May 11th, 1999

One of the interesting features of the grounds at Ackworth is the presence of two resident species of woodpecker, the green woodpecker and the greater spotted woodpecker.

The drumming sound created by the greater spotted woodpecker is common during April and its call, a single 'chack', can be heard at all times of year. This species can sometimes be seen feeding newly fledged chicks during the summer months. Also, I have often watched it attacking some of the nesting boxes which members of the Natural History Society have placed around the grounds. The woodpecker usually enlarges the entrance hole or, in the case of bat boxes, which have an entrance slot in the base, it makes a hole where there was not one before. The boxes which have been constructed most recently have been given metal plates around the entrance holes to make it more difficult for the woodpeckers to break in and steal the youngsters. However, some woodpeckers have found that they can hammer through the bases or sides of the boxes.

The green woodpecker is present in smaller numbers but is often seen and heard. The adults make a loud, laughing call, known as the 'yaffle', and this is often heard coming from the vicinity of the sports hall. During the summer months, the yelping sound of young green woodpeckers becomes very familiar but the young birds can be surprisingly difficult to spot, even when it is obvious that they are calling from a particular tree. The favourite nesting site is in a large ash which grows behind the sports hall and this tree now has several holes in it. Another tree which has been used is an isolated oak tree which grows in the middle of a field near the swimming pool. this tree was used for a successful breeding attempt about three years ago. The young woodpeckers could be seen hopping around on the trunk of the tree and doing the usual green woodpecker trick of moving behind the trunk and peeping around it when they realised that they were being observed. Signs of the wear caused by their claws can be seen giving a reddish tinge to the bark in the photograph.