Grow Your Own Magazine

Green Woodpecker eating all the bugglies in my lawn.

I always hear them flying about and quite often see the Great Spotted on my peanut feeder but until just now I'd never actually seen a Green Woody in my garden, out and about yes but actually on my lawn!!!

I'm thrilled!

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Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Peanut aka Joanna

i have a green woodpecker in my garden quite a lot .....

they eat mostly ants. Exotic looking aren't they? And anything that eats ants has gotta be a good thing.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

See, now I read your post as "I've just seen a...........peanut"

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated - 25th August

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

Not quite as exotic looking as a Green Woody but much tastier!!

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Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Peanut aka Joanna

We get them on our lawn too, particularly after, or when there's, rain. Last year we had three at once, an adult and two youngsters.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Now that's just showing off SBP!!!

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Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Peanut aka Joanna

How lovely!!!!

We are lucky enough to have one in France- I never knew they even existed!!!!!

They have such a lovely call too don't they??

Yes Nicos I just love the call, it is just like a High pitched Professor Yaffle, he was the Woodpecker from Bagpuss for those too young to remember him!!!!

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Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Peanut aka Joanna

It's been a long-term goal to have my camera to hand on the rare occasions when we spot a woodpecker in the garden. Every time so far it's flown off by the time we've rushed around trying to remeber where the camera was last seen...

Mark

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http://rockinghamforestcider.blogspot.com/

Yep!

A couple of times in the past few days, I keep thinking I've seen a green woody, but then I look properly and see its a Mistle thrush! (Early morning, eyes not focused!). They have a similar 'stance' as green woodies at times - that two-legged hop, they do. They are big birds too, much bigger than a normal thrush.

Like littlemark I've not been able to get my camera on them, but if I do I'll post them up - there's two, a pair I reckon (what an old romantic I am! ), wonder if we'll see little uns?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

How would one encourage Green Woodpeckers into ones garden? I've only ever seen one in our garden, once.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated - 25th August

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

http://www.heritagewoodsonline.co.uk...0Factsheet.pdf


......looks like they need old, untended pasture and old trees

http://www.heritagewoodsonline.co.uk...0Factsheet.pdf

but will eat mealworm and peanuts from feeders...

Green Woodpecker identification, habitat, calls and food.

..or from the ground.

Maybe as they enjoy insects from under bark, how about getting in a few large oak logs and standing them upright in a quiet corner of the garden?? .....and plants which encourage butterflies and moths??

Green woodpecker - Picus viridis - Natural England

You'll need to give your lawn up to leatherjackets too !!

They're certainly in your area Wayne from that map!

Thanks for that Nicos - we have an oak tree at the bottom of the garden (see red circled area on following images), and as you can see there's plenty of plants/bushes/trees and alike right next to the house.

House - looking North: http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...ouse-North.gif

House - looking West: http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l7...House-West.gif

The Oak is covered in Ivy, which the squirrels love.

Looks like I'll need to get me some meal worms.

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated - 25th August

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev036pr___.png

They actually call them Yaffles in some areas

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A bad days fishing is still better than a good day at work!

Really?!! That's so good, is that after Professor Yaffle then?

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Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Peanut aka Joanna

No Irather think its the other way round as yaffle is an old rustic word for green woodpecker that goes back hundreds of years.

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A bad days fishing is still better than a good day at work!

Oh ok, thanks for that. You learn more than how to grow veggies on here don't you!

__________________
Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Peanut aka Joanna