Great Spotted Woodpecker - Garden Birds

 Key features to look out for

• About the size of a Blackbird, but more slender
• Black, white and red plumage (on belly)
• Males have a red patch on the back of the head
• Juveniles have a red crown
• Bouncy, undulating flight

Who is steeling our bird feeder???

Every morning recently we have found our bird feeder somewhere in our garden, we decided to put up a trail camera to catch the culprit and this is what we found. 

Bickershaw Country Park Bird Watching (Nevison Flash)

DATE: Sunday 10th May 2026

TIME: 14:30-16:30

WEATHER CONDITIONS: Sun/Clouds 16C

OBSERVATIONS:

Returning to see if we could hear or see the Cuckoo's. Unfortunately no sign of them however, a great afternoons walk around the flash.

Peacock Butterfly

Goldfinch

Reed Bunting

Best Willow Warbler I could get

Swift

Buzzard

• Goldfinch
• Magpie
• Canada Geese
• Coot
• Linnet*
• Willow Warbler*
• Cetti's Warbler
• Reed Warbler
• Reed Bunting
• Swift
• Buzzard (x4)
• Blackheaded Gull
• Chiffchaff
• Song Thrush
• Wren
• Blackcap
• Robin
• Blackbird

2026 Bird List (May)

START: 1st Jan 2026

UPDATED: 12th May 2026

RUNNING TOTAL: 035

May Observations

Nuthatch

Grey Heron

Chiffchaff

Cettis Warbler

Reed Warbler

Reed Bunting

Moorhen

Collard Dove

Sedge Warbler

Cuckoo (Heard)

Longtailed Tit

Coal Tit

Swift

Coot

Linnet

Carrion Crow

Wren

Willow Warbler

Song Thrush

Blackcap

April Observations

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dunnock

Goldfinch

Starling

March Observations

Graylag Goose

Wood Pigeon

February Observations

Mute Swan

Mallard

Canada Geese

January Observations

Robin

Blackbird

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Magpie

Blackheaded Gull

Orrell Water Park Bat Walk - Sat 9th May 2026

DATE: Saturday 9th May 2026

TIME: 20:30 - 22:30

WEATHER CONDITIONS: 9C Cloudy dropping to 8C

OBSERVATIONS:

A great evening walk around Orrell Water Park organised by the Billinge Bat Rescue Team, thanks to an informative talk by H, Mike and Amber.
More info on the Bat Hospital etc can be found on Facebook > (20+) Billinge Bat Rescue | Facebook

Bats seen and heard:

Soprano Pipistrelle 55kHz

Common Pipistrelle 45kHz

Noctule 22kHz

Dabenton's 45kHz (flying close to the water surface)

Nathusius Pipistrelle 39kHz

Orrell Water Park

A video showing one of the bats the team had brought with them and then some of the bats over the lake along with bat detector sounds

Garden Bird List (Jan 2025 to Present)

Start Date             = 1st January 2025

Updated Date       = 8th May 2026

Grand Total = 25

• Carrion Crow 12/5/2026
• Sparrowhawk (Female) 25/2/26
• Chaffinch (Male) past 3 days 24/2/26
• Nutharch x2
• Goldfinch
• Song Thrush
• Blackcap (heard)
• Great Spotted Woodpecker x3 M/F/J
• Swift (14th May) Overhead
• Buzzard Overhead
• House Sparrow (female)
• Pied Wagtail
• Wren
• Grey Wagtail
• Coal Tit
• Blue Tit x7
• Great Tit x8
• Long Tailed Tit x17
• Starlings x5
• Dunnock
• Robin x2
• Magpie x5
• Wood Pigeon
• Collard Dove x2
• Blackbird M/F/J

Pictures & Videos

Carrion Crow piching the fat balls

Sparrowhawk (Female, males have grey heads)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Male)

Baby Blackbird fledged May 2025

Goldfinch

Starling

Long Tailed Tit

Long Tailed Tits

Coal Tit

Robin

Nevison's flash (Part of Bickershaw Country Park) - Monday 4th May 2026

DATE: Monday 4th May 2026

TIME: 11:30 - 13:30hrs

WEATHER CONDITIONS: 5-6C cloudy

OBSERVATIONS:

A short walk from home around Nevison's Flash which is part of the Bickershaw Country Park, an area being reclaimed by nature now that its former life as a colliery has finished.

 

There was a lot of bird chatter so you had to keep your ears open to distinguish the bird calls and identify them, the Merlin Bird App also helps.

Birds Heard:
Cettis Warbler*

Common Reed Warbler

Reed Bunting

Cuckoo*

Birds Seen:

Mute Swan x2
Moorhen

Blackheaded Gull

Sedge Warbler*

Great Tit
Blue Tit

* New birds heard or sighted.

Mute Swan

Sedge Warbler - Distinct pale supercillium.