Hi there
This year we have been lucky to see and hear three of the Woodpecker family close to where we stay in Bedford.
At one point, a Green Woodpecker occupied our lawn for a while, as it grubed around for ants. We where lucky to get one sighting, but it still made our day. We had regular visited to our bird feeders from the Great Spotted Woodpecker.
We are lucky to stay close to a small nature reserve close (Putnoe Nature Reserve). We can hear the Green Woodpeckers 'Yaffling' noise from the distance 'Reserve' while in our back garden of our last property. The Yaffling noise was continual and great to hear even though the reserve was a little over a mile from our (previous) house.
After I found Putnoe Nature Reserve at Bedford, I would call in for a regular visit. Just a lovely little spot of heaven, Only one down side that the area is over-run by 'mad' barking dogs of their leads, and I wish this was not the case at all. {sad}
Luckily we still live closeby and there is every reason to have another visit or two.
At Putnoe, there are Woodpeckers everywhere. The continual Yaffling of the Green Woodpecker, the drumming of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker, and the pee pee noise from the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. I never tire of any of the visits at all. Lots of Treecreepers for a bonus sighting or two too{smile}
This is one place your are guaranteed to spot all three members of the Woodpecker family in one place. It is a broad leafed wood and it suits the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker for that reason alone (they are not Conifer dwellers from my understanding).
We have seen Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in Bedford this year alone, and they are just like a minature looking Great Spotted Woodpecker. They can go a lot faster due to their size. They are tiny just over the size of a Chaffinch. They are a lot more noiser too and screech as they fly through the trees.
What more can a person ask for. Anyone else got their favourite patch for Woodpecker spotting? {smile}
Regards
Kathy and Dave
There's a lovely little patch of woodland on the outskirts of my hometown (Launceston, in Cornwall). One tree in particular plays host to a pair of great spotted woodpeckers and their nest of young every year (I'm not sure if it's the same pair every year) - I know that if I go there in the spring/early summer I'm sure to see them, and to hear the chicks squeaking away in the nest-hole, it's delightful!
Hi Blackbird!
What a treat to get all 3 species!! Venus Pool, my local reserve has the great spotted & green. Only managed to get photos of the great spotted from a distance so far, but the green has been quite obliging by 'anting' in front of the hide! I just love that eye!!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Great photos, MarJus. The reserve here at The Lodge isn't a bad place for woodpeckers either, well at least the Green and Great spotted variety. http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/t/thelodge/index.asp
Whenever I get chance to potter round, I can always be guaranteed to either see or hear one of the above. I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Green woodpeckers, they always remind me of Bagpuss's Professor Yaffle!
Blackbird, your post has answered a question which has been puzzling us. We have a couple of pairs of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers visit the garden daily but the Greens never pay us a visit. In the 10 years we’ve been here the Green has only visited us once although they fly over a few times a day. We thought that perhaps the Greens and Greater Spotted don’t share the same territory, but you post means this is not true.
I’d love to be able to get the Greens to visit our garden.
Build it and they will come.
I am not sure how I missed this thread earlier but I will make up for it now! Lovely photos again MarJus. How DO you manage to get your subjects to remain still for that long? One of my robins has been giving me a real run-around for days now. I swear he / she is doing it on purpose!
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Thanks Squirrel! I guess it's just trying to be as quick as possible and also taking plenty!!! These are the 2 'best' out of about 20!! With digital, it doesn't matter! (I often drive with the camera out on the passenger seat ready, so if convenient & safe, I can pull over, turn it on & snap quick, as with the 'bouncing deer' in the wildlife gallery)
Good luck with the robin! Look forward to seeing the result! :-D
Rockwolf said: Good luck with the robin! Look forward to seeing the result! :-D
Breath-holding not recommended, bless its little cotton socks!
First of all thank you everyone for the interesting answers on this thread.
Marjus what beautiful pictures of the Male Green Woodpecker. He was doing a great pose for you there.
Mrs T: Yes you have described the Green Woodpecker very aptly LOL
Wildlife Friendly: I never thought that Greens and Great SW's had any territorial conflict at all, as they have slightly different way of eating and living. The Greens do not drum on trees like the Great Spotted Woopecker and the Lesser Spotted woodpecker at all. The Greens Yaffle and the Great/Lessers drum, So they have some different social habits though they all like to eat grubs form either the ground, or the trees trunks. Only Greens appear to seen to like look for grubs on the ground.
The Lesser drums a lot faster than the GSW. You can hear the difference if they are doing the drumming in close proximaty to one another. They do this to search for grubs in Tree Trunks, I thought it may be for communication purposes to but someone will know here
I met up with a local birder here in Bedford, and was given a tour of Putnoe Reserve (after we saw a Firecrest) under his watchful eye and my OH and I learned such a lot of information from him. {smile}
Squirrel best of luck with your Robin picture. Keep my fingers crossed if you manage to take a good shot of him
Marjus, again you have excelled yourself with your photo! you have knack that's for sure and it has nothing to do with the camera!
I'm very jealous Blackbird that you have had the privilege to see all three species. I know there are a pair of GSW in the area, but I can't get them in the garden for love nor money. I have tried leaving appropriate food. It always baffles me that most birds will come to the garden but these and Goldfinches seem to be elusive to me. I hear them all the time in the trees around us but they just never want to come in. Although not in our garden, the neighbours all have trees that I would have thought a woodpecker would be knocking at the door (so to speak) to get to!
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Unknown said:there are a pair of GSW in the area, but I can't get them in the garden
Have you thought of constructing a "workbench" for the GSW ? A gradual slot in tree bark or in a wooden pole, which it can use as a vise to hold cones etc. Like a cracked old telephone pole.
Just a crazy idea :)