Greater Spotted Woodpeckers feeding their chicks

Check out this video of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers feeding their chicks in our woodland! We had heard the woodpecker hollowing out a nest in this tree some weeks ago, but hadn't seen where it was. This weekend I was in the woods preparing logs for next winter, when I heard the chicks, from about 40m away as they were making so much noise as they were being fed! You'll be able to hear them in the video. Photos follow after the video...

Here's a woodpecker approaching the nest:

And here's one of them peeking out of the nest to check it's safe to leave:

Here's a close-up of the nest hole, taken with flash to illuminate some of the interior. It's on the underside of a branch and then turns a corner, so you can't see the chicks. Apparently woodpeckers normally drill sideways into a trunk and then downwards, but I guess this pair fancied a change!

Here's the logs I was processing for the woodburner ready for next winter:

I went home with a nice trailer load!

Mike

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More signs of Spring

I'm in Cornwall right now, for work, but I happen to have an internet connection and some pictures I took at the woods on Sunday of the new evidence of Spring coming in the woods...

The first picture isn't about Spring though, it's about repairing the track. We've done a bit of repair over the past few months, but we were pleased to turn up on Sunday and find that one of the other owners has joined in as well, bringing up some crushed hardcore to fill the holes in:
Anyway, once we got up to the woods we had lunch, during which we heard a noisy bird up in the top of an oak tree. It was hard to get a picture but I managed a tolerable one - a Greater Spotted Woodpecker:
We knew these guys were around, but it's great to see one and improve our skills at ID'ing their call and how they look while flying.

There were lots of other birds around too, such as the usual collection of Blue, Great and Coal tits:The Coal Tit didn't hang around for long:
But the Blue Tits were very busy in the birch trees - it looks like they're eating the buds:
Someone's also eating buds up in the oak trees - we didn't see who, but the evidence was there:
The other interesting bird we saw was a Treecreeper - only the second time I've got a photo of one:OK, on to vegetation...

The birch we coppiced at the sides of the path back in November are now "weeping" as the sap starts to rise:I guess there'll be epicormic growth starting soon on these. There's buds already opening on young sycamore in Sweep Wood:and the willow in the wayleave looks like it's covered in cotton wool:Also in Sweep Wood is hawthorn:Lords and Ladies:Nettles:
and the whole woodland floor is looking pretty green:
Two last things to mention. A mole track (well, the evidence of its tunnel):
and coppicing where Grist Wood meets the road - I think this was done by the electricity company in preparation for a new cable being put in:
That's all for now. We *hope* to get to the wood at the weekend, but there's moving house to do as well...

Mike

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