimination is exercised by the mother Cuckoo as to where and when to deposit her egg. The nests most favoured in this country are those of the Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Hedge Sparrow, Sedge and Reed Warblers, but over sixty different species of British Birds have been made use of at various times. Practically nothing is known as to whether Cuckoos pair, or if the female receives the attentions of several males, and the number of eggs laid by a single bird in the season is also doubtful, though about eight is said to be the number. Many interesting problems are thus still unsolved about one of our commonest birds, and if his character be not a very estimable one, we can but marvel at the workings of evolution which has enabled so curious and complicated a method of parasitism to be sufficiently successful to ensure the perpetuation of the race. It must be remembered that for the successful rearing of each young Cuckoo the mother has to find and recognise the nest of an insectivorous bird, and to lay her egg during the five days in which the foster-parent elect is laying her clutch. As regards the various stages of evolution that have caused the young Cuckoo to evolve as a murderer at his birth, and that have provided him with the means in the shape of a special hollow in his back, we know nothing, and can in the present state of our knowledge merely leave the problem in wonder and amazement.

The male is clear greyish ash on the back and throat; tail feathers blackish with small white spots on the margin. Under parts whitish, with dark bars on the flanks. The young vary considerably and are generally dark brown, more or less barred with rufous on the upper parts. Length 13 in.; wing 8·5 in.

THE GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO Coccystes glandarius (Linnæus)

On three or four occasions this bird has been obtained in England and Ireland. It is a native of North Africa and South Spain, where it breeds, migrating in winter to South Africa. Its eggs are almost always deposited in the nest of a Magpie, but other members of the Crow family are sometimes chosen. The general colour is greyish brown, most of the feathers tipped with white; under parts white. The crown is grey, with long pointed crest. Length 15·5 in.; wing 8 in.

THE AMERICAN YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO Coccyzus americanus (Linnæus)

Some half-dozen examples of this American species have occurred on our western shores during the autumn migration. It is about the size of our Cuckoo, olive-brown above, and buffish white below. Each of the tail feathers are tipped with white. Length 11 in.; tail 6 in.; wing 5·40 in.

THE BARN OWL Strix flammea, Linnæus

After many years' patient preaching, the Barn Owl is at last beginning to be recognised as a friend to be encouraged, rather than as an enemy to be slain, and it is now on the increase throughout England, Wales, and Ireland. In Scotland it has always been local in the south and rare in the north.

The species is strictly nocturnal, and darkness has usually fallen before it sallies forth from its hiding-place in a barn, an old church tower, or a hollow tree.

It feeds almost entirely on rats, mice, and such small deer, and rarely takes any small birds, as they are always securely roosting by the time the Barn Owl comes out. From its habits of choosing barns and old buildings, this species more than any other is deserving of man's protection, since its favourite hunting-grounds are round the farm-yards, where it destroys those vermin that are of most immediate nuisance to the farmer.

The note is a harsh high-pitched scream, which has earned for it the name of "Screech Owl," but when in its hole it makes a heavy snoring sound, and has also a curious habit of waving its head from side to side. When seen from above down a dark hole, the motion being just dimly visible, it has a very uncanny appearance.