Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers June 2026 update
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Thanks to the brilliant support of Woodpecker Network volunteers, 2026 has been another remarkable year for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (LSW) studies. In the year so far ...
Countryfile feature on Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers
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BBC Countryfile on Sunday 21 June on BBC One at 7:15 featured Woodpecker Network volunteers, Ken and Linda Smith in the New Forest talking about and looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and visiting a nest.
You can watch on iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002y4fm/countryfile-hampshires-secret-wild-side and the episode will be repeated on BBC 2 on Sunday 28 June at 8:00am and Tuesday 30st June at 01:35
Lesser Spot nesting update May 2026
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From now until early June is the time to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests. Adults are actively feeding their young, so become more detectable. Our volunteers have located 11 potential nest sites so far and we have the number of eggs or young for 4 nests.
We are optimistic for this nesting season. Good breeding success in 2025 and sustained efforts with passive sound recorders this spring have identified LSW in many more woodlands than previously thought.
LesserSpotNet volunteers have identified potential nests in Devon, Somerset, the New Forest, Sussex, Kent, the Home Counties, Norfolk, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Setting up and using sound recorders for detecting Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers
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Over the last two years we have successfully used passive acoustic monitors to detect the calling and drumming of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (LSW). We have now written this guidance note/protocol for Song Meters to detect LSW to provide more of the practical details for using the method with the Song Meter Mini and Micro from Wildlife Acoustics.
Acoustic Monitoring for detection of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers
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Our new paper just published in December's British Birds describes how we have successfully developed sound recording 'Bioacoustics' as a tool for the detection and monitoring of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. We have found Lesser Spots still present in woodlands where they have not been seen/heard for years. This is a very exciting -