Greater Spotted Woodpecker & Sparrow Hawk in the back garden!

Writing about web page http://www.mcgonigle.co.uk/2015/03/bird-of-prey-in-our-back-garden.html

We had seen a black & white woodpecker on a tree beyond the bottom of the garden.
We are surrounded by loud bird songs at the moment so to solve my ignorance I had downloaded the Bird Song Id App for British Birds by Isoperla .
Just playing the recordings and the excellent photos has helped us get up to 4 tit species and to confirm that the distinct beat on the hollow trees all around in the woods were by the greater spotted woodpecker.

This morning in the bedroom I heard the loudest woodpecker hammering. I looked out to see a great spotted woodpecker having a go at one of the 4×4” fence posts I had built as an extreme pergola that could take swings in the past. I failed to get a photo but it was the closest view I have ever seen.

This is the second non-garden bird that has visited our garden. The visit by a sparrow hawk was recorded, below. The full story of the visit of the raptor and the pigeon it tackled can be found on my family blog, follow the link.

Again, the Bird Song ID app confirmed that we had been hearing sparrowhawks regularly. Knowing these things by ear is how Gary and other birders are always so quick to spot so many birds when we are volunteering in the woods with the ‘Friends of the Sowe Valley’ here in Coventry.

Robert McGonigle : 02 Apr 2015 11:07 |  Tags: Bird Sond ID App Great Spotted Woodpecker Sparrowhawk |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem