Woodpecker Network

: 13 April 2017

Our Lesser Spot nest inspection cameras and telescopic poles are all ready to go. We just need some more nests to inspect!

We have been over to Dorset to collect our nest cameras from Wildlife Windows. They have been refurbished and are ready for action.

: 02 April 2017

We’ve had a great response to our appeal with well over 50 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sites reported so far.
At a few sites the birds have been seen excavating a nest cavity, but the majority are areas where calling and drumming birds have been found.
We appreciate that it is a bit of a challenge but now is the time to try to pin down the nest sites. Pairs will be concentrating their activity near their potential nest site and cavity excavation will start in earnest now. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers lay their first eggs from mid-April until early May so the cavity will need to be complete quite soon.

: 18 March 2017

It has been a great two weeks for finding Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. The weather has been reasonably calm and warm (at least in the south) and, for Lesser Spots, the birds have been drumming and calling reliably.

: 25 February 2017

Rob Clements was searching an area of the New Forest north east of Lyndhurst on Friday and reports that Lesser Spots were very active between 8-9 am, with lots of drumming involving 4-5 birds. Nigel Owen saw a pair chasing at another site in the Forest at 9.15 am.

: 13 February 2017

Thanks to all of you who have already been in touch. We have had reports of sightings and drumming from the New Forest, North London and Lincolnshire already.

February and March is the best time to find breeding territories by visiting likely sites and listening for calling and drumming. Once they have settled on a nest site by mid-April they are very inconspicuous and secretive until they are feeding young in late May.