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LSW RichardJacobs leftcolLesser Spotted Woodpecker by Richard Jacobs 2019 LSW TimPreston 256Lesser Spotted Woodpecker © Tim Preston

Don't confuse juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers with male Lesser Spots - they both have red caps!

Dont confuse your woodpeckers

Displaying Lesser Spot, photo Rick Ingham

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers 2023 spring update

Details
16 March 2023

All records of Lesser Spots in February or March are important as their presence at this time of year of is a good indication that they may be breeding in the area.
Records are needed to monitor their current population and how well they are doing in an area.

Read more …

Male LSW New Forest by Richard Jacobs

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in 2022 report

Details
09 February 2023

Woodpecker Network Breeding Season Report *

Another interesting and successful year for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in 2022. Thanks to the efforts of all our volunteers and collaborators we were able to collect breeding data from 19 nests. These were relatively successful with an average of just over 3.0 young fledged per nest which was the second best season since we started the monitoring in 2015 (8 years in total).

Read more …

Great Spotted Woodpecker - nest hole orientation

Details
12 September 2022

Which way to face ? Nest hole orientation of Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Poster presentation by Ken Smith and Linda Smith for the Hole-nesting Birds Conference held in Oxford from 7-9 September 2022

As primary cavity excavators, woodpeckers choose exactly where to excavate their nests and would be expected to select sites to maximise their fitness.

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A young Great Spot: note its red head

Is your Woodpecker a Lesser Spot or a Great Spot?

Details
21 June 2022

Great Spots are found widely throughout Britain, they are common in woodland and readily visit garden feeders. Lesser Spots are scarce and rarely seen. So you are much more likely to see a Great Spot than a Lesser Spot. But young Great Spots have a red head - don't confuse tham with a male Lesser Spot.

You can easily tell the difference………..

Read more …

photo Richard Jacobs

Finding Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests

Details
28 April 2022

Here are some tips for finding and monitoring woodpecker nests, especially Lesser Spots based on the experiences of our volunteers.
Go to an area where you saw or heard LSW earlier in the year. Spend time in the area and:

Read more …

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Newsletters

To download our newletters and reports, please use the links below:

2025 LSW Report and News

2024 LSW Report and News (rev)

2024 LSW Report and News

2023 LSW Report and News

2022 LSW Report and News

2021 LSW Newsletter & Report

2020 LSW Newsletter & Report 

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in 2019

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Nest Recording in 2018

2017 LSW Newsletter

2016 LSW Newsletter

2015 LSW Newsletter

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