Bioacoustics as a tool for the detection and monitoring of a scarce woodland bird – the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker paper now live in the latest British Birds journal. Read more:

⚠️ The UK’s smallest and rarest woodpecker, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a shy and elusive bird. It’s rapidly becoming one of our scarcest breeding birds, with substantial declines since the 1980s. 🧵⬇️ #bioacoustics #ornithology

Something to celebrate - our 2025 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker report - successful breeding season, the most nests monitored & highest number of chicks fledged per nest since we started in 2015. Acoustic monitoring giving amazing results too, download here www.woodpecker-network.org.uk/images/L_S_W...

Wow.

Group of eleven Black-throated divers seen from the Applecross Inn, looking towards Skye. Earlier had a pair of WT Eagle overhead - so close the pic was with my phone.

The latest issue of the SOS newsletter - the Bittern - is winging its way to members' inboxes this week. somersetbirding.org.uk/membership/

1 Pleased to be presenting the latest results gathered by Woodpecker-Network volunteers on Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and what we can do to conserve them better #BOUatEOU www.woodpecker-netwo...#BOUatEOU

Three Green Woodpecker chicks in a Quantock nest this morning

Pied Fly pair have built a nest in this root hole, no eggs yet. Warm on thermal imaging. @piedflynet.bsky.social

4 Pied Fly eggs in the earliest of the nests on my Quantock run of boxes. 7/16 boxes have PiedFly so far and have really cracked on this week @piedflynet.bsky.social

My first Cuckoo of the year calling in Aisholt wood, Quantocks today (view is towards Aisholt Common)

Wood chips from an oak on the path - looked up to see a new GSW nest in progress in Hodders Co, Quantock Hills. (There’s an older hole below the new one too.)

Lots of PiedFly on the Quantocks this morning, maybe five males on a loop walk.

Red Kite over Higher Hare Knap, Quantocks, plus all three woodpeckers on the route in and out of the Combes. 3 GSW, 3 Green, 3 LSW!

Three LSW were heard (one seen) on a Somerset OS Quantock walk today looking for signs and holes of woodpeckers. Sadly no LSW encounters yesterday on the same route, despite better weather. Thanks to the brave folk who braved the hills and I hope we find more territories and nest sites this year.

Very luck to see a pair of Three-toed Woodpeckers in Poland this morning. The 8th species of woodpecker today and a supporting cast of Hawfinch, Woodlark, Willow and Marsh Tit, Waxwing, Crested Tit, Cranes, Bean/WF Geese and Rough-legged Buzzard…plus other great birds and wildlife.

From beginner to experienced birders who fancy some call call/drum revision: youtu.be/GEQBrT-587Q?...

We are pleased to be working with Simon Gillings at BTO on this exciting project to use acoustic monitoring to help detect the presence of elusive Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers.

All three woodpeckers on Exmoor this morning @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @exmoornp.bsky.social

Beautiful morning on the Quantocks. Tentative but of GSW drumming and some LSW calls briefly too. The first Combe House hotel brunch of the year.

All three woodpeckers heard on the Quantocks this morning, but all keeping a low profile.

Sadly 2024 was one of the poorest breeding seasons for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers since we started in 2015. Only 11 nests were found/monitored & on average only just over one young fledged per nest. This is probably not enough to sustain the population, www.woodpecker-network.org.uk/index.php/news

This usurped Blue Tit nest was under a successful Pied Fly nest, seen as I cleaned out the boxes ready for the Spring. Think we may have also found another LSW nest hole that we missed in ‘24.

Somerset Ornithological Soc AGM this Sat 1.30pm at Cheddon Fitzpaine hall. I’ll be talking about finding and monitoring breeding Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and how we can track down this declining and elusive species. There’ll be tea and cake too @btobirds.bsky.social