Banging the drum for elusive woodpecker

This is the most difficult woodpecker to see. It is Europe's smallest woodpecker, only about the size of a greenfinch, and in addition spends much of its time in the topmost branches of trees where it all but disappears from view once the buds have burst.

Given that it is also a scarce and declining bird across much of England it is hardly surprising that it is still on many a birdwatcher's wish-list.

Sometimes one might be discovered tagging along with a winter tit flock but this is very much a chance encounter and the best chance of success is finding one that is calling or drumming this month or in March and April.

The lesser and great spotted have similar calls and drumming but careful listening can detect subtle differences.

The lesser drums more rapidly and for longer than the great, albeit most quietly, and the drumming does not peter out at the end.

The lesser also has a shrill but weak "pee pee pee" call rather like a kestrel but also resembling another treetop dweller, the nuthatch.

They only occur in broad-leafed woods, parkland and orchards where there are plenty of decaying trees as they need to excavate a new nest chamber every spring.

South Yorkshire remains a relative stronghold for them with the Potteric Carr reserve near Doncaster holding at least one breeding pair and Wintersett reservoir, where one was seen at the weekend, and Hoyland, Woolley Woods, and Sprotbrough Flash among other sites to try.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is another place where they have been seen while one was reported last week in the trees near the car park at Wheldrake Ings.

The woods at Temple Newsam, Leeds is another site – I located a male by its drumming there on March 28, 2005, which remained in the same area, drumming on the same dead branch until late April, giving a large number of people chance to see it.

But sadly they are declining everywhere with the latest State of The Nation's Birds report showing a 70 per cent decline in numbers between 1970 and 2006.

Increased competition with great spotted woodpeckers for nest sites could be one reason.

It is also suggested that the males now call less because of less competition from other males, making them harder to find. More waxwings have been seen both along the east coast and inland, with six around the headland at Flamborough and four in Filey while inland five were in Doncaster, two in Rotherham, three near the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds and 20 seen in flight at Midhope reservoir, South Yorkshire.

A female black redstart was seen at Flamborough while great northern divers and three long-tailed ducks were in Filey Bay.

Two rare grebes are present on inland waters, a red-necked grebe at Wintersett reservoir, West Yorkshire and Slavonian grebe at Welton Water, East Yorkshire.

Twelve white-fronted geese and 19 barnacle geese were at Wheldrake Ings while 22 taiga bean geese were at the RSPB's Saltholme reserve

and four tundra bean geese were at Cayton Carrs, Scarborough.

A black Brent goose is with a flock of dark-bellied brent geese on the Humber between Kilnsea and Sammy's Point while some pink-footed geese have also been seen in flight over the region.

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