Lesser Spot Network

Join Gwent Ornithological Society on Saturday 31 October for a fascinating talk by Stuart Keenor. 7.30 pm at Goytre Village Hall.A keen birder obsessed with finding Wales's elusive Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. Everyone welcome! 🌳 #birdingwales #gwentbirds

Congratulations to Rufus Dawson, for this well deserved BTO Award. He is one of our most active Woodpecker Network volunteers and his Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Lesser Spots in Gloucestershire and Avon is contributing greatly to our understanding of this elusive species.

New job alert 🪶🧪 We are hiring a Conservation Scientist to work on links between hydrological restoration and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker conservation Deadline: 7/10/26 Apply here: app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car... #SpeciesRecoveryProgramme @naturalengland.bsky.social 📷Ben Andrew

After a 20 year wait, an LSW finally appears whilst I'm raptor watching, flying <2m above a grassy field for 150m and landing briefly on a willow sapling. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Where Wood Ants are found in abundance you should find lots and aphids and hopefully hungry LSWs!Pleased to have a short observational article in @britishbirds.bsky.social this months. Thank @lesserspotnet.bsky.social for the encouragement. @bucksbirdclub81.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 'Ant-Flinger'- fascinating observations by David Bevan @djbevanphoto.bsky.social of a male LSW systematically removing & discarding wood ants whilst foraging for aphids. Article & video just published in @britishbirds.bsky.social see britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...

Very promising results for protecting Willow Tit nests and good work by @wildhorizons.bsky.social . We love all Woodpeckers, but Great Spots are the culprits here.

Watch BBC Countryfile tonight, BBC One at 7:15. Woodpecker Network and @lesserspotnet.bsky.social volunteers, Ken and Linda Smith, will be in the New Forest talking about and looking for Woodpeckers.

Delightful scene - but don't get confused these are both Great Spotted Woodpeckers, an adult female (on the left) feeding its youngster. Young Great Spots have a red cap when they leave the nest and are sometimes mis-identified as male Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. (not by anyone on here though!)

Feeling downhearted after the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker breeding season is over? This good cheer from Somerset LSW volunteer @angusrobin.bsky.social

Two healthy chicks seen this morning - great to see both survived the Jay attack. They’re roughly 18 days old so due to fledge quite soon. The female parent seems to be visiting the nest less often now #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

And away… I must have just missed this little one fledging this morning. She was sat in the adjacent beech for an hour calling to be fed. Soon after she was chasing her mother around further afield. One left to go! #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

There are now two more female Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers out in the world! What a joy it’s been to share this patch of woodland with these incredible birds for the last 11 days. Thanks to @lesserspotnet.bsky.social for the guidance. The clearing feels very quiet now! #HantsBirds #NewForest

Here's a slow mo of the first two flights for this young male. Not elegant but beautiful none the less. I hope to see the 3 chicks again as adult birds over the coming years. @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Looking for the exits. The LSW chicks are very restless now - sticking their heads out the hole and yelling at their parents. Fecal sacs are no longer being removed. A chance they could fledge today at ≈22 days old. Both appear to be female #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

This Wood Warbler was singing in a new spot on the Quantocks for me this year. Nearby a female Lesser Spot was quietly feeding. Only one new GSW nest found today (calling young giving them away) @somersetbirds.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social

I fell asleep last night with ringing in my ears. It took a moment to realise it was the sound of LSW chicks. Jaygate is over for now - still at least one chick calling today. We’ll find out how many tomorrow morning #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Here’s an example of LSW young calling from a nest (there were three young not far off fledging in this nest) @ukrbbp.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

The good news is the chick(s) started calling louder again. The bad news is the Jay made another visit. Let’s hope the hole is small enough and the cavity deep enough to win out 🤞

The chicks are getting larger and louder now. That was until a Jay stuck its head in the nest cavity tonight. I don’t think it took a chick, at least one still calling, albeit much quieter now. Perhaps it’s the remaining younger chick or just spooked #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Interesting thread with thoughts on habitat and food requirements for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers by @rufusdawson.bsky.social

In 2.5 years I had only ever seen a female LSW, even when I found a nest late on Friday as only the female seemed to be visiting. So I was thrilled to see this male turn up on Saturday morning strutting his stuff! #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

The lesser spots have finally fledged! Want to see it don't watch this video! Watching through my bins and didn't notice my camera had frozen in the heat. Watch the pre-behaviour and you can hear the bird fly away calling at 31 secs. Then her siblings realise at 37 secs @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Following interest in our Dec 2025 paper on Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and acoustic monitoring, we invited readers' questions to the experts britishbirds.co.uk/news/ask-exp... Thanks to Linda Smith and @LesserSpotNet.bsky.social 📸David Tipling

@lesserspotnet.bsky.social one of two new nests found in The Blean this weekend. Three chicks in the nest but no sign of the adult female

Thanks to @piedsandpiper.bsky.social the nest was checked yesterday, 2 good looking chicks snug in the nest cavity, both adults feeding.

