Now getting several visits a day from a group of 2 adult and 2 junior
greater spotted woodpeckers. The juniors are about the same size as
the adults, they just look a little fatter, and have almost the same
colouring.

They all land on a pergola from which a peanut feeder hangs. Then the
adults, which I think are a male and a female, take it in turns to
headbang for peanuts, fly back up to the top of the pergola and feed
one of the youngsters. I've noticed that each adult feeds a single
juvenile and there's no clamouring from the one not being fed, they
both wait patiently for the respective adult to feed them.

They've managed to slightly buckle the feeder but no serious damage
done (yet). If the rain stops and the glass clears in the windows I
might get a photo but they seem extremely alert to the slightest
movement so no chance of opening a window.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?

In article ,
lid says...

Now getting several visits a day from a group of 2 adult and 2 junior
greater spotted woodpeckers. The juniors are about the same size as
the adults, they just look a little fatter, and have almost the same
colouring.

They all land on a pergola from which a peanut feeder hangs. Then the
adults, which I think are a male and a female, take it in turns to
headbang for peanuts, fly back up to the top of the pergola and feed
one of the youngsters. I've noticed that each adult feeds a single
juvenile and there's no clamouring from the one not being fed, they
both wait patiently for the respective adult to feed them.

They've managed to slightly buckle the feeder but no serious damage
done (yet). If the rain stops and the glass clears in the windows I
might get a photo but they seem extremely alert to the slightest
movement so no chance of opening a window.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?

My woodpeckers usually do the same, but not see any youngsters yet up
here in the hills!

Ypu can tell male & female apart, as the male has a red blob on his
neck/head. Youngsters do not have the red bum's at first and tend to be
quite yellowish-white on front, but rapidly develop.

Never had any problem with feeder damage from them, but I watched a
squirrel this morning pick up a hanging seed feeder, turn it on it's
side and shake it to make the seed fall out! I managed to creep up
behind a bush and splat hime with my water pistol before her could eat
it though! Had a good laugh this morning when one of the little
blighters tried to climb the hanginh feeder pole that I smothered with
some old vaseline I found at the back of the garage cupboard, he got
half way up, then slowly slid back down twice before giving up!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

Had a good laugh this morning when one of the little
blighters tried to climb the hanginh feeder pole that I smothered with
some old vaseline I found at the back of the garage cupboard, he got
half way up, then slowly slid back down twice before giving up!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

Sliding - and woodpeckers. I've one of those inexpensive bird feeder
holders from Aldidls - a steel pole with arms type. Last year a young
woodpecker did just the same trying to get onto one of the feeders and
slid all the way down the pole clearly wondering what was going on and
how to get out of it - it ended up in a mess on the ground and
disappeared in a flurry of puzzled feathers.

Rob

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:55:49 +0100, Jake
wrote:

Now getting several visits a day from a group of 2 adult and 2 junior
greater spotted woodpeckers. The juniors are about the same size as
the adults, they just look a little fatter, and have almost the same
colouring.

We are lucky enough to have two species of woodpeckers, the very
handsome Green variety which only visits the front garden and the GSWs
which only visit the back. The Greens feed solely from the large
number of ant nests in the front lawn whereas the GSWs hammer away at
the peanut feeder and fat cake on the rear lawn feeder array.

The male GSW has a distinctive red patch on the back of its head,
juveniles have a noticeable red cap which fades as they get older
(unlike the Greens who keep their red cap) and the adult female has no
red markings on the head.

--
rbel

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 20:10:56 +0100, rbel wrote:

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:55:49 +0100, Jake
wrote:

Now getting several visits a day from a group of 2 adult and 2 junior
greater spotted woodpeckers. The juniors are about the same size as
the adults, they just look a little fatter, and have almost the same
colouring.

We are lucky enough to have two species of woodpeckers, the very
handsome Green variety which only visits the front garden and the GSWs
which only visit the back. The Greens feed solely from the large
number of ant nests in the front lawn whereas the GSWs hammer away at
the peanut feeder and fat cake on the rear lawn feeder array.

The male GSW has a distinctive red patch on the back of its head,
juveniles have a noticeable red cap which fades as they get older
(unlike the Greens who keep their red cap) and the adult female has no
red markings on the head.

That's what was mystifying me - both the adults have a noticeable red
head (as do both the juveniles). Maybe I've got a gay couple! Or two
related males who are leaving the females to their knitting while they
get on with the knocking?

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?

"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 20:10:56 +0100, rbel wrote:

On Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:55:49 +0100, Jake
wrote:

Now getting several visits a day from a group of 2 adult and 2 junior
greater spotted woodpeckers. The juniors are about the same size as
the adults, they just look a little fatter, and have almost the same
colouring.

We are lucky enough to have two species of woodpeckers, the very
handsome Green variety which only visits the front garden and the GSWs
which only visit the back. The Greens feed solely from the large
number of ant nests in the front lawn whereas the GSWs hammer away at
the peanut feeder and fat cake on the rear lawn feeder array.

The male GSW has a distinctive red patch on the back of its head,
juveniles have a noticeable red cap which fades as they get older
(unlike the Greens who keep their red cap) and the adult female has no
red markings on the head.

That's what was mystifying me - both the adults have a noticeable red
head (as do both the juveniles). Maybe I've got a gay couple! Or two
related males who are leaving the females to their knitting while they
get on with the knocking?

lol
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 16/06/2012 12:55, Jake wrote:
Now getting several visits a day from a group of 2 adult and 2 junior
greater spotted woodpeckers. The juniors are about the same size as
the adults, they just look a little fatter, and have almost the same
colouring.

They all land on a pergola from which a peanut feeder hangs. Then the
adults, which I think are a male and a female, take it in turns to
headbang for peanuts, fly back up to the top of the pergola and feed
one of the youngsters. I've noticed that each adult feeds a single
juvenile and there's no clamouring from the one not being fed, they
both wait patiently for the respective adult to feed them.

They've managed to slightly buckle the feeder but no serious damage
done (yet). If the rain stops and the glass clears in the windows I
might get a photo but they seem extremely alert to the slightest
movement so no chance of opening a window.

For such a hefty bird that scares everything else off the feeder they
are surprisingly nervous of any changes. They will eventually bend the
wire enough to get whole peanuts out and consumption will rocket.

Clean the window carefully and set the camera up in advance with a black
cloth wrapped around it to avoid major reflections.

The rarer lesser spotted woodpecker is even more fun. Think sparrow in
the same colour scheme and livery as the big one.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Jake" wrote
[...]
The male GSW has a distinctive red patch on the back of its head,
juveniles have a noticeable red cap which fades as they get older
(unlike the Greens who keep their red cap) and the adult female has no
red markings on the head.

That's what was mystifying me - both the adults have a noticeable red
head (as do both the juveniles). Maybe I've got a gay couple! Or two
related males who are leaving the females to their knitting while they
get on with the knocking?

Nooo, not knitting... they do tapestry.

--
Sue