France in Focus

Last Friday we heard a woodpecker drumming in the woods and he was at it again today. Seems a bit early!

They're up and about ! Green and greater spotted woodpeckers have been seen round here, both in the trees and on lawns.

Woodpeckers don't migrate, so as long as there is potential insect or larvae activity below the bark of the trees they will be hammering away for their supper. WE have had a female great spotted in the branches just outside my window for several days.

Never mind the branches, it's wooden shutters they really like!

We’ve greater spotted and green woodpeckers around us in Berkshire, and for the last few days my husband has been calling to me that there’s a green one on the ground and pecking at bark on the apple tree trunks. I’m rather immobile just now, so I haven’t seen any recently, heard them though.

They've been at work here for a few weeks. And I have a feeling we have boar now to join the moles that are wrecking the lawn.

A friend in the Lot saw and heard cranes going north today.

I've never seen cranes fly over here. On the other hand we get Canada geese over the winter (Bernache de Canada) and this morning I saw a large flock flying along the shore. Sadly they are actually considered "nuisibles" because of the guano they spread and consequently they can be hunted.

The spotted and green are residents, I get them at least the lesser spotted and greater spotted scraping with the other birds for the fat balls, the greens tend to forage on the floor, the loud drumming' a brief noise that sounds like a machine gun is the black woodpecker, it is black with a red head, often heard not often seen.

The greater spotted woodie has been feeding on our fatballs for a week or so now. The other year we had a family and the parents would take turns as sentry on a closeby post when they brought their young to feed.