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Peter Crosland 04-10-2003 05:32 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
All through the winter and into mid-summer I have the pleasure of seeing
several greater spotted woodpeckers visiting my nut feeders each day. About
the end of July the adults and their youngsters disappear. Yesterday I the
first one I have seen for two months appeared. A friend who lives about
twenty miles away has noted the same phenomena year after year. We both live
in Somerset in areas with mature woods and old orchards. Is this some sort
of short distance migration or has anybody got another explanation?





Colin Spooner 04-10-2003 09:32 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
I live in Uxbridge,Middlesex,and yesterday saw my first Great spotted
woodpecker on the peanuts for months.
I cannot offer any explanation,but good to see the return.
"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
...
All through the winter and into mid-summer I have the pleasure of seeing
several greater spotted woodpeckers visiting my nut feeders each day.

About
the end of July the adults and their youngsters disappear. Yesterday I the
first one I have seen for two months appeared. A friend who lives about
twenty miles away has noted the same phenomena year after year. We both

live
in Somerset in areas with mature woods and old orchards. Is this some sort
of short distance migration or has anybody got another explanation?







Malcolm Ogilvie 05-10-2003 08:25 AM

Woodpeckers?
 

In article , Peter Crosland
writes
All through the winter and into mid-summer I have the pleasure of seeing
several greater spotted woodpeckers visiting my nut feeders each day. About
the end of July the adults and their youngsters disappear. Yesterday I the
first one I have seen for two months appeared. A friend who lives about
twenty miles away has noted the same phenomena year after year. We both live
in Somerset in areas with mature woods and old orchards. Is this some sort
of short distance migration or has anybody got another explanation?

It is quite normal behaviour, and not just for woodpeckers. The birds
have moved out into nearby woodland to take advantage of the usual
summer abundance of natural foods, and haven't needed to visit your
feeders. Great Spots are largely insectivorous in summer but take
increasing amounts of tree seeds especially from pine cones as they
become available in the summer and autumn. They sometimes feed on the
cones while they are green.

--
Malcolm Ogilvie

Jane Ransom 05-10-2003 10:02 AM

Woodpeckers?
 
In article , Peter Crosland
writes
All through the winter and into mid-summer I have the pleasure of seeing
several greater spotted woodpeckers visiting my nut feeders each day. About
the end of July the adults and their youngsters disappear. Yesterday I the
first one I have seen for two months appeared. A friend who lives about
twenty miles away has noted the same phenomena year after year. We both live
in Somerset in areas with mature woods and old orchards. Is this some sort
of short distance migration or has anybody got another explanation?

I think it may have something to do with moulting. Some birds go off to
find a nice safe place to moult so this could be why the birds disappear
for a time.
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see



K 05-10-2003 11:42 AM

Woodpeckers?
 

"Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
...
:
: In article , Peter Crosland
: writes
: All through the winter and into mid-summer I have the pleasure of seeing
: several greater spotted woodpeckers visiting my nut feeders each day.
About
: the end of July the adults and their youngsters disappear. Yesterday I
the
: first one I have seen for two months appeared. A friend who lives about
: twenty miles away has noted the same phenomena year after year. We both
live
: in Somerset in areas with mature woods and old orchards. Is this some
sort
: of short distance migration or has anybody got another explanation?
:
: It is quite normal behaviour, and not just for woodpeckers. The birds
: have moved out into nearby woodland to take advantage of the usual
: summer abundance of natural foods, and haven't needed to visit your
: feeders. Great Spots are largely insectivorous in summer but take
: increasing amounts of tree seeds especially from pine cones as they
: become available in the summer and autumn. They sometimes feed on the
: cones while they are green.
:
: --
: Malcolm Ogilvie

There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then disappeared,
so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last week.
It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.

K



Peter Crosland 05-10-2003 12:12 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
It is quite normal behaviour, and not just for woodpeckers. The birds
have moved out into nearby woodland to take advantage of the usual
summer abundance of natural foods, and haven't needed to visit your
feeders. Great Spots are largely insectivorous in summer but take
increasing amounts of tree seeds especially from pine cones as they
become available in the summer and autumn. They sometimes feed on the
cones while they are green.


Thanks for that Malcolm.



Malcolm Ogilvie 05-10-2003 01:32 PM

Woodpeckers?
 

In article , K
writes

"Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
...
:
: In article , Peter Crosland
: writes
: All through the winter and into mid-summer I have the pleasure of seeing
: several greater spotted woodpeckers visiting my nut feeders each day.
About
: the end of July the adults and their youngsters disappear. Yesterday I
the
: first one I have seen for two months appeared. A friend who lives about
: twenty miles away has noted the same phenomena year after year. We both
live
: in Somerset in areas with mature woods and old orchards. Is this some
sort
: of short distance migration or has anybody got another explanation?
:
: It is quite normal behaviour, and not just for woodpeckers. The birds
: have moved out into nearby woodland to take advantage of the usual
: summer abundance of natural foods, and haven't needed to visit your
: feeders. Great Spots are largely insectivorous in summer but take
: increasing amounts of tree seeds especially from pine cones as they
: become available in the summer and autumn. They sometimes feed on the
: cones while they are green.

There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then disappeared,
so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last week.
It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.

Ah, but it isn't, or only indirectly. Woodpeckers roost in holes in the
wintertime and need to excavate some extra ones when there aren't enough
natural or existing nest holes to go round. Some autumn-bored holes may
be used as nest holes the following summer but many will only be used in
winter.

