Great Spotted Woodpecker (and Chaffinch)

We were drinking mugs of coffee this morning when this magnificent Great Spotted Woodpecker alighted on one of our coconut feeders. We see these birds occasionally, but usually through binoculars when they are high up in one of the trees on the edge of the local nature reserve. My thanks to David, who grabbed a camera and took the first four photographs.

 

The photo below shows the red nape of the male Woodpecker's neck, and the last photo is a record shot of our first 2021 Chaffinch, a species we seldom see in the garden.

 

I haven't checked my visitor stats for a long time, so thought I would post up the current chart. It's interesting how visitors from the UK and visitors from the US are pretty evenly matched. Thank you all for visiting my virtual corner of Suffolk, UK!

Seasonal Splash: Birds in Snowbound Home Patch

We awoke to another snowy day, with frozen spiders' webs ...

... and a coating of (what seems to be) rime on the trees.

The Blue tits were very active ...

... but preferred the branch to the fat balls.

The Robin stared in at me ...

... before a little preening became essential.

He carefully covered his face with his wing.

Spot the Blue tit in this double-decker!

A pair of Chaffinches flew in but didn't stay long ...

... and as I write, the Blue tits are the busiest birds on the block.

All the above photos were taken through double-glazing, so my apologies if they are not as sharp as we would like them to be!

Enjoy the birds in your home patch - and I'll end with a seasonal reminder from the RSPB . . .

Seasonal Splash: Constable Country

A few large raindrops started falling as we wandered around Flatford ...

... but these did not trouble the Mute Swan ...

... or the Canada Geese.

These rosehips provided a welcome splash of red ...

... and the willows were turning yellow and gold.

A tranquil Stour scene (this electric boat is rather different from the 'John Constable' Lighter!) ...

... and another tranquil scene. I love the way the reflection makes the bill a deeper orange!

The last of the House Martins were so busy stocking up on the many midges ...

... that this one nearly missed his photo opportunity!

Bridge Cottage, Flatford ... quintessential Constable Country ...

... Flatford Mill.

It is always a joy to see Long-tailed Tits ...

... and plump Chaffinches ...

... and Cormorants.

The rain passed over and we enjoyed some stunning autumn light.

Mallard: time for a swim?

... definitely not!

The beautiful blues of the female Mallard

I really look forward to coming here to the Wildlife Garden in butterfly season ...

Home Patch (21): This Morning's Visitors

The Chaffinch was chirping noisily from his branch ...

I don't know if he realised he had an audience!

On the subject of finches, you might enjoy Adam Tilt's Garden Bullfinch post here.

The Grey Squirrel was competing for his perch ...

... keeping an eye on the Chaffinch.

A Buff-tailed Bumblebee was busy in the Escallonia ...

... flitting from flower to flower in the gusty wind.

The Dunnock hasn't appeared today so far, but I'm still hoping he will ...

Home Patch (12): Avian Visitors Old and New

The Chaffinch seems to prefer this red Acer to the green trees ... for camouflage perhaps?

This somewhat Leucistic female Blackbird was back on her patch this evening.

At least I'm assuming it was the same one, but perhaps not. What do you think? The earlier photo is here. [P.S. Later: I now begin to think it may be a different bird without so much white]. 

The new visitors today were three Swifts, who flew over the garden a couple of times, bringing my Home Patch Bird Species total to 21.

• Blackbird

• Blue tit

• Carrion Crow

• Chaffinch  

• Collared Dove

• Cuckoo ... heard but not seen on 9 May 2012!  RED Conservation status

• Dunnock

• Goldfinch

• Great tit

• Greenfinch 

• Grey Heron ... who flew past without landing

• Herring Gull

• Jay

• Long-tailed tit

• Magpie

• Mallard ... these flew past without landing

• Robin

• Song Thrush

• Sparrowhawk ... my thanks to Adam Tilt for confirming my ID attempt.

• Swift ... three flew overhead today, without landing. AMBER Conservation status (do read this work by a YOUNG RSPB campaigner!). You might also care to read this from Wild Up North.

• Wood Pigeon

The Tree Year (3): More Winter Visitors at the Larch

Welcome to my third post for The Tree Year 

about the Larch I am watching. 

This tree is in Carmarthenshire, South Wales, UK.

This is the Larch. It is still early in the season, but there are small signs of new growth.

Our 'friend', the Great Spotted Woodpecker, put in another appearance ...

This one is a male (with red mark on back of neck - not visible here): I wonder if we will see a female one day ...

We were delighted to spot Long-tailed tits here for the first time this year.

Two Long-tailed tits and a Blue tit.

Blue tits - and a female Siskin (upside down).

Mr and Mrs Chaffinch arrived.

Note the fresh growth on the larch branch. I think this a second female Chaffinch ...

... and another male Chaffinch.

For those who may not know, the Larch is a deciduous conifer from the Pinaceae family. We usually think of conifers as evergreen, but this species loses its needle-like leaves each autumn. The tiny cones ripen approximately 8 months after pollination. There are Eurasian and North American species. Larch wood is waterproof and hard-wearing - and used in the boating industry. It is also used for the building of houses in Central Europe. Scottish cabers, used in the sport of 'Tossing the Caber', are made from Larch.

Is this a Warbler, perhaps a female Willow Warbler?

The 'usual suspects', the Starlings, arrived on cue.

The male Blackbird preferred rustling around below the tree.

A hungry Chaffinch,

a cute Blue Tit ...

... and a striped Great Tit enjoy the feast.

Share and share alike!

Mr and Mrs Greenfinch breeze in.

Still room for a little one!

I'm not sure about the identity of the bird on the right. Any ideas, please?

The tiny Treecreeper scuttled away up the trunk ...

... until we could hardly see him! Such is the power of camouflage.

Of all the birds listed, the Starling is the only one to have RED conservation status. I know there has been a huge decline in this species, but, strangely, these are the birds we most often see at home in the Swansea area of Wales, UK. There was no sign on this occasion of the Grey Squirrel or of the Nuthatch. We saw a flock of geese in the vicinity: I must check my husband's photos for these. The fresh green growth of new Larch should be more in evidence on our next visit. I wonder what other changes we will observe then!


Previous TTY Posts

• TTY Post 1: Introducing the Larch - January 2011
• TTY Post 2: Winter Visitors - January 2011 
• The Tree Year

• You can listen to a soundtrack of a Downy Woodpecker if you follow this link to TTY participant, Mike, at the Slugyard.