Birdwatching

[callmemadam]

I'm sure that green woodpeckers nest here as I am far more likely to hear them call than to see them. When I do get a look they are usually tapping industriously at the bark on an apple tree, conveniently right in front of the window. Today I had the unusual sight of a green woodpecker on the grass pecking at the fallen apples. (Sorry, I cheated rather in my post a while back about not feeding birds.) I'd never seen this before so I wondered if the bird were injured but no, it flew off quite blithely. Strange.

Comments

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

*jelus fumes*

Anyway, no, this is normal behaviour for greenies. Your spotteds will pretty much stick to pecking at trees, but the green woodpecker is also quite a big ground feeder. You are most likely to see them out walking, in fact, flying off as you disturb them investigating some juicy morsel on the forest floor.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Interesting, as it was quite new to me. We get spotteds, too. In fact, huskyteer recently called my attention to one of each type; same tree, different sides.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

I am pretty hopeless at identifying birds apart from the easy ones, but today a HIK and I were very diverted by a grey wagtail who spent hours on the jetty, and quite proud of ourselves for looking him up and identifying him in the RSPB book. My MIL gets green woodpeckers in her Lincolnshire garden, but I have never seen one up here.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It's wonderful how wagtails live up to their name, isn't it? It's quite rare to see one in the garden but I saw a yellow wagtail down in the town near the river just the other day. They are quite common there.

Love that icon.