Adult Woodpecker Feeding Young
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What does the woodpecker drumming sound tell us about their recent return to Ireland?
Can you hear that? That's the unmistakable sound of a woodpecker drumming on a tree. Not so long ago, that was a sound you simply wouldn't have heard in Ireland. Woodpeckers were absent for centuries, but the great spotted woodpecker has quietly returned and is now spreading across the country, I'm glad to say, turning up in woodlands, parks and even back gardens. One of our listeners, George, has captured some wonderful footage near Castle Espy. showing an adult bird feeding its youngster. It's a fascinating glimpse into the lives of species whose return has become one of the great success stories of Irish wildlife. And it had nothing to do with humans. They came here of their own volition. Anyway, we spoke with them earlier.
Hello, George. Yes. Hi, it's Derek Mooney here from RTÉ Radio. How are you? I am not too bad. You sent in a wonderful video of woodpeckers. Could you describe it, please?
I set up two posts in the garden, fence posts, that I positioned them near the feeder, one at a slightly different angle to the other, and I was able to watch it from the kitchen window. And I wanted to give them a perch. And sure enough, they're using one of the posts. There's a crack in one of the posts, a split. And they have been, I've noticed the pattern would be to, the parent would take the peanuts out and wedge them into the crack and break it up in smaller pieces for the juveniles. And this morning, I've only, sitting here reading the paper in my conservatory, and I've only seen one that was at half past 10, a male landed to feed. And I thought that would trigger
How did George capture footage of a great spotted woodpecker feeding its young in his Monaghan garden?
but they trigger the feeding. But there are a lot of other birds feeding here at the minute, from a chaffinch to tree sparrow to wagtail and greenfinch and lots of tits, of course, blue tits. I'm right beside woods here.
So you're in County Monaghan, but you don't sound like you're from Monaghan originally.
No, I'm a Dublin-born chap. Well, I was born in the old coon, but I was raised in Finglas. And within a 15-minute walk of where we lived on Clune Road... We could get to the countryside, to the farms, to rural County Dublin. It was a wonderful set up, and National School there in St. Canis was a wonderful school teacher, and we were all into nature. So it was a great upbringing. And indeed, when I was, I think, maybe just reminiscing there, but maybe 15 or 16, I went off to take part in the Atlas Bird Countdown on the River Fergus Estuary down in Clare. take part in that bird camp, which is a big adventure, getting away from home. I bet it was.
Did you, when you were growing up, ever encounter a woodpecker, a great spotted woodpecker, which is the subject of the video that we put on our website that we're talking about today?
No, I didn't. But 15 years ago, the reason I came to Monaghan, ended up in Monaghan, I was transferred by the bank I was working with. And I... Got to know Castle Leslie pretty well and ended up leaving the bank in due course and working with Castle Leslie. And Castle Leslie, beautiful part of the world in a very beautiful village, Glaslaw. Three counties meet at a point there at the back end of the estate. And on three estates, Callaghan Estate in Tyrone and Tynan Abbey in Irma and of course Castle Leslie in County Monaghan all meet up. on the back road here, the Coire Road or the Coire Tyne and Road, but the Callaghan Estate would have had woodpeckers on it. And about 15 years ago, I heard them, saw them in the distance and I contacted, I think Irish Wild Birds reported it at the time and just said, look, this is probably the furthest north
in the Republic of Ireland that woodpeckers have been sighted.
Yeah, because they were first recorded, if I'm not mistaken, in County Down in 2006. Yes. But to see woodpeckers actually feeding... So the adult is feeding the juvenile. That's what I'm surprised at because I've never seen that before. Richard, Terry, have you ever seen that? I've never actually seen them feeding.
That's true. Yes, but they do. And the daddies feed. They're very good daddies.
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
What does the woodpecker drumming sound tell us about their recent return to Ireland?
0:02–1:45
2
How did George capture footage of a great spotted woodpecker feeding its young in his Monaghan garden?
1:45–4:24
3
How did George set up perches and feeders to attract woodpeckers to watch and film them?
4:24–7:11