 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major. Male. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on November 30th 2013. Male. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on November 30th 2013. (1/125th sec at f14. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)  Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major). Female. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on March 23rd 2019. Female. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on March 23rd 2019. (1/800th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings) Description L: 23 - 26cm; WS: 38 - 44 cm The Great Spotted Woodpecker is the commonest pied woodpecker. It is easily identified by its red vent, unstreaked flanks, and oval white wing patches. Males have a red patch on the hindcrown, which females lack. It is found throughout England, Wales and most of Scotland, but is absent from Ireland. In some years northern European populations migrate south and west in the winter. Great Spotted Woodpeckers breed in all kinds of woodland, larger parks and gardens. Males drum on trees in spring, the rolls being very short, very fast and ending abruptly. There are between 37-44,000 pairs in the British Isles. Sightings | 18-Apr-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 15-Apr-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 11-Apr-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 08-Apr-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 29-Mar-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 26-Mar-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 09-Mar-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 04-Mar-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 24-Feb-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 16-Feb-2024 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1) | | 09-Feb-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 01-Feb-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 29-Jan-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 05-Jan-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 02-Jan-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 01-Jan-2024 | : | Aston, Oxon | (2) |
| | 17-Dec-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (2) | | 05-Dec-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (2) | | 23-Nov-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 12-Nov-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (2) | | 09-Nov-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 31-Oct-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 25-Oct-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (2) | | 22-Oct-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 20-Oct-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 16-Oct-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 02-Oct-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 25-Jul-2023 | : | Otmoor, Oxon | (2) | | 25-Jul-2023 | : | Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon | (1) | | 17-Jul-2023 | : | Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon | (1) | | 21-Jun-2023 | : | Haddon Moor, Somerset | (1) | | 12-Jun-2023 | : | Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon | (1) | | 03-May-2023 | : | Gilfach, Powys | (1) | | 01-May-2023 | : | Cnwch Wood, Powys | (1) | | 21-Apr-2023 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1) | | 15-Apr-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 26-Mar-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 22-Feb-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 19-Feb-2023 | : | Standlake Common, Oxon | (2) | | 06-Feb-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 05-Feb-2023 | : | Standlake Common, Oxon | (1) | | 19-Jan-2023 | : | Slimbridge, Glos | (1) | | 15-Jan-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 15-Jan-2023 | : | Buckland Warren, Oxon | (1) | | 13-Jan-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 08-Jan-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 02-Jan-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1f) | | 01-Jan-2023 | : | Aston, Oxon | (2) |
| | 26-Dec-2022 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1) | | 16-Dec-2022 | : | Aston, Oxon | (1m) |
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