A female Great Spotted Woodpecker explores the stump of a dead tree by Alan Tremethick

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.

Well-recorded again, there were reports from about 50 locations, and breeding or the presence of territorial birds was also well-represented. Perhaps predictably the majority of reports came from the well-wooded areas in Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley, but once again there were garden records from the suburbs, predominantly in the south of the recording area.

Mid-January is now the time to expect birds advertising themselves by drumming, and the year’s first such record was in Shipley Glen on the 13th, followed by many further such reports in the four months which followed. Whilst not all this territorial behaviour resulted in proven breeding activity, it was positively established by the discovery of nest-sites and/or presence of juveniles at Folly Hall Wood, Oxenhope, Lindley Wood, Hirst Wood, St. Ives, Glovershaw, Middleton Woods, Otley Wetland, Ogden Reservoir, Dob Park, Shipley Glen, Nell Bank and a private woodland. Young birds visiting a garden feeder in Menston was an indication that they had been raised nearby, as, presumably, had a juvenile which visited Stockbridge Nature Reserve with its parent in June, when the adult provided the interesting spectacle of breaking a nut (taken from the feeder) in a purpose-made groove in the side of a tree before feeding it to the youngster.

The largest aggregations numbering six adult birds came from St. Ives, Shipley Glen, and the private woodland, and there were other garden records from Bingley, Low Moor, Baildon, Oakworth, Ben Rhydding, Keighley and Riddlesden, all succumbing to the lure of nut-feeders. What were almost certainly relocating birds were seen on four occasions in September and October flying over the migration watchpoints of Paul Clough and Denholme Clough.

Always a popular and well-recorded bird, this year’s 285 records covered 63 locations (about 25% more than last year), but, surprisingly, breeding information was lower than in 2006.

Territorial drumming was first heard, fairly typically, on 25th January, and on many more occasions up to early June, and, unusually, as late as 25th September near Barden. Up to six birds were often seen or heard, and the year’s best count was seven in Middleton Woods on 21st February. However, despite these encouraging figures, breeding was proved at only eight definite sites, compared with thirteen in 2006, and nine pairs raised at least 30 young at nests at Swinsty Moor, Strid Wood, Coney Warren, Middleton Woods, Dob Park, Ellis Wood, Marley and Chellow Dean. Juveniles seen very frequently at a Baildon garden feeder indicated breeding in this area as well.

Birds didn’t start to appear in gardens until mid-April, frequenting two at Baildon and another at Ben Rhydding regularly, and less so at others elsewhere in Baildon, Oakworth, Riddlesden, Burley and Haworth. A much more unlikely spot for the species was at Whetstone Gate, where a bird was seen on 3rd October. Visible migration watches in the south notched up a total of 11 relocating birds.

Evident at many woodland locations across the area, and several suburban areas, with up to five adults seen at a number of sites. At least seven pairs were observed at widespread locations, and young were seen at all of those.