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Birds - Woodpeckers Page 2

Image Taken on 16 Jun 2008 at 06:19    Image of day on 08 Jul 2008

A surprisingly pristine female Great spotted woodpecker on the peanut feeder crossbar. The youngster has learned how to use the feeders, saving her a lot of work.


Ref: 20080708_db1_20080616_0619_004 great spotted woodpecker female(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 30 May 2019 at 17:03    Image of day on 09 Jul 2019

An identical scale montage of a Great Spotted Woodpecker female and a Green Woodpecker male. The sexes of each species are of similar size.
So Green Woodpeckers are substantially bigger the GSWs.
Our venerable reference book says 12" and 9" respectively, giving likely weight difference of more than twice (the cube of the linear size).


Ref: 20190709_d01_20190530_1703_043+044+20190531_0750_132+0751_133_fb6 great spotted woodpecker female & green woodpecker male (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 10 Jun 2025 at 13:59    Image of day on 24 Jul 2025

Mum arrives at the Kitchen perch (right) with beak full of peanuts fragments and proceeds to stuff into the Juveniles craw.


Ref: 20250724_df5_20250610_1359_026+032+037 great spotted woodpecker female (right) feeds juvenile on perch 17+22+28 of 29 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 21 Jul 2024 at 08:37    Image of day on 02 Sep 2024

An hour later (to the minute!) this adult Great Spotted Woodpecker arrives to grab a few bits of peanut. This is a montage of two moments.


Ref: 20240902_d5c_20240721_0837_010+017 great spotted woodpecker female adult on peanut feeder post (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 03 Jun 2020 at 06:40    Image of day on 07 Jul 2020

The Green Woodpeckers are also back.
Here you can compare the comparatively delicate Great Spotted Woodpecker (here a female) with the more robust male Green Woodpecker. But the smaller GSW seems to be the generally more aggressive species.


Ref: 20200707_d01_20200603_0640_242+1645_425_fb6 great spotted woodpecker female and green woodpecker male (same scale montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 12 Jun 2022 at 13:50    Image of day on 24 Jul 2022

Mum Great Spotted Woodpecker breaks and collects a peanut fragment and flies off to cram it into the ever-open beak of her youngster waiting in the trees behind.


Ref: 20220724_pk1_20220612_1350_950-998 great spotted woodpecker female collects broken peanut & flies off with it 1-4+6 of 6 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Jun 2013 at 18:17    Image of day on 19 Jul 2013

A female Great spotted Woodpecker enjoying the easy feed of peanut butter.


Ref: 20130719_d01_20130607_1817_126 great spotted woodpecker female eating peanut butter from side of meadow post 1 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Mar 2017 at 13:51    Image of day on 13 May 2017

Three moments from a female Great Spotted Woodpecker exploring the already dead bifurcate of our recently pollarded Willow. Our favourite is just right of centre sticking out horizontally.


Ref: 20170513_df3_20170328_1351_158+162+165 great spotted woodpecker female exploring pollarded willow 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 13 Jun 2022 at 08:13    Image of day on 24 Jul 2022

A day after the mother Great Spotted Woodpecker was photographed collecting bits of Peanuts at the Kitchen Window feeder, we catch this moment of what we assume is the same adult taking a just extracted piece of peanut and giving it to the juvenile below.
We never get the extraction phase at the site - Mum is always hidden by the tube of nuts!


Ref: 20220724_d5c_20220613_0813_010+003 great spotted woodpecker female feeding juvenile 2+1 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Jun 2020 at 08:00    Image of day on 10 Jul 2020

Mum Great Spotted Woodpecker stoking up her beak and crop with peanut fragments, moves across to her youngster perched on the support pole to cram in the nutritious slurry she has just collected, before the youngster flies off.


Ref: 20200710_df1_20200607_0800_022+0801_085+094 great spotted woodpecker female feeding juvenile at kitchen window 2+6+9 of 9 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Jun 2025 at 14:06    Image of day on 24 Jul 2025

Lots of this lately and good to see - Mum or Dad Great Spotted Woodpecker cramming food into the juveniles ever-open beak.


Ref: 20250724_pk1_20250608_1406_961-964 great spotted woodpecker female feeding juvenile on kitchen perch (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jun 2021 at 09:02    Image of day on 29 Jul 2021

The female Great Spotted Woodpecker continues to supplement the youngster's rations with peanut fragments


Ref: 20210729_df3_20210622_0902_001+006+008 great spotted woodpecker female feeding juvenile peanut grit 1-3 of 7 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jun 2021 at 09:03    Image of day on 29 Jul 2021

The female Great Spotted Woodpecker continues to supplement the youngster's rations with peanut fragments


Ref: 20210729_df3_20210622_0903_027+030+033 great spotted woodpecker female feeding juvenile peanut grit 4-6 of 7 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 20 Jun 2021 at 09:42    Image of day on 25 Jul 2021

Mum Great Spotted Woodpecker likes to feed her youngster some peanut grits.


Ref: 20210725_d5c_20210620_0942_008-0943_028 great spotted woodpecker female feeding juvenile with peanut fragments 1-5 of 5 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 30 May 2011 at 07:47    Image of day on 04 Jul 2011

There are at least 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker youngsters being fed peanut fragments extracted from the feeder by a parent. This adult female (left) shows the more usual light stain above the beak.


Ref: 20110704_df1_20110530_0747_021 great spotted woodpecker female feeding peanut fragments to juvenile(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 03 Jun 2022 at 13:27    Image of day on 15 Jul 2022

More detail of Mum about to stuff the food into juniors open gape.


Ref: 20220715_e60_20220603_1327_075_fb3 great spotted woodpecker female feeds juvenile on perch (close crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 24 May 2014 at 13:06    Image of day on 03 Aug 2014

Probably a 'pair' of Great Spotted Woodpeckers from the lack of angst. Even this peanut feeder with smaller holes barely lasts a couple of days! Outside the study window a male and female fight over access to another peanut feeder - obviously one each from two families.


Ref: 20140803_e60_20140524_1306_091_fb3 great spotted woodpecker female flying to male by peanut feeder(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Nov 2015 at 13:02    Image of day on 23 Dec 2015

This female Great Spotted Woodpecker looks lovely and clean after her moult as she flies past the kitchen window.


Ref: 20151223_e60_20151102_1302_025_fb3 great spotted woodpecker female in flight (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 10 Dec 2019 at 15:21    Image of day on 11 Jan 2020

A female Great Spotted Woodpecker flies from the kitchen feeder/perch.


Ref: 20200111_e60_20191210_1521_019_fb3 great spotted woodpecker female in flight (id)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 05 Apr 2009 at 19:20    Image of day on 04 May 2009

There are a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers visiting various places around the house. Do hope they are breeding somewhere near.


Ref: 20090504_d50_20090405_1920_010 fb3 great spotted woodpecker female landing(r+mb id@576).jpg


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