The other day, having said that we hadn’t seen the young woodpecker at the feeder, just 15 minutes after publishing my post, there it was being fed by it’s Dad.
Dad was very busy feeding the youngster.
Juvenile woodpeckers have a lot of red on their head, far more than the male which has red on the back of the head.
Keeping an eye on Dad while it gets more food.
A nice bit of peanut goes down very well.
More please Dad!
We haven’t seen Mum for quite some time, Dad seems to be doing all the feeding of the youngster, so we are wondering if maybe she is sitting on a second clutch of eggs. This pair made my day, it was wonderful to watch them together!
I really must get on with the gardening and stop being distracted by all our birds!
Wow – what fantastic photos!!! I’d be lucky to see even one woodpecker – this was a privilege. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Anna, we are lucky in having a strip of woodland, so we get woodland birds to the feeders.In the 25 yrs we have been here, we have never seen the Gt.Spotted Woodpeckers feeding their young before, this was a first for us!
Lovely photos, dad seems to be doing a really good job! And yes, I agree, bird watching can be quite a distraction.
Dad is certainly working hard Denise, the youngster is very demanding! We love watching the birds and so many of them follow us round the garden to see what we turn over when working there.
Great shots Pauline.
The same thing happens here with Mum. In fact we don’t see her all year except for the short time she is raising the chicks and shares the trips to the feeders. I reckon when she’s done all that she’s off to the Caribbean or somewhere for a well deserved break!
Thanks Jessica. We quite often see Mum on the feeders, that is why we are puzzled by her absence and assume she has more eggs. However, you might be right, maybe she is having a wonderful holiday somewhere!
It’s so easy to get distracted isn’t it Pauline? Mind you I’d happily be distracted for such a wonderful sight in the garden. We only occasionally get a male visiting here.
Yes, it is Angie, with so much going on, I find myself drifting to the kitchen far more than usual, as the feeder is just outside the back door.
I wish we had such a wonderful array of birds in the gardens here – although there are lots of blue and coal tits, sparrows, wood pigeons, starlings (and parakeets if I walk to the Heath!), I’ve only ever seen one goldfinch and one jay. Lucky you! Gardening can wait :o)
We are very lucky Caro, with farmers fields on one side and our little strip of woodland on the other, so we get a good variety of birds. There weren’t many around when we moved here, I don’t think the previous people put out food for them. As we have planted up the garden, the numbers have increased each year as they now have shrubs to nest in as well as nest boxes put up by us. Parakeets have been seen in the North West, but I think they have given the South West a miss!
Such great photos Pauline, your new camera must be a lot of fun. The birds are wonderful to watch; we had two woodpeckers on our feeders yesterday morning but they have not been back.
Thanks Anne, good to hear from you! Woodpeckers are such beautiful birds aren’t they, I’m sure yours will be back, having found your feeders, they will return for more food.
Goodness me what fantastic photos! I would give anything to see that but I may have to enjoy it vicariously through your photos!!
Thank you so much Jane! I’ve waited 25yrs to see the Woodpeckers feeding their young, it was worth the wait!
What lovely pictures. You are lucky to have those woodpeckers in your garden. We haven’t seen any in our garden, but there was a nest last year in the little bit of greensward nearby. They nested there in a dead tree, which was already full of holes and were a delight to watch each morning when we walked past. I hope that woodpecker mummy turns up again soon, although dad seems to be doing a very good job on his own.
lovely to hear from you Stella, and thanks for your lovely comments!I’m not sure where the Woodpeckers are nesting, we have a dead oak right in the middle of the garden, but I haven’t seen a hole anywhere! Dad is doing very well feeding the youngster, he is very attentive and they were both back this morning as soon as the food was put out.
Really lovely shots Pauline! Have fun with your new camera while the young birds are still around, and the weeds can wait! 😉
Thanks Cathy, I’m really enjoying playing around with the camera and the baby birds make such lovely subjects. I like what you say, yes, the weeds can wait!
How sweet to see them! It is lovely to spend time watching them, too.
They are all beautiful aren’t they Wendy, I could watch them all day!
Oh they are rather special photos Pauline and how lucky that you were there with your camera at meal time. Sadly our woodpecker has done a disappearing act.
This is the first time in the 25 yrs that we have lived here, that we have seen the youngster being fed, it was a special moment.Do hope that your woodpecker returns, they are such lovely birds.
Oh you lucky thing! What a treat for you….and us!xxx
It certainly was a treat Dina, we had waited a long time for it! The youngster is now feeding itself, it soon learned how to cling onto the feeder. Father is looking very bedraggled now as he has worked very hard over the past few weeks, in fact all the parents look as though they need a good wash and brush up, time to moult!
Fantastic Pauline, I wouldn’t get anything done if I had these in the garden. Great shots again; your birthday present must be giving you a lot of pleasure.
I’m not getting much done Christina, not housework or gardening, I’m too fascinated by what is going on round the bird table! I really am enjoying playing around with the camera, but will have to stop soon and do some work!
Beautiful birds, and what fun! Sights like Dad feeding his baby are one of the main reasons I want to be out in my garden. Baby birds are everywhere. You are doing great with your new camera!
As we walk around the garden Deb, we hear twittering all round us at the moment, the garden is full of baby birds wanting to be fed!
Hi Pauline, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a juvenile woodpecker. In the wintertime woodpeckers occasionally frequent my feeders if I put out suet, but in spring and summer, they are a rather rare site. I do have a couple of young robins and I have enjoyed having them around. Like the woodpecker, the parent bird (not sure if it is Mom or Dad) dotes on them and tries to distract me from her young if I venture too close.
I have a suet ball out in its holder Jennifer and sunflower hearts, but the woodpeckers only seem to come to the peanut feeder, they aren’t interested in anything else. Our robins are a bit different from yours but we have 2 babies at the moment, very speckled versions of their parents, but so far they have been too quick for me!
That’s adorable! What great pictures!
Thanks Jason! The juvenile is now feeding itself from the feeder, it can’t wait for Dad any more!
How wonderful to have even seen this happening and even better to have then photographed them! We haven’t seen a young one here for a while
We quite often see the youngsters Cathy, but this is the first time we have seen them being fed. It was only for a couple of days though, the youngster soon learned how to perch on the feeder and help itself!