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
Hi Juha
Thanks for replying to my plight! but the answer is no actually I hadn't - I've go the food but the trees admittedly are in other gardens - hadn't given much thought about supplying a pole for them to work on! could be the reason why I don't get em!
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
hi Kezmo
I really hope that you get GSW in the future. They like to live in Broadleaved trees so if you have a patch of Trees like this in your area you are likely to get them.
Personally I have found they they will happily sit on a nut feeder (long one for the length of their bodies and tail is better), and peck at the contents very hard. They also like white suet fat blocks that you can buy. It maybe is the calories that they are after. {smile}
You can hear alarm calls from GSW if they are disturbed. It is more like a breath of air coming out of a persons body so you have to listen hard for it. Small cry for a bigger bird.
With GSW's, it take time for them ot accustomise themselves to your bird feeding area. So if you see one it is keeping a low profile until they accept that you are watching them.
It take time with them over other garden birds.
Nicki C said: 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.
Perhaps I haven’t got the right kind of grubs in my garden (another thing to add to my “to do” list), the only time it visited us was when the ants were swarming.
I agree with Blackbird about the peanuts and fat balls for the GSW, it’s what ours feed on. They are very shy birds, perhaps your feeders are too exposed for them. Ut took ours a long time to feel comfortable in our garden.
Build it and they will come.
I was mostly joking about the anvil :)
There are lots of rotting alder trees here and the GSW prefer to excavate them. They come to the tit/squirrel feeder only in winter. When it is after grubs on a tree, it is hesitant to escape. It hops sideways and hides behind the trunk. Always makes you laugh and go round the tree.
They might feel more secure if the feeder allows this hide-and-seek ?
Nicki C said: hi Kezmo Personally I have found they they will happily sit on a nut feeder (long one for the length of their bodies and tail is better), and peck at the contents very hard. They also like white suet fat blocks that you can buy. It maybe is the calories that they are after. {smile}
Hi Blackbird, I have the nut feeder it sits on a pole, not really hidden just by the side of the ceaonothus. Admittedly I haven't started putting fat blocks out yet but I do make them myself with lard and peanuts - perhaps they don't like the look of my recipe!!!!
They fly all over the place - there is a wooded area in the middle of our crescent with broadleafed trees and I have seen them perched on nearby aerials and other trees in neighbouring gardens - do you think the other birds that do come in to the garden could possibly be putting them off? the doves come in thick and fast as do the starlings - so perhaps the numbers are too many for GSW as shy as they are.
Juha said: I was mostly joking about the anvil :)
I did have a twinkle in my eye when I answered your post lol
Good spot on the older wood though. We have two old apple trees which aren't very big and rarely fruit now - in fact they are only worthy to hang the feeders on in truth. The wren is often in there scouting away but I think they are not big enough for the GSW to warrant coming in.