Woodpigeons Cooing at Night JN Tomlinson's Note
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Notes Woodpigeons cooing at night J. N. Tomlinson's note and the accompanying editorial comment (Brit. Birds, 62: 76-77) give the impression that it is exceptional for Woodpigeons Columba palumbus to call at night. In the past 28 years, however, living in three different localities in Kent, each more or less surrounded by woodland, I have often heard nocturnal cooing from Woodpigeons. During 1941-45, indeed, when I was at Ulcombe, eight miles east of Maidstone, the bombing and gunfire frequently caused disturbed nights and I noted Woodpigeons calling on many occasions: the hostilities may, of course, have disturbed them too. Since that time I have heard Woodpigeons less regularly at night (one must be awake to do sol), but it seems that they usually indulge in this behaviour during bright moonlight in spring and summer. Then several individuals may even be heard answer ing each other. T. C. GREGORY Three Wyches, Sandway Road, Harrietsham, Kent Between 1928 and 1954, at my old home at Cloonee, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, I noted Woodpigeons cooing at night on seven occasions, in January, February, March (three records), August and December. The times varied from 20.15 GMT in February to 1 hour 20 minutes before dawn in March. Three of the nights were moonlit, but the others were dark to very dark and in December there was fog. This last occasion was the only time two birds were involved. R. F. RUTTLEDGE Doon, Newcastle, Co. Wickiow, Eire These are the only records received as a result of Mr Tomlinson's note, apart from a single report at second hand from Dorset and a further observation from Mr Tomlinson himself who heard two Woodpigeons calling at about 02.30 BST on 31st March 1969 in the same area of woodland in Westmorland. Indeed, many observers have never noted cooing at night and we have been unable to find any evi dence of nocturnal calling by London Woodpigeons, which might be expected to be more disturbed by lighting and traffic. EDS Birds taking honey For some years I have included honey among the foods put out for birds in my garden sanctuary at Harmer Green, Hertfordshire. At first this was in crystallised form in the top of a hollow post, where it was quickly found by a number of species, including Great Tit Parus major, Blue Tit P. caeruleus, Marsh Tit P. palustris, Coal Tit P. ater, Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus, Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, Blackbird T. merula, Robin Erithacus rubecula, Starling Sturnus vulgaris and House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Notes 201 Since then I have supplied mixtures of honey and water or sugar and water in small plastic phials; these phials, sold by pet shops as drinking vessels for caged birds, work on the principle of replenishing a recep tacle underneath as each drop is taken. Originally fixed to pergola posts, they were afterwards transferred to a suspended wire grid inaccessible to Grey Squirrels Sciurus carolinensis. At times the birds' demand for the syrup is so great that it is difficult to ensure a regular supply. Blue Tits and Blackbirds are the most avid feeders, but others include Nuthatches Sitta europaea and both adult and juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major, the last using their tongues to extract the syrup from the phials. The woodpeckers generally come in the summer, but a number of species are attracted to these sweet food sources throughout the year. EILEEN A. SOPER Hooded Crows dropping and transferring objects from bill to foot in flight Just before dusk on 19th October 1965, on Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork, I saw a Hooded Crow Corvus corone comix repeatedly dropping a round object and retrieving it in its bill before it could reach the ground. The Hooded Crow did this many dozens of times at heights of about 200 feet, letting the object fall for 40 feet or more before retrieving. Occasionally it interrupted the action by transferring the object to one foot and then flying around with that leg dangling. After a short while it would transfer the object back to its bill and once more start dropping and retrieving. Eventually it let go and flew off to join other Hooded Crows. A comparable observation by John Denny in December 1948 involved a Hooded Crow dropping what was probably a marble-sized stone, letting it fall for about two feet and catching it again, repeating this about six times (Brit. Birds, 43: 333). Hooded Crows do, of course, frequently drop shellfish and other similar foods from a height on to hard ground in order to break them open. In this connection, R. J. Tulloch (in litt.) informs me that, when tarmac roads were first