PICIDAE— WO OD PECKERS.
147
Family PICIDAE.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker : Dendrocopus minor.
A rare resident, though it occurs from time to time, and is occa-
sionally found breeding in most parts of the county, and is even
common round Danbury.
Mr. Clarke mentions specimens,
which occurred respectively one in
the churchyard and another in a
garden, at Saffron Walden, on
March 2nd, 1830, one in Audley
End Park in 1847, and another on
a walnut tree at the Roos, in Feb-
ruary, 1852. On June 14th, 1881,
I saw a nest containing both eggs
and young in an old rotten dam-
son tree in a garden on the out-
skirts of the town. Mr. C. Wal-
ford records (19) several killed at
Braxted about 1838. My uncle,
Mr. David Christy, has a speci-
men shot at Stanford Rivers about
1873. One was seen here several
times about the middle of Decem-
ber, 1877, and another at the end
of November, 1879. Dr. Bree
mentions one at Tiptree in April, 1870 (29. May 7). Henry Doubleday, in
1832, says (10), " I have seen it here [Epping] once or twice." Again, in
1840, he wrote (10), "it is, as far as my observation goes, very rare [round
London], * * *A solitary, straggling individual or two, is all I ever heard of
anywhere round us." In the Forest, nowadays, however, Mr. Buxton says (47.
86) that it is " not very uncommon." Mr. Lister adds, " Three times seen in my
garden at Leytonstone." English includes it (43.1. 24) in his Epping list, as also
does Edward Doubleday (15). A female was killed at Wix in February, 1888
(Spalding). Mr. Kerry records one (40. iii. 182) on February 2nd, 1879, at Ram-
sey, where he says it is "very rare." Mr. Chas. Ed. Smith says (31. 53) that it is
"occasionally shot in the woods of Mr. Honeywood, Marks Hall." Mr. Hope
says it is common at Upminster, and observes that it " generally descends a bush
or small tree tail first." It occurs in the Colchester district (Laver). The only
part of the county where it is at all common seems to be that round Danbury, where
Mr. Smoothy tells me he meets with it fairly often in the extensive woods. Mr.
Fitch has known three or four taken in nets used to protect young peas in a
garden at Wixoe, on the Stour, and has also seen it five or six times round Maldon,
[Great Black Woodpecker: Picus martius.
A doubtful British bird, which has often been erroneously recorded
as occurring in the United Kingdom (on one occasion in Essex), but
there is not sufficient evidence to justify its being regarded as a British
species.]