A Woodpecker on my balls! - now with added DIY

Yv

Yv

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Yvonne, pronounced Eve...
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:woot: FINALLY!! Been up since 5.30 determined to get some shots of this Great Spotted Woodpecker but until 5 minutes ago he had been a bit elusive. OK, they cant match sawmans brilliant shots, but for a nth london garden and a really cheap zoom lens, I am a bit smug about them :LOL:

1 - is anyone looking?

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2 - mmmm....fatballs

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3 - Did I hear something?

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4 - OH! Its you again with that camera.

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Hope you like and thanks for looking. Will try and sort out a more natural looking perch for him over next few days.
 
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Great photos you took there. So lucky to get one in your garden, I've never seen one.
 
Well done! I have found that once they get used to the fact that your garden is a good source of food, they will feed regularly, throughout the day. If you look at some of my pics or sawmans pics you will see ideas for more "natural" perches.
 
Great stuff LL. As above... they will start to frequent your garden... so get some natural stuff ready. They like suet stuffed into tree trunks or smeared on to get some natural shots. (y)
 
Nice one..wish I could get them on my feeders...by the way its best to take the suet balls out of the mesh ;) (Safer for smaller birds)
 
Did not realise this is what a woodpecker looked like! I always thought it would be more like this:

WoodyWoodpecker1.jpg


No wonder I never spot them!

Gary.
 
Great photos Yvonne. Can't you tell Woodie to come down to Carshalton?!!! Just brought a new super duper bird stand! It's got all the latest mod cons including numerous feeding trays including squirrel proof nut holders (yeah right!) and a jaccuzzi!!!
 
Janice said:
Great stuff LL. As above... they will start to frequent your garden... so get some natural stuff ready. They like suet stuffed into tree trunks or smeared on to get some natural shots. (y)
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Ok, now fully fed myself, I have filled the drilled piece of birch with a chopped up fat ball and put that back up. [not must use sitting on the garden table is it]

Stuart - I was doing that until I realised how much fat ball my dogs were eating - the starlings were breaking them up and they would fall out of feeder in lumps - trying to work out some kind of compromise, I have been looking for a feeder with smaller holes that that one but not as small as the mesh peanut/sunflower hearts type. Think I might make/buy a few more of the drilled log types but its pain constantly refilling them with the bloody starlings who can empty one in a day :LOL:

Gary - dont worry, you keep thinking that :LOL:

Thanks for th ecomments btw guys, appreciated :D
 
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Very well done. Now you can set to & make it all look a bit more natural. I am really chuffed for you(y)
 
Excellent captures of your male visitor Yvonne ... (y) ... really just needs a little practice now to improve dramatically ... :D

... although :agree: with Stuart that you must get them out of the plastic mesh ... :shrug: ... have you thought of taking a plastic plant pot tray slightly larger than the feeder and drilling three holes through the lip and wiring it to the bottom of the feeder to catch the bits ... :thinking:




:p
 
Nice captures Yvonne - give that bird directions to Woodford please :D (but not to my balls!!!)
 
Venomator said:
Excellent captures of your male visitor Yvonne ... (y) ... really just needs a little practice now to improve dramatically ... :D

... although :agree: with Stuart that you must get them out of the plastic mesh ... :shrug: ... have you thought of taking a plastic plant pot tray slightly larger than the feeder and drilling three holes through the lip and wiring it to the bottom of the feeder to catch the bits ... :thinking:



:p
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(y) i hadnt but great idea...anything to stop two jack russells...errr...'passing' bird seed in copious amounts :puke: Not to mention whatever damage all that suet is doing....

Oh, I also ordered some camo net to replace my wicker blind at the window, the woodie and a couple of others are more more noticing of that black thing moving slowly against the pale colour of the blind.


Thanks Charlie, fancy drilling a few logs for me? :LOL:


**wonders off to shed to find come old plant pot bases**
 
44 tonne lorry on its way with a load of drilled logs just for you.(y)
 
LadyLens said:
(y) i hadnt but great idea...anything to stop two jack russells...errr...'passing' bird seed in copious amounts :puke: Not to mention whatever damage all that suet is doing....

Oh, I also ordered some camo net to replace my wicker blind at the window, the woodie and a couple of others are more more noticing of that black thing moving slowly against the pale colour of the blind.


