Greater Spotted Woodpecker
As part of my dissertation I am putting up lots of nets and catching loads of birds every week! Last week we had a special visit by two greater spotted woodpeckers! Male greater spotted woodpecker I was the lucky one who got to ring this beautiful male woodpecker. To ring a bird you close a small ring around their leg that has a number code on it which is entered into a massive database. This way, if the bird is ever caught again - even in another country - we can identify it using its ring and track its movements! We also take a few measurements such as wing length and weight and look at the overall condition of the birds by looking at their wings. female greater spotted woodpecker Then we take a few pictures before releasing the birds back in to the wild! As you can see from the picture above the UEA lake is in the background - anyone can get involved with the ringing group and we often have dog-walkers stop by and ask a few questions. It's great to see s...