99% Of The UK Won't Have Seen One, so i went searching

[@martizek9823]

i see lesser spotted woodpeckers almost every year in my backyard in Poland this video make me even more appreciate meeting with the smallest woodpecker across the Europe

[@michaelp1625]

tree creepers absolutely trolling. brilliant video man!

[@jamlarna]

I live in south wales and in a very rural area just outside margum park, we have this beautiful bird come to our garden to feed on the bird feeder. I didn't realise how rear they are until this video so i feel very honoured to have something like this visiting the garden. Great video as always thank you 😊

[@lucyobrien1617]

Never seen a woodpecker. Heard one once. The other day I saw two very interesting birds, never seen them before. They were grey partridges. It's amazing what wildlife we have

[@timjozwiak2293]

Your enthusiasm is contagious! So happy that you took us birding with you!

[@BMW7series251]

As a milkman, l was on my round years ago. Deep in the forest of a very affluent group of houses. Watching a pair of Nuthatches in a nest box, a bunch of LS Woodpeckers walked by on the branches, Made my day.

[@lynnecook3154]

Loved this, Brandon Marsh is a great place, that tiny woodpecker is one to add to my list 😊

[@BeneathTheGold]

My dads a complete bird nut. He was into hunting too. Back in the 80’s my dad and his buddy were out hunting and my dad saw a little lesser spotted woodpecker. He pointed it out to his buddy who wasnt much of a bird guy asked my dad if he should shoot it. I think my dad was on the verge of shooting him 😂

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

😂😂😂

[@markopolo5695]

I'm sure there are some of these in Middleton Park Woods in Leeds

[@Artie1460]

During covid I used to go on a walk past a inner city wild wooded area. I am not a bird spotter but suddenly there were up to eight lesser spotted woodpeckers. When I arrived home I did a search and remembering the markings which were very distinct and discovered they were lesser spotted woodpeckers. I can only assume they were fledglings that were leaving the nest. During covid there seemed to be more bird activity even near previously busy roads. This made my day. I have since moved but always remember that remarkable sight. How can you feel down when surrounded by God’s creation. The sighting was at the wooded copse in the cemetery on Lightbowne Road, Manchester M40. I had no idea they were rare and did not report the sighting.

[@stinkology]

Great content as always! The lesser spotted woodpecker reminds me of the downy woodpeckers over here in the US, except instead of being the rarest woodpecker they're the most common lol.

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

So similar right?!

[@stinkology]

@@WildlifeWithCookie I guess they call my region of the country "New England" for more reasons than just "They share a bunch of town names"

[@elegantrebel]

a lesser spotted woodpecker lives in the tree behind my house (hampshire UK).. it makes a very distinct noise and is very friendly.

[@mohammedameen9945]

Last week i spotted a lesser spotted woodpecker on my tree in my garden, got great pics and videos of it too, what a spectacular bird!

[@rowlandbrant674]

I've seen all three of our Woodpeckers and Jays too in my garden in Sussex.

[@TheModernMusicsucks]

In my experience, people get juvenile GSW mixed up with LSW, a lot!

[@andrewclack6599]

Had one of the lesser spotted woodpeckers on my bird feeder last week, eating suet balls. Had no idea what it was and used google to work it out. Live in the countryside and often see green ones. Get too many Magpies, Pigeons, Crows (Jackdaws too) and they’re a nuisance as they decimate the food and scare off the smaller birds. Love all the Finches - anything colourful. We also get many Yellowhammers here and until I started the feeder had never seen or heard of them! The bravest birds seem to be the Blue Tits and Great Tits who often let me get close without flying off.

[@catsfromthedarkside]

Thanks for the video. Ive never seen a LSW but will keep trying and will post a vid on my own channel if i manage. I like how youre not so serious and keep things lively!

[@birdingman]

Nice video! Spotted one just last week at the Risley Moss.

[@jordanharman8118]

Where I live in uk Surrey There’s this bird I’ve near seen one before it’s white with a long neck and with yellow feet always hunting in the waters would you know what it would be ?

[@SkylarkFields]

Sounds like a little egret.( If it's the size of a heron though, it'll be a great white egret. )

[@peterbirkett9537]

Stroking one yesterday hit our window in upton upon severn got some lovley close up pics of it was beautifull to see kept it warm and put it under hedge next morning it flew off needed some rest after hitting the window.

[@peterbirkett9537]

It was a a lesser spotted woodpecker

[@suethorpe8409]

I’m in Hampshire and I have a lesser spotted woodpecker that is visiting my feeder daily 😍

[@chrisfrost8456]

Saw my First a few years back at Pulborough Brooks RSPB during winter time which is best time to see as most of the 🍃 have fallen. ❤

[@MuertaRara]

I love the size comparison!

[@jimbothesailor4217]

The weirdest thing ever... The only place that I have consistently seen a LSW is in a different Brandon. In Norfolk! They nest there every year, it's just a short walk from Brandon village and it's called Santon Downham. You should check it out some time, they also have Goshawks, Stone curlews, Nightjars and TurtleDoves. Just a short drive away they have crossbills.

[@jimbothesailor4217]

Also, if you do make it down. It's never been more than a five minute wait when we get there.

[@Just_shush_now]

Mega f*cking jealous… this is something I really want to see. I’ve tried a couple of times, however they are really sulky and don’t seem to have regular ranges until breeding comes around. Btw I want to recommend a few potential animal anomalies- 1. Black redstart, have around 50- individuals in the UK. 2. Black winged stilts, a couple breed every years in the UK- only around 10-15 come to the UK every year. 3. Bee eaters, they bred for the second time in quarry in Norfolk last year. 4. Ruddy shelduck, ruddy duck, red crested pochard- all introduced birds that have been becoming more common. 5. Stone curlews, spotted quake, corn crake- all rare breeding birds in the UK- sadly they have all seemed to suffer a decline due to loss of habitat. 6. Red legged falcons- one of the most magnificent falcons, around 30 can be seen in the UK every year. 7. This ones more for winter- red necked, black necked and Slavonian grebes are all wintering grebes here in the UK- they are all extremely rare in the UK however they do end up in reservoirs and at certain times can be seen there for several months at a time. 8. Goshawk, honey buzzards- both extremely rare birds of prey that breed in small numbers in the UK. 9. Turtle doves and nightingales both rare breeding birds that have had their number decrease drastically. 10. Collared doves, Cetti’s warblers, little egrets, cattle egrets, great egrets, Med gulls, spoonbills- all birds that weren’t breeding in the UK until relatively recently.

[@neilfoster8823]

Anomalies?

[@alasdairgibb2596]

I experience this emotion and frustration every time I plan a trip to see LSW's. I have been searching for 20 years and I have seen just one!! 😢

[@Bexamina]

I loved this video so much. You'll be giving Chris Packham a run for his money. 😊

[@davesherrell447]

Hi cookie where I live near vassal Park / Snuff Mills Fishponds is a great place for Green woodpecker and greater spotted woodpecker. the lesser Spotted Woodpecker down in Colyton East Devon. You name it east Devon got them all. Walk along the river collie East Devon you won't be disappointed.

[@Lauchkopf97]

Wait you dont have Middle Spotted Woodpeckers and Black Woodpeckers in Britain? I never realized that, kinda more thankful for them now. I only saw a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker one time, near my friends home, it was a female with a black head, so I still gotta find a male. Greater Spotted is a regular visitor in our garden, Black Woodpeckers are quite abundant in my home area, but hard to photograph, Green Woodpeckers are all over the Parks in Frankfurt and I also saw Middle Spotted Woodpeckers two times already, but that Lesser Spotted Woodpecker male is on my list for this year. The Grey-headed Woodpecker eluded me completly, but maybe I get Lucky this year. Near the Alps we also got White-backed and Eurasian Three-toed Woodpeckers, but I never went there. Nice that you found it, awesome video man, you kinda inspired me to start looking for animals and film them here, the videos are in german tho, but we already got mouflons and next are European Bison, which are pretty hard, because theres only one herd living free in Germany and trying to locate them is nearly impossible 😅but we keep trying until we found them

[@tomgibo]

Because we are an island and woodpeckers dont like to cross the sea, and then the island of Ireland only has Great Spotted and no other breeding woodpeckers at all! Another example, Greece has 10 breeding woodpecker species but the island of Lesvos, so close to the Turkish coast, only has 1 species, Middle Spotted, the others haven't colonised it.

[@johnholdstock8922]

seen them inthe willows on the side of the stream at the farm i grew up on at wokingham Berkshire UK

[@shapumawildcat2800]

Well, Cookie, hes only gone and done it again lol,, WTG,,,, Stunning footage

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Thank you! Was good fun this one

[@KeefsCattys]

Where I grew up on the north Downs in Kent . My local woods was a breeding area. At least a few pairs. That was late 80s are there any in Hartley Woods now?

[@stevevilic8950]

I see them in our local church yard and have photographed them several times , I cought one at Brandon marsh also.

[@joanneclark6405]

It’s actually the “Great” not the “greater” spotted woodpecker by the way. Also, what about the wryneck? That is in the same class isn’t it? I love Brandon Marsh, I’m a member of Warwickshire wildlife trust and live in rugby.

[@sherronstitt6502]

We get them every year outside our window but we do live in a wooded area .

[@nikkimckenna340]

I’ve seen the greater spotted woodpecker in my garden and saw a green wood pecker in the grounds of the school I work in and a colleague from work had a lesser spotted wood pecker in her house x

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

In her house?! What?! 😂

[@bluecard009]

I would bet it was a greater spotted in the house, rather than a lesser spotted. Luckily I’ve seen a couple of lesser spotted but by chance. Had a surprise earlier this year when I saw a greater spotted checking out the holes in an air brick on the wall opposite my flats kitchen window, it’s feet having no problem holding onto the brickwork.

[@nikkimckenna340]

@@bluecard009 it is a lesser as I have a picture of it x

[@Just_shush_now]

@@nikkimckenna340 do you mind putting it as your profile pic so we can see it?

