Wonderful! Mummy Woodpecker And Baby Woodpecker Feeding In My Garden.

[ladybirder]

A first for me and my new garden. Mum has been coming on her own for some time now and taking chunks of fat balls away with her but today she brought her baby with her, Made my day. Anyone else getting babies visiting?

[ladybirder]

Doesn't it just Patsy;-) Mum has been here on her own this morning but never seen dad at all. Perhaps males don't help with raising babies, I'll have to check. The feeder needs refilling so will nip out and do it before the rain starts.

[Chipchopper]

Yes, its wonderful to see them come back with their young, Ladybirder.
I thought the young had red caps though ?, maybe just out of view.

Good pic BTW.

[jambutty]

That's fantastic lb and what a great pic. I've had baby sparrows and blue tits so far. I love watching them. Mum has had a baby mistle thrush in her graden.

[ladybirder]

You're right chipchopper, baby does have the red bit on its face but as you say it is just out of view. I will try and get a better photo if I can but they are very skittish.

[hellywelly4]

That is so lovely, I'm very envious! I saw a green woodpecker for the first time last week. It was walking along the ground pecking at the side of the path. I think it might have been after ants. I've also had a blackbird nesting in a hedge, but they have gone now. It's a wonderful time of the year, isn't it.

[ladybirder]

Just missed a fantastic full-faced shot of the baby with his red bit all aglow. Gently slowly pulled up the blind to get the shot but and whoosh - gone.

Sparrows tits and thrushes you are jammy, jammy.

June is the best hw IMO. Green Woodpecker would be looking for ants I expect. You can buy freeze dried ones if you want to feed him/her. Hang on, it might just be the eggs you can buy, not sure.

[jambutty]

But I'd give anything to see a woodpecker baby lb.

[ladybirder]

Thinking about it jammy, it's probably the first one I have knowingly seen. It was only because the mother was feeding it that I cottoned on. Had I seen it on its own, I probably wouldn't have known it was a baby, especially as it wasn't facing me.

[murraymints]

ahhhh

[ladybirder]

Got the baby this morning. Not very good again.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2n9kw7d&s=9#.V2UdzWOE6_V

[ladybirder]

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=spkjgw&;s=9#.V2UqBmOE6_U

No stopping me now.

OK no more.

[jambutty]

Fabulous and as usual almost as big as Mum !

[ladybirder]

Hard to tell the difference from behind jammy. On the last photo, you can just tell the baby is on the post on the right by a hint of red on its face. But size-wise, as you say, hardly any difference. I am assuming it's the same baby as never seen more than one at the same time.
Must do some work, I could watch all day.

[Chipchopper]

LB, I was also lucky enough to see a mother woodpecker bring one of its young to the willow tree at the back of my garden, Fantastic!.

To top that, a blue tit brought two of its young to the feeder, as well.

[ladybirder]

It's lovely chipchopper, fantastic to watch. A few years ago I had a bird bath in the small front garden where I lived in the countryside. Early one morning I saw a Bluetit, sitting on the edge of the bath watching over her two newly fledged chicks (still with their gapes) splashing about in the water. Magic.

[Khandro]

I really have some terrible news, our young spotted woodpecker an hour ago flew full speed into a patio door and broke its neck, dying instantly. I have just buried it a flower bed. Terribly distressing.
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[ladybirder]

Oh Khandro, how distressing. So sad. At least it was quick. Was it the only one? Does mum know what has happened to her chick?
I would be so upset as well if it happened here. Can you do something to stop it happening again, during the breeding season at least?

[Khandro]

ladybirder; It was/is very distressing, we had just an hour before been watching him/her, the first time seen on its own, trying to figure out how to reach the food which the more acrobatic parent had been giving it. I went in and got a fat ball and hung it at a more accessible place in the lilac tree. We went indoors and shortly after there was a bang and it was all over, - really gutted. I think the parents wouldn't know it had happened and the book says they have 3 to 7 eggs so there may be others I hope.

Most of the windows to the back garden have silhouette hawks fixed to them, but this one didn't, I've now made a temporary one in black paper, but too late.

[ladybirder]

Fingers crossed it won't happen again to you Khandro. My windows are the type that reflect the garden but I have wooden blinds so no problems there. Glad you've sorted the 'offending' door and I understand the bird silhouettes work well. Let's hope there are more surviving babies and you get pleasure watching them. It's really not for the faint hearted is it. They give so much pleasure but break your heart when it all goes wrong. Keep on carrying on.