Visitors in my garden 4 June 2012

Visitors in my garden 

4 June 2012

Newly arrived Male,    Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

 A new male arrived today, looked slimmer than the other male, and his plumage 

were tousled. The other male I have taken photos of looks healthy with nice plumage 

 This new male did not make a sound when entering the feeder with the 

suet balls which the other male always does when arriving.

Newly arrived Male,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

The crimson plumage looks almost wet and tousled on this male, you can clearly 

see the crimson spot on the nape, which is absent in females and juvenile great

spotted woodpeckers. On the juveniles the top of the head is crimson between

the bill and the center of the crown. Hopefully I will be able to take some 

nice photos of their juveniles when they are ready to fly and hopefully 

comes to my garden in company with their parents.

Female,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

 The beautiful female she watches me careful everytime she arrives. Then

when decided that I am not a threath she starts to collect food for her 

children at the suet balls. She is usually quiet however if something is 

bothering her she make the same sound as the male. 

Female,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Female,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

If the male arrives the female departs and often it looks like they are rivals since

they hunt eachother in the air. It could be so that this female and the "old" male 

is not a family however after feeding when arriving alone they both take off 

in the same direction. 

Male,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

The "old" male and one of the house sparrows

Male,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Male,  House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Male,   House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Male,   House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

A helicopter arriving probably from the nearby flight club

Male,   House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

The male who was on the ground eating the small pieces from the suet balls which 

always falls down when the great spotted woodpecker pecks on the suet ball, 

must have heard the noice from the helicopter.

Female,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Also the female woodpecker stopped eating and looked up towards the huge

"steel bird" who made a loud noice to claimed to be the new "king" of the 

territory. Maybe the woodpecker thought that must be a very hungry bird.

She frooze and did not make any movement nor sound.

Male,  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

 The male arrived at the top of the cherry tree, also looking up towards the 

helicopter. Now neither one of them focused on me and the sounds from 

the camera, they were totally focused on the helicopter. 

Male,   House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

The house sparrow stayed on his place up in the tree and both of the woodpeckers 

was absolutely still during the time the helicopter was visible.

The Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)or( Parus caeruleus)

The blue tit however was not afraid and took the oppurtunity to peck on the nut 

feeder to bring a nut back home to his or her children.

The Eurasian Nuthatch, (Sitta europaea)

Then the Eurasian Nuthatch arrived and spotted some of the pieces from the 

suet ball on the ground.

The Eurasian Nuthatch, (Sitta europaea)

When eating enough he or she flew back to the nest and the hungry 

children.