[@nikkimckenna340]

@@Just_shush_now here you go, this us one of them taking it out to release.

[@elizabethblack3863]

Come over to my neck of the woods...I literally see lesser spotted woodpeckers in a tree outside my kitchen window regularly!

[@frankgradus9474]

The green woodpeckers regularly visit my lawn in search of eartworms - "big noises", nice sound, but the black woodpecker's cry is second to none.

[@TheJacksnipe]

The Green Woodpecker does not look for earthworms, but almost exclusively for ants. This is why he is hopping on lawns.

[@frankgradus9474]

@@TheJacksnipe Thanks awfully for correcting me. Shame on me. I often saw them in winter, they must nest nearby as I hear and see them all year round, trying to feed on pork fat, I hang it on the fir tree for tits, and then fly down on the ground and forage for something. I mistakenly guessed they looked for earthworms.

[@TheAwillz]

1:56 sure that was a GCHQ advert/test. If you spotted that you now work on satellite imagery

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Hahahah

[@moyurbird7829]

Omg! Ur vid jist came up so i thought if the green woodpecker would be on the list.....Its so rare & i saw 1 b4 i knew 1❤❤& most brightest ❤❤& largest ❤❤Feeling blessed 🎉Thanks

[@hucks1000]

Y'all have a beautiful assortment of woodpeckers. New sub...great presentation! looking forward to seeing more great videos.

[@clarefoskett9959]

I have seen one, in our garden, two years ago. It was eating bugs off the fence. I was gobsmacked and videoed it.....

[@clarefoskett9959]

North Norfolk.

[@nicholastate5012]

Lovely footage 👏

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Thank you brother ❤️

[@RoqueFortStu]

I have had both the green and greater spotted woodpeckers in my garden, nice to see

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Wicked! I only get Greaters now sadly

[@southpawpupscouts2334]

Your videos keep getting better and better! Loved the details and narration as well as the content.

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Thank you!

[@craigleeghd5833]

I have parakeets where I love started a couple now there's easily 50 plus green with orange beek

[@Liam-nw4rv]

Great Spotted Woodpecker""

[@tobyfountain414]

I think your population estimate of 1000 is a little pessimistic; I've read some statements by experts recently that argue that lesser spots are under recorded in the UK due to being very hard to find, as well as the fact that much of their suitable habitat (such as the woodlands in Herefordshire where I am from) is very under watched. Perhaps this can be a basis for some naive optimism, but also a good reason for us to go looking for them! There is an excellent UK wide group called the Lesser Spot Network which helps co ordinate surveys for the species.

[@SmedleyDouwright]

That was the friendliest Canada Goose I have ever seen.

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Honestly was a lovely chap 😂 I think they’re really cute little things

[@MuertaRara]

You should bring John along some other adventures! He seemed like a nice fella! :)

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

He’s great ain’t he!

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

I often hear woodpeckers pecking and then think of the Predator film as I'm surrounded by trees and it sounds similar. How do they not get brain damage?

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

They wrap their tongues around their brain… weird init

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

@@WildlifeWithCookie no way

[@elspongo5827]

Love ur vids I’ve bee subbed for quite long now

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Thank you!

[@Miaguercini]

props to you for doing all of that without binoculars lol

[@ghostcat5303]

Saw one of these in Manchester last month

[@gary5949]

FYI it's GREAT Spotted Woodpecker and not GREATER.

[@rishaanshah6747]

Correct

[@thomasgall9503]

I’d love to see you do a finding a pine marten video those things are great

[@XtraOrdinar-y]

I’ve never seen a greater spotted but I’ve seen a green and once years ago I think I was around 5 and I saw one in my grandparents garden

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Cool aren't they!?

[@XtraOrdinar-y]

@@WildlifeWithCookie yeah

[@NoahWildlife]

Maybe you could try turning down your ISO, when you point to the sky

[@AnyoneForToast]

I had no idea that the lesser was that rare. Or that small. By a strange coincidence, James blunt is also 15 centimeters tall...

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

😂😂

[@HanxHenka]

I have saw one in Birmingham about 2006.

[@CapraObscura]

Ive actually held a wild spotted woodpecker in my hand

[@jimbothesailor4217]

Just in case you weren't aware, the Great spotted is Great, not Greater.

[@JohnRochford]

I totally spotted the phone

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

Phone spotting is better than your bird spotting then

[@peakadventures_]

Let be honest the find the phone was a bit stupid, if you put same colours on it as the woodpecker it would have been easier. But get your point

[@adyfinch2918]

😊Subscribed 👍

[@ruairiovery5439]

i refuse to believe any one spotted the phone

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

I dunno you know 😂 if you do a before and after and play spot the difference you‘ve got a chance

[@mattpacker4372]

I've seen one!

[@NaturekingJRD]

I love Brandon marsh

[@beaverwacka]

Love this content like

[@WildlifeWithCookie]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Hampshire87]

Big cats uk

[@jackalker6384]

i wouldnt use the word "hunting"