Woodpeckers

[Megan le Fey]

We seem to have either 2 woodpeckers who are very, very hungry or lots and lots who snack on the boules de graisse which we hang on a bush in the garden.  There does not seem to be a time during the day when there is not a woodpecker (greater spotted I think) hanging on the fatballs and sometimes seeing off the smaller birds but I have never seen more than 2 woodpeckers at a time. They do fly away but 10 minutes later either they are back or another different one arrives.  Do they normally feed from stuff which we put out in our gardens?  I had always thought that they only ate bugs from under the bark of tree trunks.  Since they arrived a couple of weeks ago our fatball consumption has doubled, however, I must add that I am more than happy to supply them - I love to see them there[:D] but I do wonder if having the fatballs there is interfering with their proper diet.  Are they feeding on the fatballs because it is easy and perhaps not trying to find something more appropriate?

[cooperlola]

Your experience reflects mine, Megan.  The spotty woodpeckers love fatballs. 

[Bugsy]

Well given the choice between bang my head on a tree, in this weather, or hanging on a fat ball, I know which I would prefer.

They are beautiful birds close up, aren't they.

Gary.

[water rat]

Birds get desperate this time of year and will eat whatever is available. The wood peckers can't get grubs from trees because there are none or they'll be too deep hibernating. I'don't know if you've seen green woodpeckers ,but they mainly eat from the ground ,ants nest ,termites and the like. It's a bit of a stereotype ,woodpeckers banging on trees.

W Rat

[Bugsy]

Its not just the birds, of course, I can't remember our donkeys water trough being completely frozen before.

The rabbits and guinea pigs water bottles are freezing solid overnight despite being under the patio and covered with an old sleeping bag.

We are having to put water buckets out for all the animals at least three times a day.

I dread to think how thick the ice is on the swimming pool, but thats a problem for the spring.

Water Rat: My comment about head banging was a joke BTW...[:)]

[chris pp]

Green woodpeckers eat from the ground getting grubs, ants, ants eggs etc from the soil.

Greater spotted, Middle spotted and Lesser spotted woodpeckers usually eat by getting grubs, eggs and larvae from under dead bark on trees but all three love suet, therefore fat balls. The old trick was to get some suet and squeeze it into a fissure in a tree trunk - try it and see.

Chris

[Megan le Fey]

Hi everyone,

I am still in love with my woodpeckers and and yes, they really are beautiful,  I wish I had one of those really posh cameras that take great close-ups.  I am still not sure if I have just two or lots of them - there is almost always at least one, at any time, and never more than two at once.  I never thought of wild birds having personalities but whilst the one(s) with the slightly muddy looking breast is well behaved and tolerant of the other birds the one(s) with the nice creamy coloured breast are constantly seeing off all the little ones and won't stand for them being anywhere near them - a bit mean of it 'cause I always have 8 - 10 fatballs out there.  I am going to speak to the butcher about some suet,[:D] some for the birds and maybe some for us for a really cholesterol laden steak & kidney pud.

I have only seen one green woodpecker in the garden here and as you all say, it was pecking away on the ground

We have had what I believe to be a hawfinch on the paved area where I chuck out mixed seed fortified with extra sunflower seed.  I don't recall ever seeing one before but then I am more of a sit and watcher than a looker up-er, though this is quite an impressive bird, bigger than any of the usual finches we normally have around and very pushy - I always love it when I see a bird that I haven't seen before.

[splishsplash]

Can anyone (Chris?) tell me the difference between these woodpeckers.

We have three regular visitors to the tree behind our house. I thought they were all lesser spotted but... They are all black & white, not too big & all three are red underneath. However, one has an all black back to the head, one has all red & the other has a small amount of red to the back of the head & the rest is black.

I thought that the all black was female, the mostly red was male, but what's the other one?

[ventodue]

[quote user="splishsplash"]Can anyone (Chris?) tell me the difference between these woodpeckers.
We have three regular visitors to the tree behind our house. I thought they were all lesser spotted but... They are all black & white, not too big & all three are red underneath.[/quote]

Not Lesser Spotted, then.  Lesser Spottted is also very small, btw - about the same size, altho' not shape, as a House Sparrow.  They are also pretty inconspicuous and have fairly particular habitat preferences, typically old orchards and river valleys, especially with Alders.

[quote user="splishsplash"]However, one has an all black back to the head,[/quote]

Not Middle Spotted then, which has red head, both male and female.  Also, altho' larger than Lesser and therefore nearer the size of Greater Spotted, Middle always looks smaller than Greater.  Middle favours mature oak woods, most often high up towards the canopy.

[quote user="splishsplash"] ...one has all red & the other has a small amount of red to the back of the head & the rest is black.  I thought that the all black was female, the mostly red was male, but what's the other one?[/quote]

Which leaves us with Greater Spotted, in which:

Black head  = female

Black with red nape = male

Red head = juvenile (male/female)

Plus, Greater Spots are the least 'habitat-specific', and are the most likely of all 3 species to come to garden feeders.

HTH

Craig

[splishsplash]

Thanks Craig

So we can assume that we have three Greater Spotted woodpeckers, one male, one female & one juvenile.

Do you know at what age the juvenile's head turns from all red to red nape only?

Also, the juvenile I assume would be last Spring/Summer's hatching?

[ventodue]

[quote user="splishsplash"]<snip>
Do you know at what age the juvenile's head turns from all red to red nape only?
Also, the juvenile I assume would be last Spring/Summer's hatching?
[/quote]

'Yes' to the second question and ... "Ah, that's a good one' to the first [:)]

Don't know for sure how long woodies take to grow up; however, the general rule is the bigger and/or long-lived the animal/bird the longer they take to mature - and thereby (in the case of birds) acquire full adult plumage.  A Golden Eagle, for example, will still be wearing kiddie's clothes until he/she is 5 or more and, likewise, some of the larger gulls can take up to 4 years before acquiring full adult plumage.

That said, I expect your woodpecker will probably be in adult plumage later this year, albeit possibly a drabber set than the older birds.

 However, I'm sure a woodpecker expert will correct me if I've given you the wrong info, tho'!

Cheers

Craig

[splishsplash]

Many thanks

I'll keep checking on him.

Complicated birds aren't they!