Great spotted woodpecker digging for a grub

I happened to glance out of our bedroom window late in the afternoon as the light was darkening. I noticed some movement on a branch of the goat willow tree in our neighbour’s garden and realised there was a great spotted woodpecker rapidly pecking at the bark of the branch with is beak repetitively. I knew from experience exactly what was happening so I immediately went to fetch my camera.

When I returned the woodpecker was still intently digging at the wood, and I managed to find a vantage point to focus through the noble glazed window, which I couldn’t open without disturbing the bird, which was only about fifteen feet away. Over the next fifteen minutes I took lot of pictures hoping to get a definitive view, but with the poor light and its constant movement I didn’t really succeed.

The woodpecker was digging to extract a grub that it knew, probably by sounds it made, was under the bark and nearly ready to emerge. I discovered one a few years ago and Blipped it here, showing the grub it extracted in its beak, with a long explanation of what I thought was happening. I

t was fascinating to watch it attacking the wood with it beak, with lots splinters of wood being cast aside as the hole emerged. At one point it suddenly squatted down and then moved to the side of the branch as if hiding. The a magpie landed a few feet away and the woodpecker flew onto the trunk of the tree where it tried to hide. I realised that just as the woodpecker frightened smaller birds it too was fearful of birds bigger than itself. The magpie came and stood over the hole for a few seconds but then flew away probably without realising what the woodpecker was trying to feed on.

I’ve added a couple of ‘Extras’ just to show other parts of the scene, including hiding from the magpie. I was lucky to be there at the right time, but it was a shame the light was so poor and my view was so limited.