woodpeckers

[denn]

i was just wondering, has any wab. member ever photographed the three species of british woodpecker on the same trip, and if so at which location,denn.

[Pete Collins]

I've not yet managed to photo any woodpecker (I've only just started taking bird photos), but I did once see all three species in the woods and parkland around Holkham Hall, Norfolk. That's the only time I've seen a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. I also saw Tree Creeper, Nuthatch and Brambling on the same visit. I didn't see any woodpeckers there at all when I was there the weekend before last, but I did talk to someone who was looking for a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that had been reported there again.

[Bucknallbear]

Originally Posted by denn

i was just wondering, has any wab. member ever photographed the three species of british woodpecker on the same trip, and if so at which location,denn.

That's going to be harder and harder as the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is in all sorts of trouble:

BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

We get Great Spotted every day in the garden - even had a mother picking nuts out of the feeder and feeding her young last summer - and Green a few times a week. I have seen a Lesser Spotted only once in my life!

Note the comment in the BTO link that the lessers is now SO rare that it is hard to monitor.

Peter

[galanthus]

I've been birding for 15 yrs ish and still haven't managed to get a glimpse of a lesser spotted yet let alone get a pic of one

[VinceS]

Last year I saw all three species in one morning at Moore Nature reserve. Up till then I had never seen a lesser spotted, that morning I saw male & female lesser spotted, male Great spotted and a green flew over my head. Excellent morning but no camera with me!

vince

[ron1863]

I have only ever managed to spot one woodpecker - a short glimpse of a Greater Spotted one and I live next to a large forest.
I know they are there as I constantly hear them but as for spotting them - no joy.

[denn]

well theres the challenge for us all, tough one i know but lets see, vinces thats my local patch at moore nr,seen the gsw, heard the lesser and the green but not yet caught site of the latter two, will be there weekend again to see if that changes,denn

[dunlin]

Hi all
I have never seen lesser spotted and i have been bird watching for 37yrs. I see greater spotted quite regularly and greens quite often but not as regularly as gsp
I once watched a green woodpecker fly into a large birch tree,and it seemed to disappear. After searching for about half an hour i managed to locate it again. The only problem was it kept peeping from the back of the tree and as i moved round to get a better view it kept moving round as well.
I have had good views of greens when the bird hasn't noticed me

.....cheers mark n.......

[Dae]

I've not been birdwatching in the UK for very long, but so far have seen both green and gsw just outside our home here in Wales. We even get the gsw at our suet feeder every now and again. We've the Sirhowy trail just off our doorstep so we frequently get to see both the gsw and the green woodpeckers in good abundance. As for the lsw, I have not seen this bird, nor have heard it. I hope to someday though

For photos, I've only got a distant photo of a juvie green woodpecker, and a good shot through double glazing of a gsw at our front garden tree.

Juvenile Green Woodpecker


GSW

[Bucknallbear]

unless I am mistaken there are only 5 photos of LSWs in the Gallery and 4 of those are of the same bird at the same site. The BTO link says that the massive decline is due to predation by GSWs and loss of habitat (rotten trees) but surely if GSWs predate them they always will of done. I see it is even red listed here now so it's going to be a hard task. In fact photographing it at all would be good!

Peter