Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-05-06
A PAIR OF FLIcKERs.

right minded members of the COM
munity lie is of good appearance, in
dustrious i'm his habits, and minds his
own business. lie is a good citizen, and
an example to the rest of us: many of
us are proud Of him and the others ought
to be.
Last spring | saw a male flicker alight
on the slanting trunk of a dead tree, and,
after hitching sidewise two or three times.
he stopped near a spot where the bark
was loose, and began prying off bits of
it with his strong, curved bill pausing
now and then to dcvour the insects which
he brought to light. once he waited for
a second or two with his head on one side
as though he heard something moving
beneath the surface and then he began
to attack n particular spot with great
Vigor. Rat a-at-at, rat-tat-at-at
went the bill as it drilled a neat little
hole, and then the woodpecker paused to
drive in his barbed tongue, which pierced
a luckless grub and dragged it. writhing
from its stronghold. Then. flying to a
"Wicka- wicka- wicka- wicka." which PEN
etratcd to the very heart Of the woods.
Presently he flew to another tree alight-
ing close TO a hard, dead branch. where
he shifted about as though to secure
perfect foothold. two toes of each foot
I'm front and two behind their sharp nails
nipping the bark like claw pinccrs, and
with his pointed tail feathers proppng
him up from below. Then he threw his
head back. and, after a momcntary pause.
brought the tip of his bin to bear upon
the dead branch. with marvellous force
and rapidity. The effect was a loud, vi
bratory sound not unlike the rapid roll
ing Of a small drum, and after mo-
ments silence. during which the wood
pecker turned his head on one side as
though listening. it was repeated. SEEM
ingly louder than before. Again and again
h. role INF
branch, and then. with little pat"
second flicker alighted upon the tree.
Then the drummer ceased his drumming
for he had something better to do. The
lady love he had been calling for had ar
rived, and the delightful task of winning
her affections was before him. He drew
near and bowed to her utterng notes
which sounded like as though they might
be pretty speeches; then pranced in front
Of her, spreading his tail and his wings
displa wing the golden feather shafts and
the white patch on his rump How much
further he would have gone with his
courtshp will never bc known, for at
this interesting point another male flicker
arrived from somewhere, and the two
rivals, uttering harsh notes. dashed off
together. and were followed soon after by
the cause of their jealousy
Which if either. Of the two males was
| eventually successful, | don't know. but.
at all events. ! saw a pair of mated flick
crs in that corner Of the woods a very
few days later Apparently they We're
considering the question OF making their
home in one of the branches OF n dead
chestnut tree which stood on the edge OF
the wood. for they flew onto the tree and
off il and back again great many times.
I At last decision was reached, and on
that very tree work was commenced.
| The spot selected was about twenty feet
/ from the ground on the under side Of "A
1gr hot
toward the south. one of the birds be-
gan by cutting "a circle about one and a
half inches in diameter and then dug out
the wood inside of IL to a depth of two
or three inches Then, for some reason
which ! could not determine they ADAM
doned this hole. and began a new one on
another limb nearby. Here they ham,
mered away. the male and the female al
/ teruately. and the white chips flew around
. them as they worked.
For eight days they labored hard; then
/ because no more chips We're thrown out
/ / presumed that the home was finished
l Some ton days later. ! enlarged the en-
/ trance "a little. that | could put my hanO
4 into the nest. Inside, the nost-holc was
much wider than one might have sup
posed from glancing at the doorway
and opened out into a roony cavity
which extended downwards perhap'
eighteen inches affording ample room 10
the mother as she sat upon her eggs
OF the latter there We're seven, trans
parent white. with pink Veinings shoWin'
through the shell The yolks. as in al
fresh woodpeckers' eggs which | hav
seen. were plainly visible. and foate,
lightly 10 the top. no matter which wa,
M the eggs were held The mothe
flicker. who had flown out as ! began &
climb the tree, and who had been re
proa ching me gently in her own language
came back within three minutes after
descended and went to her eggs with n
more than a glance at the dishguremen
of her doorway.
Next time ! visited the nest, the youn
birds were Matched. for as | tapped o
the tree-truuk there came from the hol
a sound like that made by escaping stear