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Great Spotted Woodpeckers colonising Ireland

Any European field guide will tell you that woodpeckers do not occur in Ireland. Well, those field guides may need to be rewritten: in an exciting development, this year saw no less than 8 pairs of Great Spotted Woodpeckers breeding in woodland in Co. Wicklow, a truly amazing discovery.

Read Dick Coombes' fascinating article on this piece of ornithological history
(PDF: 933KB)

(article taken from the Winter 2009 issue of Wings magazine)

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Male Great Spotted Woodpecker in Co. Wicklow woodland

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker visiting nest

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker with nestling

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker at nest site

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker at nest hole

Please note: all photographs were taken by Dick Coombes under licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and may not be reproduced without express prior permission.