Yellow-bellied Sapsucker?
These pix of a Lime Tree damaged by something - the damage looks very like damage by sapsucker sp to North American trees but this tree is in Peasholm Park, Scarborough.
So either there is or has been a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Peasholm Park or something else has caused this.
Compare the holes in this picture - click - to the damage in the pix below.
Can Great Spotted Woodpecker do this? I've never come across it but ....
Any ideas gratefully received, please post ideas in the comments box or email to birdsvc62@gmail.com
I've just had a look at BWP and it appears that Great Spot can and does do this. Apparently the behaviour is very rare in UK but common in Sweden and feeding on Lime is specifically mentioned. Bearing in mind that these pictures were sent to me by a tree specialist and he'd not seen this before suggests that this feeding behaviour is extraordinarily rare in UK. Anyone else come across this?
4 comments:
I've seen "damage" of this type in North America but never in this country, Sapsucker or Great Spot either it would seem is a rare event!
Hi Alastair,
I have never seen this type of damage before but have heard about Great Spots doing it for exactly the same reasons as Sapsuckers - to get sap! I suppose it might be learned behaviour like Blue Tits and milk bottle tops...
S...
It might be a Northern Great Spot over wintering? A letter to BB perhaps...( No not Boulmer Birder, the real BB :)
Stewart,
Yes I think a letter to BB is possible, perhaps a Note. However, I think I would need to see the bird on the tree. One of the Scarborough birders lives right by the park so he is going to take the occasional look. According to BWP this damage to a particular tree can be sustained over several years. Peak time for the behaviour is December onwards, depending on tree species, as the sap rises, so those factors might rule out a continental migrant perhaps.
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