Green
Woodpecker |
Great
Spotted Woodpecker |
Lesser
Spotted Woodpecker |
GREEN
WOODPECKER
Picus viridis
Fairly common resident breeder.
About 70 records came from a widespread range of locations, including moorland fringes as well as woodland, and this year over 50% of these came from the south of the recording area.
No more than two birds were seen at any one time, and, as is often the case, birds were heard as much as seen. The only indications of breeding success came away from the well-wooded areas to the north, when immature birds were seen in late summer at Doe Park Reservoir, Thornton Moor Reservoir and Paul Clough.
GREAT
SPOTTED WOODPECKER
Dendrocopus major
Common resident breeder.
This most vocal and visible of our local woodpeckers was again well-recorded, and it was particularly pleasing to have many reports of breeding activity. Whilst most records came, as expected, from woodland and its fringes, birds were also seen in suburbs, and there were garden records from Oakworth, Baildon, where one was using a bird-table, and Silsden, where a bird tried to invade a Blue Tit nest-box to predate the young. Aside from family parties, the most birds seen at any location were five at St. Ives.
Pre-breeding activity started as early as 15th January, when three birds could be heard drumming at St. Ives, and there were many further reports from there, including a bird enhancing its territorial claims by drumming on metal. Drumming was also heard at Burley, Norwood Edge and Strid Wood.
The latter location
was one of many where successful breeding was noted and there were
also reports of young being fed, or subsequently on the wing, from
Shipley Glen, St. Ives, Hirst Wood, Beecroft Moor Plantation, Harden
Park, Low Wood, Cottingley, the Oxenhope area, Dob Park, Nell Bank,
and a private site.
LESSER SPOTTED
WOODPECKER
Dendrocopus minor
Uncommon resident breeder.
Unlike the previous species, this one is rather retiring and unobtrusive, and is easily overlooked after the early months, when they are calling or drumming. That there were no more than twelve records, about average, probably reflects this as much as the extent of the bird’s distribution in the area.
As expected, most of the reports came from the period up to May, with the first a bird in Strid Wood on 1st February (JLT), followed by another in Folly Hall Wood five days later (RS), and a female in Shipley Glen on 8th (PK). There were three April sightings, all of singles: in Dob Park on 8th (RHP), Barden on 19th (JLT), and in a private wood on 10th, where a male was seen in suitable breeding habitat (JF, GT).
Of the five remaining reports, three came from Stockbridge Nature Reserve, where there were sightings on 5th June, 24th July and 27th August (SR), one from Knotford Nook on 19th May (ES), and finally from Otley Wetland on 3rd October (AJ).
There were no breeding records.