I found a dead male lesser spotted woodpecker in my garden this morning. I live in the far north of Scotland 15 miles south of the Moray Firth. Surely the poor chap was lost? I did check that he wasn't ringed before disposing of him.
Thank you doggie for the welcome and the info - will do.
Probably worth mentioning that juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers have solid red crowns for the first few weeks that they are out of the nest, and so are very frequently mistaken for male Lesser Spots...
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I didn't know that - thanks.. But the wings looked very typical of the barred wings of the lesser spotted - I think quite different from the greater. I'll see if I can get a photo.
A photo will settle things. As you know, you're a long way north of Lesser Spot's normal UK distribution, but stranger things have happened!
Here he is, poor chap is looking very bedraggled;
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g301/zedzoom/woodpecker00001doc.jpg
Poor bird :( It is a juvenile Great Spotted - the red under the tail and quite long and heavy bill help with identification. Lesser Spot has no red under the tail and is a very petite little bird, smaller than a House Sparrow, with a small, short bill. Both of them have barred flight feathers, the Great Spot also has white ovals on the 'shoulders' but you'd need to turn it over to see that.
Thank you. I am rather relieved, although sad to see the dead juvenile. Yes, turned over he has the white ovals.
I live in Brussels and in the past week I've seen two dead spotted woodpeckers. One dropped out of the sky into our garden in front of us. The other was in parc Cinquantenaire. It seems a bit of a coincidence.
photo here http://t.co/vIpuzqqpiZ