BY ALLISON LEE
We have an abundance of birdlife on the smallholding, and I enjoy watching a variety of finches, wrens, blue tits, sparrows, warblers, and woodpeckers feeding regularly at the feeding station. However, it wasn’t until our recent move to North Yorkshire that I was lucky enough to spot woodpeckers on a regular basis—and they are a joy to watch, so entertaining!
The great spotted woodpecker is unmistakable, with its striking markings and size. Measuring approximately 22cm (around the size of a blackbird), they are much larger than many garden birds. With a black forehead and crown, red patches on the nape of the male (black on the female), white cheeks, and dark eyes, they really are exceptionally beautiful birds. Their powerful, pointed bill, white patches, and bright red marking under the tail only enhance their appearance.
Woodpeckers have two distinctive sounds to listen for. The first—and perhaps the most characteristic—is their drumming, as they beat their bills on tree trunks in a territorial announcement. The second is their distinctive call, a sharp ‘kik’ or ‘kek’, almost like chatter.
Great spotted woodpeckers are insectivorous, feeding on the invertebrates that live in wood, though the ones that visit my garden are happy to devour the seeds and mealworms on offer! While great spotted woodpeckers don’t favour a particular tree species, they prefer larger trees, especially those that are dead or have dead branches, as this is where they find their favourite food: wood-boring invertebrates.
They are a great bird to have on the smallholding, as they play a vital role in maintaining the health and structure of their ecosystems. They also help control insect populations, particularly wood-boring beetles and larvae, thus helping to prevent tree damage—though they may also take a liking to wooden bird boxes and feeders if you aren’t careful. Woodpeckers are adept at excavating cavities in trees, especially old and rotten ones, for nesting and roosting. These cavities, in turn, are used by other animals and birds that cannot create their own, as they lack the ability to bore.
There are several ways to attract woodpeckers to your garden, including:
- Installing bird feeders and keeping them topped up with peanuts, mealworms, and seeds.
- Providing a clean bird bath.
- Creating a natural habitat, free from pesticides.
- Growing native trees, such as oak and beech, and plants like elderberry.
- Leaving out nesting materials, such as wood chips, dried grass, and feathers, in quiet, sheltered spots.
While woodpeckers benefit the ecosystem by controlling insect populations, they can become a nuisance due to their noise and the damage they cause. Pecking holes to find insects and create nests can lead to structural damage, and once a woodpecker has established itself on your property, it can be difficult to deter. It’s important to remember that woodpeckers are a protected species under UK law, meaning it is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or capture them or to damage their nests. Therefore, any deterrents used must be humane.
Allison Lee is a smallholder from North Yorkshire who has written for the Yorkshire Times and other publications. Her website can be accessed here.