Promoted
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Not unusually, we've not seen much evidence of any Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the garden since I saw a parent and one juvenile a few months ago, so to see these two young males in the garden today was a perfect lift on an otherwise wet & miserable day.
Seeing two together is a rare treat!
Hopefully we'll now see them regularly over the next few months
For some interesting info on these birds, watch this video and read the accompanying text:
The great spotted woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recolonisation of Ireland in the first decade of the 21st century.. more
