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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 12 Jun 2015 at 08:12    Image of day on 14 Aug 2015

Once mother had gone the juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker decided to try it's hand at eating a frond from the Pampas grass. Once it had managed to pull off a lump it didn't know what to do next, and eventually dropped the fragment. The specks above the bird are midges flittering around above the bird.


Ref: 20150814_df2_20150612_0812_109+110+142 great spotted woodpecker juvenile on pampas grass head pulling off fibres (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Aug 2021 at 10:12    Image of day on 16 Sep 2021

... this peanut feeder, where it currently appears every day. Here caught in two of the many positions used to gain access to those inconveniently imprisoned peanuts.


Ref: 20210916_d5c_20210805_1012_011+1024_026 great spotted woodpecker juvenile on peanut feeder (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2021 at 09:20    Image of day on 19 Jul 2021

At least one juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker has made it to a degree of independence. This one was exploring the post, flat surface and Peanut feeder outside the study window. Over a couple of minutes we got all of these moments - just enjoy the young woodpecker possibly first solo exploration of this construct where one of the parents has been there to feed the youngster on previous visits.


Ref: 20210719_df3_20210614_0920_005-0921_019 great spotted woodpecker juvenile on study window feeder pick of 13 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Jul 2021 at 06:11    Image of day on 16 Aug 2021

This juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker looks small - perhaps a youngster from a later brood.


Ref: 20210816_e60_20210711_0611_127_fb3 great spotted woodpecker juvenile on tip of perch(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2010 at 18:13    Image of day on 27 Jul 2010

The two juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker seem to be doing fine, feeding themselves at the peanut feeders and also being fed by the parents. Here a juvenile is waiting on a vertical post complete with a chance insect.


Ref: 20100727_dc1_20100614_1813_035 great spotted woodpecker juvenile on vertical raptor post with chance flying insect(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2010 at 18:20    Image of day on 27 Jul 2010

Next it tries out his beak and strengthening muscles by trying to demolish the post. It wasn't doing badly - the odd bit of wood went flying.


Ref: 20100727_dc1_20100614_1820_097 great spotted woodpecker juvenile pecking top of raptor post (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jun 2019 at 05:15    Image of day on 19 Jul 2019

A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker waits hopefully for a feed.


Ref: 20190719_df5_20190607_0515_025 great spotted woodpecker juvenile perched on top of gate post(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2010 at 18:10    Image of day on 27 Jul 2010

It stops for a brief preen.


Ref: 20100727_dc1_20100614_1810_010 great spotted woodpecker juvenile preening on vertical raptor post(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Jun 2019 at 06:11    Image of day on 18 Jul 2019

There are at least 3 juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers (with red over the top of the head) being fed by the adults at our peanut feeding stations.
As we watched this encounter seemed almost unreal - the juvenile spent several seconds slowly revolving around the perch to the underside. Dad (red nape) then gave it a feed.


Ref: 20190718_df3_20190605_0611_050+065+066+069 great spotted woodpecker juvenile swings under perch as male attempts to feed it 03+06+07+10 of 13 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 29 Aug 2011 at 17:40    Image of day on 19 Oct 2011

We collect pine cones fallen on the grass paths, and move them to the photo sites. Here a Great spotted woodpecker 'just' juvenile (only a few red feathers left on top of her head) has picked one up and will fly off with it ...


Ref: 20111019_d45_20110829_1740_008_fb1 great spotted woodpecker juvenile taking away pine cone (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2011 at 15:12    Image of day on 25 Sep 2011

Ref: 20110925_df1_20110809_1512_179-180 great spotted woodpecker juvenile taking hazelnut to post to hammer open 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Jun 2019 at 12:21    Image of day on 21 Jul 2019

Mother Great Spotted Woodpecker seems to be offering to feed the inverted youngster, but the youngster 'lets go' and within 15cm of so of the fall is already mostly turned over for normal flight. Such agility.


Ref: 20190721_df5_20190608_1221_029+031 great spotted woodpecker juvenile under perch drops away 1+3 of 3 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Jun 2019 at 06:11    Image of day on 18 Jul 2019

Once there Dad gave him the food, and the juvenile just let go and dropped down to grab the wooden post below the camera frame.


Ref: 20190718_df3_20190605_0611_070-072 great spotted woodpecker juvenile under perch drops down after male feeds it 11-13 of 13 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 13 Jun 2019 at 10:11    Image of day on 21 Jul 2019

This juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker sits in the rain awaiting the next beakful of 'squishy things', or maybe even more peanuts.


Ref: 20190721_e60_20190613_1011_010_fb3 great spotted woodpecker juvenile waiting in rain(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Aug 2013 at 17:58    Image of day on 30 Sep 2013

Is this juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker watching the wasp?
Is the bird planning to try and catch it?
We wish we knew!


Ref: 20130930_d36_20130808_1758_015_fb4 great spotted woodpecker juvenile watching (q) wasp in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jul 2019 at 06:43    Image of day on 02 Sep 2019

Manipulating hard items is difficult for birds with just the beak for a tool. Some items can be held in the claws to be pecked at, but a favourite scheme is to wedge items into a crack of a post or bark, and then hammer away. Here this juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker already knows the technique - grab a peanut, wedge in the post, hammer away and eat the bits that come off until it is small enough to eat the remainder.


Ref: 20190902_e65_20190714_0643_004-xxx great spotted woodpecker juvenile wedges peanut in crevice to eat it 1+5+6 of (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2011 at 14:23    Image of day on 25 Sep 2011

This is probably the same Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker using a long abandoned decrepit telephone pole to wedge Hazel nuts and hammer away at them to get at the kernel. Enjoy these moments ...


Ref: 20110925_df1_20110809_1423_124 great spotted woodpecker juvenile with hazelnut in beak (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jun 2020 at 10:48    Image of day on 07 Jul 2020

Mum, Dad and at least one juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers have returned after a few weeks absence. Here is a juvenile (the red top of head is clearer at the camera resolution) here 'tonguing' an old screw hole in the hunt for insects.


Ref: 20200707_df1_20200603_1048_011 great spotted woodpecker juvenile with tongue in old screw-hole(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jun 2021 at 18:19    Image of day on 29 Jul 2021

Here are two juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers - what is going on we can only guess. We often see juvenile Woodpeckers mistakenly begging from each other!


Ref: 20210729_e60_20210625_1819_046_fb3 2 great spotted woodpecker juveniles one under perch & other landing(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2010 at 06:16    Image of day on 08 Aug 2010

Single frame of some sort of Great Spotted woodpecker family squabble


Ref: 20100808_d3b_20100626_0616_037_fb3 2 great spotted woodpecker juveniles squabbling & adult female (left) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

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