Author Topic: Gtr spotted woodpeckers (Read 4768 times)

Obelixx · « **on:** February 02, 2006, 08:29:48 »

I have three which visit the feeders in my garden every day. Two are quite fat and one is a little smaller and much thinner. Their markings are the same as far as I can tell.

Can anyone tell me if the difference is a male - female thing or an adult - juvenile difference?

Hope you can help. Thanks in advance.

Juliet · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2006, 22:55:39 »

Seems unlikely for there to be juveniles around at this time of year, Obelixx, but I've had a look at a couple of bird sites & they don't say anything about the female being smaller than the male... don't suppose you've got a lesser spotted? They are much rarer but very similar in appearance to the great spotted - just a bit smaller. More info. on http://garden-birds.co.uk/ if that's any help - there are better pictures here: http://www.surfbirder.com/cgi-bin/ukbirdid/readcsv.pl?name=woodpecker though.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2006, 06:47:29 »

If it's only a little smaller it's not lesser spotted. Sounds like individual differences; maybe one fluffs its feathers out a bit more.

Palustris · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2006, 09:08:59 »

Lesser spotted is only about the size of a robin. We have quite a few individual greater spotteds visit the garden and they do vary in size and markings, enough to be able to recognise them.

Obelixx · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2006, 13:48:19 »

Thanks for your comments. We have 3 that I know of as the two fatties often come together and I then see the skinny waiting on the fence. He/she is smaller and thinner but definitely not lesser.

Palustris · « **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2006, 15:30:17 »

It could well be a late baby which has managed to survive the Winter and is still hanging around with the parents.

Juliet · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2006, 16:38:17 »

That seems most likely, Palustris - I thought the lesser spotted idea was unlikely but thought it worth mentioning just in case.

Obelixx · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2006, 22:56:35 »

Hi Palustris. Maybe you're right. I often see all three together and last summer was the first year the parents brought a baby to the feeders. I shall have to try and take notes of when (if) next summer.

pakaba · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2006, 12:32:38 »

Hi
I've just seen this thread and thought you might be able to help me. Last week I saw a greater spotted woodpecker on the fat balls for the first time ever ;D. I've been waiting for 4.5 years to see one. Anyway, now he's finally found out about my garden can you give me any any advice on keeping him visiting it.

Pakaba

Obelixx · « **Reply #9 on:** February 08, 2006, 17:28:35 »

Keep feeding all year round. I do it just with simple fat balls and peanuts in dispensers and have had the woodpeckers for 3 or 4 years now. Last summer was the first time they brought their baby and sat him on the nearby trellis panels while they had a good feed. This winter is the first time I have seen two grown ups at a time hence the question about the thin one being juvenile or female as I've never been able to compare them before.

pakaba · « **Reply #10 on:** February 08, 2006, 18:27:35 »

Thanks for the tip, i do usually have food out but sometimes i forget to filll the feeders up., i will make sure i remember to keep up with it and hopefully i will see him/her again soon.

You must have been thrilled to see the woodpeckers for the first time ;D., i was thrilled with 1 but to have 3, i would have had to have run down the street screaming or something :o, i could barely contain my excitement at having 1, I had to call everyone, they think i'm mad anyhow, and now they know I am. I get quite a large variety of garden birds and i was so pleased to see a new friend making the most of the feast i put out for them.

Thanks again
Pakaba

Obelixx · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2006, 09:28:26 »

Good luck. I hope he becomes a regular. We started with just the one too.

We always used to have just blue and great tits and sparrows as we are an isolated house surrounded by arable fields and pasture. However, there is a bit of woodland across the pasture to the east and that's where the woodpeckers live. They have a funny, swooping flight pattern as they come and go.

It's snowing today so the feeders are very busy and need topping up daily. We now also have regular coal, marsh and willow tits, greenfinches and chaffinches, a pair of black redstarts, two pairs of blackbirds, robins and an occasional wren and garden warblers in season. Since Christmas, we've had our first bramblings and starlings. There's a pair of Egyptian geese nesting and breeding in an old willow tree next to the stream that flows through the pasture next to the woodland and loads of herons and wild ducks and moorhens and coots and some very shy snipe. We also have grey and yellow wagtails but no pied and we don't see much of them in winter.

In summer we get house martins and swallows swooping round the house but not nesting. If anyone has any advice on how to encourage them I'd be grateful.

Paulines7 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2006, 11:31:13 »

Quote from: Obbelix on February 09, 2006, 09:28:26

In summer we get house martins and swallows swooping round the house but not nesting. If anyone has any advice on how to encourage them I'd be grateful.

Obbelix, there are nest boxes available for martins and swallows which can be fixed under the eaves. I have bought one for the martins as their nest fell apart last year and the year before. Last year they hadn't begun to lay in it before it fell apart, but the previous year I had fledglings on the ground and flat roof. They were too young to be out of the nest so I had to search for something quickly as a makeshift home.

I found a small bucket which I had purchased from B&Q with a plant in it. I put some padding in, then the bits from the broken nest and secured it on string which went over the top of the window and was then tied to the inside handle. Having got this this in situ, I then placed the young birds in it. I was a bit worried because it was 2 or 3 feet away from the original nest but it was the only place I could secure it. I was very pleased when the adults returned to feed their young. Here are some pics.

Obelixx · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2006, 13:36:50 »

That's brilliant. i'm so pleased you were able to save the nestlings. Trouble is I live in Belgium and haven't found any nest boxes for swallows and house martins. Would it help just to fix a wee ledge for them to start from?

Paulines7 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2006, 13:50:37 »

Obbelix, this company send to Europe and they have both types of boxes.

http://www.birdfood.co.uk/index.php?area_id=1&group_id=2&nav_id=3

Obelixx · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2006, 16:51:03 »

Thank you. That's a great help.

tim · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2006, 11:41:44 »

Just had to add this one from this morning.

Obelixx · « **Reply #17 on:** February 17, 2006, 13:50:38 »

Well done Tim. There's a photo of my two fat ones in the Nov to Jan section of my garden photos in eth Gallery. The skinny one hasn't stuck around long enough for me to catch him on camera.

Debs · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2006, 15:10:43 »

Wow what a treat to see a woodpecker.

Today, I have had the male sparrowhawk sitting on my garden fence

trying to get at the sparrows which were hiding in the overhanging

branches of my neighbours shrub. He sat still for a while, giving me

time to watch him. Thankfully he didn't get any of the spuggies :)

tim · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2006, 15:58:18 »

We had one (s/h) that flew into our small greenhouse, so the grandchildren could admire him. Beautiful bird. Knew what was going on!

Thanks Obbelix.

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Author Topic: Gtr spotted woodpeckers (Read 4768 times)