Allotments 4 All

Just imagine my surprise this morning as I looked out into my garden while eating my breakfast only to see a woodpecker at the nut feeder hanging from the bird table. I've never even seen a woodpecker before. What a thrill this was  :D :D :D

I assume it is a Greater Spotted:

If so you are lucky - my sister in law has them visiting her garden and they are wonderful to watch.

If it is a Lesser Spotted:

Then you are even luckier and should notify this site as they are very rare and all spots are being tracked with an aim to conserving them.

At the park where I had my caravan, there were woods running alongside the river. I saw woodpeckers quite often.
Unfortunately, I also saw two which had managed to hang themselves by getting their heads caught between branches.

So what woodpecker is a BIG woodpecker?  We have a woody making a racket in a large tree across the way from our house.  Very noisy screetching, and a big size, bigger than the woodies at the allotment!

Looking at the pictures in my bird book it appears to have been a juvenile grey headed

Grey-headed isn't a British bird, though we probably get the occasional wanderer. So unless you live in Central Europe or Scandinavia, I suggest that it was the similar Green Woodpecker, which is common here.

Quite possibly....all I know was that it was beautiful to see and wasn't very distinct in it's markings hence the presumption that it was a baby. I only hope that I see another and that it sits still long enough for me to gather the paparazzi

Possibly a juvenile Green, then; was it vaguely spotted? I'm not fond of those things; they've got a well-earned reputation for destroying beehives in winter.

If it was on the ground it is a green woodpecker.  If it was on a feeder then it will be one of the spotted.

Quotejuvenile grey headed

Could also have been a "Wryneck"  Related to the Woodpecker family. Got that camouflaged grey with brown wings and barring. likes the ground as well as feeders? :)
                           

               

I just saw a Green myself this afternoon; it flew across one of the plots, landed on an ash tree, then flew off into a patch of trees. I saw the yellow bum distinctly, and with the size, shape and the way it flew, it couldn't be anything else. I don't see them often, fortunately!

Now you all have me completely confused. All I can do now is to wait for it to come back again and try and get a piccie then somebody here can ID it for me

Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on June 28, 2005, 23:45:37
So what woodpecker is a BIG woodpecker?  We have a woody making a racket in a large tree across the way from our house.  Very noisy screetching, and a big size, bigger than the woodies at the allotment!

If it's screeching, it's probably a jay...

I love Jay's ;D

I wouldn't have said a Jay, however, it could well have been as we have trillions round these parts.....but do Jays hop up the trunk of trees like woodies do?

No, but Green Woodpeckers have a loud 'laughing' call which could be described as a screech.

One of these, then?

Going by your location Emm. It still could have been a "Wryneck"

I think it was a dunnock.

I reakon that must be it, a green woodpecker.

The dunnocks all live in Roy's garden.