Attracting Woodpeckers (1 Viewer)

[TheBirdGarden]

I would like to know if it is possible to attract woodpeckers or a woodpecker to my garden? I have plenty of trees and even next door as 6 massive ferns. So is there anything I can do to try and encourage a great spotted woodpecker or a green woodpecker to my garden? without havent to discourage another bird even if that bird is a magpie I don't want to discourage it

 

[coloz]

I would like to know if it is possible to attract woodpeckers or a woodpecker to my garden? I have plenty of trees and even next door as 6 massive ferns. So is there anything I can do to try and encourage a great spotted woodpecker or a green woodpecker to my garden? without havent to discourage another bird even if that bird is a magpie I don't want to discourage it

Hi buddy i made a log feeder this worked very well. Just get a nice sized log drill loads of holes in to it just big enough to get your peanuts in and the odd big hole for putting fat in. Then just attach a steel loop on the top for hanging it. hope this helps. col :t:

 

[TheBirdGarden]

would a branch work just as well? I got alot of them when I cut down one of the trees back.

Thanks

 

[coloz]

would a branch work just as well? I got alot of them when I cut down one of the trees back.

Thanks

Yes as long as it is thick enough.
http://www.wildlifeandlandscapes.co.uk/news12941.html
Here is an example but i drilled smaller holes for peanuts as well .It's a bit time consuming filling the holes with peanuts but its worth it. you can buy the screw in loops for hanging at your local diy shop for a couple of pounds. col

 

[LindaBuckell]

I would like to know if it is possible to attract woodpeckers or a woodpecker to my garden? I have plenty of trees and even next door as 6 massive ferns. So is there anything I can do to try and encourage a great spotted woodpecker or a green woodpecker to my garden? without havent to discourage another bird even if that bird is a magpie I don't want to discourage it

For quickness and cheapness, this little suet feeder works a treat:
http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p/BirdFeeders/Square_bird_cake_feeder_and_cakes.htm

I never used to get the GSW's in our garden but a year or so ago when I put one of these out, I regularly had 3.

They have been absent during the summer but I now have a male and a female returing to the garden.

GSW's love suet.

 

[TheBirdGarden]

Yes as long as it is thick enough.
http://www.wildlifeandlandscapes.co.uk/news12941.html
Here is an example but i drilled smaller holes for peanuts as well .It's a bit time consuming filling the holes with peanuts but its worth it. you can buy the screw in loops for hanging at your local diy shop for a couple of pounds. col

Thanks I will try that then and time isnt a problem I got plenty of it

For quickness and cheapness, this little suet feeder works a treat:
http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p/BirdFeeders/Square_bird_cake_feeder_and_cakes.htm

I never used to get the GSW's in our garden but a year or so ago when I put one of these out, I regularly had 3.

They have been absent during the summer but I now have a male and a female returing to the garden.

GSW's love suet.

I use them but they don't attract GSWs. I get black caps instead

 

[TheBirdGarden]

Just looked at the branches...How thick would they need to be at least?

 

[jtwood]

A 3" to 4" Branch about three feet long brings two GSW to my garden Drill 20mm hole right through the Branch, I use a self made Lard, Suet and nut mix to fill the Holes the Peckers love it, They also love Sunflower Hearts again drill some holes about 30mm deep into a branch fill with Sunflower Hearts hang it in the Garden hopefully you will get a Gsw.
Jim

 

[coloz]

Just looked at the branches...How thick would they need to be at least?

Any size will do really, they don't have to be to big , anything smaller than the circumference of cd disk will do col

 

[coloz]

woodpecker

Here's another photo you can see the holes better

 

[King Edward]

Great Spotted Woodpeckers will also come to ordinary peanut mesh feeders. If you have a few decent sized trees I'd have thought they'd be likely to visit occasionally anyway, if they're in the area. Green Woodpeckers tend to be attracted to lawns looking for ants - I don't know if there's any other particular food that will attract them. For both species the calls are often the best way to know they're around, especially the Green which tends to be more shy and elusive.

 

[TheBirdGarden]

Great Spotted Woodpeckers will also come to ordinary peanut mesh feeders. If you have a few decent sized trees I'd have thought they'd be likely to visit occasionally anyway, if they're in the area. Green Woodpeckers tend to be attracted to lawns looking for ants - I don't know if there's any other particular food that will attract them. For both species the calls are often the best way to know they're around, especially the Green which tends to be more shy and elusive.

I have all those lol. I have a peanut mesh feeder situated away from the main feeding station under one of my apple trees. I have two apples trees two christmas tree looking trees (shrugs) a blossom tree (its what we call it) and another tree of a different species and next door have 6 christmas tree looking trees at about probably 30ft each. The garden is now half lawn because I pulled half the concrete slats out and replaced it with lawn all is missing is Woodpeckers.

I have built a woodpecker thingy I would get a picture but it is a little dark out here at midnight

 

[Kits]

GSWs come to the mesh peanut feeder in our garden most days. Green woodpeckers visit fairly regularly, feeding on ants in the lawn. I am not sure if there is any way to attract the Green, but a peanut feeder will attract GSWs if they are in the vicinity.

 

[Richard W]

I have a drilled out log and nut feeder that have Great Spots on them most days, it also will take black sunflowers from the nearby seed feeder & jam them in the holes in the log to open them, only seen that for the first time this year.

 

[Old Codger]

Woodies

Had a male gsw twice in the garden in the last week,on the mesh nut feeders,never seen one here before,also a kestrel last week was a first,sat on the fence for ages. :t:

 

[LaineyJ]

I have GSWs visiting on a regular basis, as other members have mentioned, my visitor mostly goes for the flat suet feeders. Having said that when i looked out yesterday a female GSW was hanging onto the saucer of a sunflower hearts feeding away nicely.

 

[TheBirdGarden]

hmm, any of you who have had GSW'S coming to your garden on a busy road?

 

[Richard W]

I've seen GSW on feeders very close to a busy road near an allotment, if you've seen/heard them where you live and put out the right food/feeders am sure they'll be there.

they do get used to activity quite quickly, they would quite happily visit my feeders at work when I would be working nearby, also seen pics of people hand feeding them.

the drilled log stuffed with nuts has always been the most successful thing for me.

 

[Mary]

hmm, any of you who have had GSW'S coming to your garden on a busy road?

We have both traffic and pedestrians passing all day at the front, it's pretty busy. The GSW did come fairly regularly for a while, but only early morning before traffic really started. It's gone awol just now, hope it returns during winter, but it may be that it goes to another feeder where it's quieter.

 

[TheBirdGarden]

We have both traffic and pedestrians passing all day at the front, it's pretty busy. The GSW did come fairly regularly for a while, but only early morning before traffic really started. It's gone awol just now, hope it returns during winter, but it may be that it goes to another feeder where it's quieter.

well hopefully I can see one during the winter months, got my nuts, suet blocks and special log thing (which had a magpie on it lol) now all that is missing is a GSW and maybe I will see a return of the blackcaps loved them last year