Two avian excitements today. Firstly, the swifts timed their return to coincide with some morning sunshine. A flock of 10 milled around overhead with their unmistakable cries. They flew very high, fast-moving specks in a blue sky. As I was watching them, I noticed increased activity at the woodpeckers’ nest. The pair were changing egg-sitting duty more frequently. As I slowly edged my way nearer the hole, I could hear very faint cheeping from deep inside the tree – new hatchlings. I’ve remembered that this presages increasingly loud and insistent noise over the next 2 or 3 weeks until the fledglings fly.
THE MALE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
The birds have a rather touching takeover ritual. The bird returning to relieve its partner lands close to the hole, and makes a quiet, rapid 3 or 4 note clucking noise. The other bird appears at the hole, looks around, and flies straight off, while the other takes its place inside the tree. The male clearly has a big appetite. Occasionally he leaves the hole and forages briefly in the gnarly bark close to the entrance for insects or grubs, then returns to the hole. As he enters – and despite his mouthful – he makes a soft staccato 3 or 4 note call to the occupants, distinctly different from the parents’ greeting to each other.
THE FEMALE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 
Those are great photographs and very interesting observations. It makes them much more endearing when you pick up on their secret habits. I wonder whether you will see little heads poke out of the hole eventually, like you do with martins’ nests?
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I watched them on and off this morning. The gentle communications were remarkable. At one stage I hid in some shrubs near the tree – hence the closer shots of the male. But he sussed me, as one of the photos shows. So I left them to it – it’s our tree, but their home!
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