The changing of the guard
The Woodpecker pair I’ve been enjoying watching have a routine. I need to watch them for many more hours before I can be confident in explaining it, but one calls from a tree, the other looks out of the nest, leaves, and then the calling bird takes its place.
Here’s the male exiting the nesting hole, with a bit of wood chip stuck to its bristles.
I can tell it’s a male Great Spotted Woodpecker because it’s got a red nape.
Here’s the female to take its place.
They’re changing the guard. Incubation only takes a couple of weeks, so there should be calling youngsters from the tree soon.
There are exciting times ahead.
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