Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Two lesser spotted woodpeckers together - Dorney Wood, Buckinghamshire
A female lesser spotted woodpecker flew past and alighted above me, as soft and silent as a black-and-white butterfly. That was evidently a bit too close for comfort however and she flew further into the trees, landing at least 50 metres away but still in view.
I watched her foraging for some minutes, until she abruptly stopped and flew closer to me again. She seemed to be listening, although I hadn't heard anything.
After a while she moved further into the woods again, and further to my left so that the sun was almost directly behind her. The branches were black against a glaring sky so it was some moments before I realised that a second bird was present; it was a male. The resulting shots are awful but they are the first stills I've ever managed of two lesser spotted woodpeckers together.
She's flaring her tail; but I don't know what that means. Is she encouraging him or warning him off?
Did the woodpeckers mate? I don't know. It was difficult to follow them in the tangle of branches, and the next thing I saw was the female on her own. She'd moved closer to the path where I was standing, looking still and watchful. Had she seen a "wrong" male off her territory? Does a female hold a territory? Fascinating stuff.
Meanwhile, a stoat ran past me and disappeared down a hole a couple of yards away. It then popped up for a second look, as if it couldn't quite believe its eyes.
A raven called from somewhere to the west.
// posted by Christine @ 8:52 AM 