Thanks Charlie, fancy drilling a few logs for me? :LOL:


**wonders off to shed to find come old plant pot bases**
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Fance off the area immediatly below your "birding station"? I have the same problem with Basil. He got my entire ball in his mouth, and gave it a good chew before spitting most of it out. He did swallow some of it though.

I gave the dog a bone.

Gary.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Fance off the area immediatly below your "birding station"? I have the same problem with Basil. He got my entire ball in his mouth, and gave it a good chew before spitting most of it out. He did swallow some of it though.

I gave the dog a bone.

Gary.
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Hmmm, let me see, Basil is a very sweet King Charles IIRC who whilst enjoying the game of 'fetch the fat ball', probably rightly thinks they are probably not good enough to eat too much of, being a dog in impeccable taste. Thimble & Scrappy on the other hand are jack russells, aka 'walking vacuum cleaners', if it can be swalloed they will eat it - and as for fencing...if I told you that we put up brand new 6ft waney lap panels last summer to replace the 20 yr old stuff they had destroyed...within a month, Thims has managed to chew through one of the panels [one of the laps was ever so slightly warped, just enough for her to get her teeth under] and it had to be replaced again, what chance do you think of fencing in the bird feeder AND still actually be able to see the birds?? :cautious::LOL::LOL:

Anyway, problem solved, I have taken Vens advice, we are now net free on the fat balls and there is a plant pot catch tray mounted underneath to catch the bits that fall. (y) Thanks Ven :clap:

Next job, a walk in the local woods this afternoon where they have been thining the trees, try and get a bigger log, then B&Q for a spade drill bit to make soe holes in it. :D
 
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I wouldnt want that pecking my balls!



Nice shots, i've got nothing in my garden...:(
 
But I am sending a log or two down to you. Expect this at your door tomorrow sometime!:LOL:
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:LOL: Slapo! No, I just keep Mr LL's in a jar on the mantle :whistle:


OK guys, be amazed by my handiwork....NOT!!

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First of all the log, you can see the original small one, and the one I just, err, 'borrowed' off the floor of some local woods. One chisel later and there are holes for food, filled with a crumbled up fat ball, eh voila, new 'natural' feeder - or as natural as its going to get for now.

The tray under the ball holder is a bit deep but all I had in the shed, and will do until I get to a garden centre for something a little flatter. The gaps between the strings I have deliberately left big enough for tits, robins, starlings etc to be able to get out of in case they do decide to investigate contents of catch pot.

Now all I need is another pole, that one is getting a bit over burdened :bonk:
 
I think folks there only one thing for it. We'll have to turn up en mass at LadyLens land to take pics of woodie plus sample her Pims!
 
King of Groove said:
I think folks there only one thing for it. We'll have to turn up en mass at LadyLens land to take pics of woodie plus sample her Pims!
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Yes.. one lovely summer sunday afternoon. Pimms and so bloody what if the woodpecker doesn't show up! :D
 
You can probably expect an article in tomorrow's edition of The Daily Woodpecker!
 
Smashing stuff LL .... very nice and clear too!
Look forward to seeing more shots from your new armoury (y)

Managed a snap of one myself about half an hour ago, dining on an ants nest in my lawn.
Got to about 7ft away before he noticed me looming above him & shot off!
Hope mine becomes a regular visitor too!
 
LadyLens said:
Anyway, problem solved, I have taken Vens advice, we are now net free on the fat balls and there is a plant pot catch tray mounted underneath to catch the bits that fall. Thanks Ven :clap:
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Glad to of some use for something ... :D


sawman said:
But I am sending a log or two down to you. Expect this at your door tomorrow sometime!
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:eek:

:LOL:

LadyLens said:
OK guys, be amazed by my handiwork....NOT!!
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Correct ... :D ... but do the birds give a hoot ... :shrug: ... I think NOT ... :D



Janice said:
Yes.. one lovely summer sunday afternoon. Pimms and so bloody what if the woodpecker doesn't show up!
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Janice said:
Pimms o'clock!! :D
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My thoughts precisely ... YUM ... :naughty:





:p
 
Great set-up there LL. Hmmm, think I'll give the 'logs' a go myself (y)

Something a bit smaller than sawman is sending though :LOL:
 
hairy said:
Great set-up there LL. Hmmm, think I'll give the 'logs' a go myself (y)

Something a bit smaller than sawman is sending though :LOL:
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Well I wasnt invited for Pimms either so I have told the lorry to bring em back:LOL:
 
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