A Lesser Spot nest found on Friday and now being monitored by @piedsandpiper.bsky.social has 2 good looking chicks see photo in thread. One of 4 new nests found in the New Forest this weekend

All the early February mornings trying to understand a LSW territory paid off today when I finally went looking for nests. Amazingly, this was the last tree on my list! #HantsBirds #NewForest @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Lesser Spots still not fledged. Typical behaviour this morning. Chicks calling from the hole, Female brings a quick feed then tries to call them out. They didn't want to come out. Has to be tmrw but I've been saying that since Thursday! @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

It's coming to the end of lesser spot season, and chicks are fledging. Listen out for calling chicks if you're in the woods. Video by Paul Cox (thanks Paul for permission to use).

I cant believe the lesser spot chicks haven't fledged yet. The female kept calling at them to come out this morning. At one point for over 6 minutes straight. The adults are tired and want the chicks to forage for themselves. They are doing there best to avoid the lunges! @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

This is the sound to listen out for - if you are searching for a Lesser Spot nest to monitor - well done @angusrobin.bsky.social

Fabulous Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest found and monitored by Woodpecker Network volunteer @angusrobin.bsky.social

6 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests have been monitored in Devon and Somerset this year. One failed at the hatching stage, others will be fledging in the next few days, 1-2 weeks early. Young can now be heard calling in nests @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social

Thanks Ed for letting me enjoy them too ! Loads of data to go through Wonderful parent birds too a joy

Female was briefly spooked tonight by a strange noise which meant she stayed a while. Not many days to go until fledging. Could be tmrw @lesserspotnet.bsky.social If this is the last I see of them this year, good luck its been a beautiful spring. #Birds

Monitoring a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest this morning for @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @edhorncastle.bsky.social using a remote camera to get detailed footage of food sources with minimal disturbance. Adults averaging a feed every 3.6 minutes, with a mix of invertebrates, predominantly aphids.

Some shots of lesser spotted woodpecker monitoring the invertebrates in SW big thanks to @edhorncastle.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Windy nest hole monitored for 95 mins 21 visits (4.5 mins per visit). 11 from F 10 from M. At least 15 times aphids were brought in. Interesting behaviour when female was reluctant to go in whilst watching a roe deer pass by. Also a bit of beak cleaning from the male. @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

@lesserspotnet.bsky.social parents busy this morning - at least 18 feed visits in a 50min period

Lesser spots doing well. Lots of aphids to feed young. Female has been staying close to the nest for long periods. Could be because she has been keeping brood warm or she was worried about the local great spot who was nearby @lesserspotnet.bsky.social #Birds

@lesserspotnet.bsky.social active nest in The Blean. Too high for camera inspection equipment, but both adults (mostly the male) seem bringing food and removing faecal sacs. Distant record shot attached

May LSW nesting update. Go out now to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests. Adults actively feeding their young become more detectable. To find a nest this year, get out into the woods now, it will all be over in 4 weeks. Latest update on nests www.woodpecker-network.org.uk/index.php/news

Whilst monitoring a lesser spot nest yesterday the male would often feed with 5 metres of me. Lovely to watch. @lesserspotnet.bsky.social #Birds

Our LesserSpotNet volunteers have data on 4 LSW nests so far, all with 5 or 6 eggs, a good number. 3 have hatched which is very early, they will fledge around 21 May (average 30 May). So look out for adults bringing food to the nest & let regional co-ordinators know www.woodpecker-network.org.uk

Pleased to monitor our first 2026 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest on 2 May, found by a LesserSpotNet volunteer in the Home Counties. Nest camera showed 3 chicks just hatched + 3 eggs waiting, both adults feeding. Good to get data on clutch size. Another very early nest & the highest at 16 metres

Lesser spots male keep young warm overnight. He was still doing so until 10 today. Kept popping out to feed. Female arrived to much relief about 10. A privilege to monitor these nests for @lesserspotnet.bsky.social #Birds The birds then were swapping over every 12 minutes on average.

Lesser spot eggs all hatched now. How many blind naked young can you count. I think 5 but Im not sure #Birds @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @bbcspringwatch.bsky.social