Sunday 22nd: Whilst out and about in a local wood this afternoon, Sandra and I heard rapid "cheeping" coming from inside a tree we had just passed.
About 10 feet from the ground was a perfectly excavated circular hole, that could've been made by a power-tool, such as a Great Spotted Woodpecker's beak! In the trunk from where the sound was resonating came the familiar call from a Woodpecker chick waiting for the next meal. We retreated a short distance and sure enough, moments later a male Greater Spotted Woodpecker attached himself to the side of the tree. He appeared to pass a small bundle of tasty caterpillars and insects into the hole and the chick, then flew away in search of more critters to satisfy the persistent hunger of his offspring.
A few minutes later, the female GSW alighted on the tree trunk and fed the chick. Over the next 45 minutes we deduced that the two adults were flying out and back alternately to the chick with a "waiting time" of 5 minutes for the chick before it's next meal arrived.
Just the one chick in the nest, we think. But the continual chase for food by the adults for their offspring will continue for some days until it has fledged and even then the adults will be constantly harassed by the chick.
No comments:
Post a Comment