15/02/2022 Undisclosed Site

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: February onwards is known to be the optimum time to search for LSW as they return to their traditional breeding sites, so with some down time I decided to go in search of these little beauties. 

When I arrived on site site I could hear the tell tale call of the male bird accompanied by the sound of drumming, in fact I witnessed both the male and female bird drumming. 

The diminutive cousin of the greater spotted woodpecker is an untypically shy bird and their numbers have crashed over recent years.  They are particularly sensitive birds and there is a site locally which as been subject to unwarranted attention with toggers persintacly tape luring and even cutting down branches to get better views of the birds. 

So I've decided to withhold the location and let these bird be. Dont hate on me. 

11/01/2014 Moore NR

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: Today I was hoping for some good gulls, but unfortunately the rain has made its way in to my scope so a trip to Richmond Bank was put on hold and myself and Allan McBride decided on a trip to Moore.

This was Alan's first visit here, I was hoping to show him Kingfisher and Iceland Gull, I also mentioned we might be in for a chance of a LS Woodie, but I never really thought we would be lucky enough to catch up with one.

After a quick walk past the Lapwing Lake hide and visit to the feeding station we walked around the small wood between and heard the distinctive drumming of the small woodpecker.

From behind us this bad boy appeared and gave us a great show just as the clouds parted and the blue skies in came in to view.

Alan and I walked over to the Phoenix Hide via Birchwood and Pumphouse Pool - both of which were void of any gulls!

I was disappointed about the lack of gulls but it was great to see the LS Woddie, a few mixed flocks of Siskin and Redpoll and it was nice to catch up with Alan.

05/03/2013 Moore Nature Reserve

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: Now that I am road worthy and able to get out and about in my new car I decided to take a trip to Moore NR and try my luck with the Lesser Spotted Woodie.

When I arrived (after some awful parking, but they say you never actually learn to drive until you're out on the roads on your own) there was around half a dozen birders who had been there for literally hours waiting for the woodie to make an appearance.

So I decided to go for a walk and eat my lunch in the nice spring sunshine, on my way back I bumped in to one of the birders from earlier as he was ticking a bird of his list.

He said the bird was showing really well just opposite the feeding station visible from the road and alas there it was looking stunning in the sun!


It was a male and was happily foraging on the bark of a tree in the wood, until its larger, more aggressive cousin the Greater Spotted Woodpecker turned up and chased it off!