There is a hive of activity going on in my local wood. A woodpecker pair are busy feeding squealing youngsters, not yet peeping out their hole. Here is a busy parent going in with a beak full of grubs and insects. This one is the dad, I can tell by the red patch at the back of his head.
And here is the mum flying out to get more food. Her head is only black and white.
When I first arrived at my viewing spot I saw a jay fly off from a bush in front of me. Then the woodpecker parents got very upset and gave loud warning calls. Other smaller birds sounded warning calls too. It “wisnae me” causing the upset, it was the jay. I spotted it through the trees perched on a branch.
Not too far from the woodpeckers were a pair of busy blue tits bringing green caterpillars to feed their brood deep in this tree hole. Just like the pair at my garden box, these parents were coming and going continuously. They must be exhausted!
One day I heard a really strange sound coming from the trees and couldn’t recognise it at all. It turned out to be this grey squirrel, possibly making a mating call.
Another day I was on my way out of the wood I found this deer munching away on bramble leaves. He or she is looking at me as if to say, “can I not eat in peace?”
One surprise you don’t want to get from a visit to a wood is a tick bite. Despite having socks tucked into trousers and wearing long sleeves and layers I’ve still had a few of the tiny black blood suckers stuck to my skin. It takes a special tick removing tool or tweezers to extract them. Then you have to keep an eye out for a target like rash and any flu like symptoms. Ticks can carry lyme disease which can be devastating if left untreated.
Sarah's Wildlife Watch 