introduced to Shetland, the Hooded Crows quickly learnt to drop shellfish on to these instead of the seaweed- covered shores. He also tells me that in January 1967 he saw a Hooded Crow pecking at a dead sheep and, as it rose with a bone in its bill, it transferred this to its right foot and almost at once back to its bill. On another occasion he saw one carrying an object in its foot and the leg was dangling in the way I had seen on Cape Clear Island. The dropping of objects, with or without retrieving them, for 'play' or food and the transference of them between bill and foot are probably quite normal behaviour for Hooded Crows. BERNARD KING May field, 9 Uplands Road, Saltford, Bristol Another brown-and-white Magpie Dr C. Suffern has described a brown-and-white Magpie Pica pica shot in Hampshire in 1965 (Brit. 202 Notes Birds, 58: 220). In October 1954, at Limpley Stoke, on the Wiltshire/ Somerset boundary, a Magpie with similarly unusual plumage was found in poor condition after a period of heavy rain. It was cared for in Bath by the late Eustace Smith and I saw it in captivity many times during the next two months before it eventually died. The feathers which are black on a normal Magpie were cinnamon-brown and the white parts were dirty white. There was no gloss to the plumage and wings and tail were much abraded. The bill was dull yellow, legs drab, and irides a dull and pale brown. BERNARD KING Mayfield, 9 Uplands Road, Saltford, Bristol Blue Tit bathing in snow On 10th February 1969, at Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, I watched a Blue Tit Varus caeruleus bathing in snow on a shed roof. The snow was soft and powdery, and the bird's actions were a combination of those of dusting and water-bathing. It first wriggled its body into the snow, then pushed its head under and jerked it up to throw snow over its back and half-spread, fluttering wings. It did this two or three times, then flew to a bush and preened before finding a fresh patch and starting again. IDA SMITH 2} Sherbourne Place, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire Several records of snow-bathing have appeared in this journal over the last 20 years. The birds concerned have twice included Blue Tits (Brit. Birds, 42: 23; 58: 155-156) and once a Great Tit P. major (Brit. Birds, 45: 409). Other species involved have been Stock Dove Columba oenas, Magpie Pica pica and Starling Sturnus vulgaris. EDS Goldcrests feeding on ground in association with tits At about 3 p.m. on 19th January 1969, in oakwoods near Parkend, Gloucester shire, I saw eight to ten Goldcrests Regulus regulus feeding with a mixed party of Great Tits Parus major, Blue Tits P. caeruleus and Coal Tits P. ater. During the 30 minutes I was watching, the tits often flew to the ground to search for food by probing and turning the leaf litter. When this happened the Goldcrests followed; if disturbed, the Gold crests remained feeding at a low level on dead bracken or in bramble while the tits flew higher to the trees. On the ground the Goldcrests scattered amongst the tits; although constantly moving they waited, apparently, for the tits to turn the leaves and would then dart to investigate. This suggested a ground-feeding association. The Gold crests were not seen to feed on the ground apart from the tits and no conflict was noted between them. A. P. RADFORD 2 Wjck Beck Road, Brentry, Bristol BSIO 7JE Prolonged aggression of Pied Wagtail towards Ringed Plover On 23rd November 1968, at Sandwich Bay, Kent, K. A. Chapman and I Notes 203 were watching a Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula on the shoreline; near-by a Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba was also feeding. When the plover flew off, the wagtail immediately went after it, calling loudly. The latter caught up the plover which then started to twist and turn without, however, succeeding in shaking off its pursuer. The wagtail continued to chase closely, still calling, until the two birds were lost to view after a distance of at least 120 yards. T. RUCK 10 Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, Kent Some small birds not uncommonly chase larger ones—for example, House Sparrows "Passer domestkus will often pursue Blackbirds Turdus merula or Feral Pigeons Columba livia—and Pied Wagtails are notor iously aggressive to other species around bird tables. Nevertheless, the persistence of the chase on this occasion seems to have been note worthy and it is unlikely that any quarrel over food was involved. K. E. L. Simmons has commented that it was probably a 'neutral' flight-response to the plover flying close by. In this connection, the paper by Mr Simmons on 'The autumn flight-reactions of House- Sparrows, Swallows and other passerines', in which both Pied Wag tails and a Grey Wagtail M.