--
Malcolm Ogilvie

Jaques d'Altrades 05-10-2003 04:02 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
The message
from "K" contains these words:

There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then disappeared,
so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last week.
It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.


I guess someone couldn't get a mortgage and the chain was broken.......

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Janet Baraclough 05-10-2003 08:02 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
The message
from Jaques d'Altrades contains these words:

The message
from "K" contains these words:


There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then
disappeared,
so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last week.
It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.


I guess someone couldn't get a mortgage and the chain was broken.......


Nah. Seen smashing an entry, irregular lifestyle, feckless
parenting... drug-crazed squatters.

Janet

Peter Crosland 05-10-2003 08:32 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
I guess someone couldn't get a mortgage and the chain was broken.......

Nah. Seen smashing an entry, irregular lifestyle, feckless
parenting... drug-crazed squatters.


Nice one Janet! ROTFLOLPMP


--




K 05-10-2003 09:22 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:168957


: In article , K
: writes
:
: "Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
: ...
: :
: There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
: has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then
disappeared,
: so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last
week.
: It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.
:
: Ah, but it isn't, or only indirectly. Woodpeckers roost in holes in the
: wintertime and need to excavate some extra ones when there aren't enough
: natural or existing nest holes to go round. Some autumn-bored holes may
: be used as nest holes the following summer but many will only be used in
: winter.
:
: --
: Malcolm Ogilvie

I'm in SW London where we have 3500 or so ring necked parakeets and it is
thought that they take over to the nesting holes of other birds, so perhaps
this could be another reason for it happening. We are now regularly getting
up to 6 RNPs on our bird feeders.

K



Malcolm Ogilvie 06-10-2003 08:12 AM

Woodpeckers?
 

In article , K
writes

: In article , K
: writes
:
: "Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
: ...
: :
: There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
: has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then
disappeared,
: so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last
week.
: It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.
:
: Ah, but it isn't, or only indirectly. Woodpeckers roost in holes in the
: wintertime and need to excavate some extra ones when there aren't enough
: natural or existing nest holes to go round. Some autumn-bored holes may
: be used as nest holes the following summer but many will only be used in
: winter.

I'm in SW London where we have 3500 or so ring necked parakeets and it is
thought that they take over to the nesting holes of other birds, so perhaps
this could be another reason for it happening. We are now regularly getting
up to 6 RNPs on our bird feeders.

They certainly are competing for nesting holes and, unlike the
woodpeckers, can't make their own.

--
Malcolm Ogilvie

Malcolm Ogilvie 06-10-2003 08:43 AM

Woodpeckers?
 

In article , Malcolm Ogilvie
writes

In article , K
writes

: In article , K
: writes
:
: "Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
: ...
: :
: There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great Spot
: has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then
disappeared,
: so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last
week.
: It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.
:
: Ah, but it isn't, or only indirectly. Woodpeckers roost in holes in the
: wintertime and need to excavate some extra ones when there aren't enough
: natural or existing nest holes to go round. Some autumn-bored holes may
: be used as nest holes the following summer but many will only be used in
: winter.

I'm in SW London where we have 3500 or so ring necked parakeets and it is
thought that they take over to the nesting holes of other birds, so perhaps
this could be another reason for it happening. We are now regularly getting
up to 6 RNPs on our bird feeders.

They certainly are competing for nesting holes and, unlike the
woodpeckers, can't make their own.

Quick follow up to my own post as it got away from me before I had
finished!

They can and do enlarge existing holes, but don't seem to excavate their
own from scratch.

--
Malcolm Ogilvie

K 06-10-2003 11:24 AM

Woodpeckers?
 
Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:169058


"Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
...
:
: In article , Malcolm Ogilvie
: writes
:
: In article , K
: writes
:
: : In article , K
: : writes
: :
: : "Malcolm Ogilvie" wrote in message
: : ...
: : :
: : There's a dead tree in the road almost opposite my house and a Great
Spot
: : has been making a hole. It was there for about 6 days and then
: disappeared,
: : so we thought it had abandoned it but it was seen again one day last
: week.
: : It seems a topsy turvy time for nest building.
: :
: : Ah, but it isn't, or only indirectly. Woodpeckers roost in holes in
the
: : wintertime and need to excavate some extra ones when there aren't
enough
: : natural or existing nest holes to go round. Some autumn-bored holes
may
: : be used as nest holes the following summer but many will only be used
in
: : winter.
:
: I'm in SW London where we have 3500 or so ring necked parakeets and it
is
: thought that they take over to the nesting holes of other birds, so
perhaps
: this could be another reason for it happening. We are now regularly
getting
: up to 6 RNPs on our bird feeders.
:
: They certainly are competing for nesting holes and, unlike the
: woodpeckers, can't make their own.
:
: Quick follow up to my own post as it got away from me before I had
: finished!
:
: They can and do enlarge existing holes, but don't seem to excavate their
: own from scratch.
:
: --
: Malcolm Ogilvie

I gather they have been taking over owl nests and are becoming a problem in
that respect.

K



Jaques d'Altrades 06-10-2003 04:02 PM

Woodpeckers?
 
The message
from Malcolm Ogilvie contains these words:

I'm in SW London where we have 3500 or so ring necked parakeets and it is
thought that they take over to the nesting holes of other birds, so perhaps
this could be another reason for it happening. We are now regularly
getting
up to 6 RNPs on our bird feeders.

They certainly are competing for nesting holes and, unlike the
woodpeckers, can't make their own.


Not even curved holes?

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm


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