Woodpeckers

Bijdezee

This morning I saw two lesser woodpeckers on the tree at the edge of our garden. I assume it's a breeding pair as I know they're territorial and they weren't fighting or scaring each other off.

Good to see them though as the council have removed a load of trees in the area and chopped of half of the taller branches on others where I used to see and here them 'drilling'. 

Fire

Out of interest, are lesser spotted woodpeckers called that because they are spotted by people less often, or because they have fewer spots or because it is the smaller of the two?

I see that are in the genus Dryobates 'wood walker' -  from the Greek druos meaning woodland and batēs meaning walker.

Bijdezee

@philippasmith2.  No birdwatch because I'm in Belgium. Where I live it's the same climate as in Norfolk etc, we're just across the water. 

bertrand-mabel

You are very lucky to see them and so close.

They are called lesser as they are much smaller than the greater ones and much less common in the UK.

We have the greater ones that come to our feeder. We have 2 females and 1 male. The male announces his arrival by druming on the post that holds our weather vane.

Brilliant to see them every year.

fidgetbones

I've not seen our woodpeckers since the morons cut all the trees down next door.

Uncle Mort

A lesser spotted woodpecker frequents the fat ball feeder hanging outside my living room window. I feel quite privileged  as I live in inner city Birmingham, although admittedly about 400 yards from a park with an old cemetery with mature trees next door.

Braidman

We have them in oak trees in our allotments, hear them more often than actually see them.

An odd time when I have been there they land for some reason on the telegraph pole and go round and round it even though it  is covered in tar!

One of the plot holders has bee hives which they keep attacking, which makes him not a happy chappy!

mrsteveearsom

Woodpeckers play an important role in the ecosystem. They prepare the nest cavities that other birds use to increase the bird population. The nesting cavities they make are a gift to my other beautiful birds. 

Redwing

Lesser Spots are quite rare now; not sure of their status in Belgium but having two in your garden is amazing.  I note this thread as actually quite old.