BIRD-LIFE NEAR GILWELL PARK, SEWARDSTONE. 73
The call note, which to me resembles "Gick Gick," may also
be heard throughout the year. The Great Spotted Woodpecker,
during hard weather, regularly visits the cocoanut fastened to
my apple tree. It makes daily about eight visits, each of twenty
minutes' duration, and whilst on the tree, even when not feeding,
it allows no other bird to approach the food. This species is
also a regular visitor to the food-table supplied by Mrs. Boake
at Loughton. One frequently sees the nesting-hole of the
Great Spotted Woodpecker occupied by a pair of starlings
which have taken possession of the other birds' territory. On
one occasion Mr. Ross led me to a tree at High Beach where a
week before a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers had been
nesting, apparently in safety. But on our approach, a starling
flew from the hole and we found a fully-fledged young wood-
pecker lying dead at the base of the tree. I have observed,
however, since then that the starlings usually take possession
as soon as the hole has been excavated and before egg-laying
has begun, so that we may hope that this beautiful species,
rare in most places, but frequent in Epping Forest, may continue
to hold its own numerically.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is not nearly so abundant
in the district as the larger bird. We usually see one searching
the apple trees for insects once or twice in the year, but I have
not discovered any nesting site at Gilwell.1
Green Woodpecker is a common bird near Gilwell and
I occasionally see one feeding on my lawn in early morning;
in 1924 a pair nested in the Park. The characteristic "laugh"
may be heard on a fine day in any month of the year.
Barn Owl.—Though this owl chiefly frequents places such
as barns, towers and deserted buildings, it may be heard
and seen in Gilwell Park and the more open parts of Epping
Forest. I have frequently heard its weird screech from my
cottage as it flies on its nightly hawking rounds, but I did not
actually see it in this district till this year. On March 13th,
1930, at dusk, I saw one fly from Farmer Bird's field into Gilwell
Park and the next evening at the same hour it followed the
same route. Ten days later, on March 23rd, at 5 p.m., Miss
Benn and I saw a barn owl fly across from Yardley Hill into
1 Since writing the above I have seen a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker alight on my apple-tree
and spend half-an-hour in exploring it and other neighbouring trees.