Ken & Linda Smith

Our special pin badges will be presented to more LesserSpotNet volunteers in the next few days.

LesserSpotNet special pin badges presented by Gus @blackdownbirder to volunteers, Stuart @stukkateurmeist (left) & Ed @edhorncastle.bsky.social (right) who found and monitored breeding outcomes at LSW nests in Devon - many thanks both

Upland oakwood on Dartmoor, one of the last refuges in Devon for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker #30DaysWild @lesserspotnet provided a comprehensive account of the decline and challenges facing this species in britishwildlife.com/article/articl…

Nice day out in the East Midlands on Saturday. Highlights were 5 Black hairstreak and a Bi coloured Bee orchid.

You can find many of the key ideas discussed in my recent @GlobalChangeBio paper: 'Buffering and phenological mismatch: a change of perspective' onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gc…

It was a real delight to go down to Burlington House the other week, to tour the @LinneanSociety collections and receive this year's John C. Marsden medal, for the best biology PhD thesis in the UK. It was, and remains, a tremendous honour. Interested in my thesis? 👇

Another day - another 3 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests found and being monitored in Devon and the New Forest. Great work by LesserSpotNet volunteers. Healthy chicks being well fed by both parents in all the nests. More nests could be found this week.

Now is your last chance to find a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest. The young will be calling from the nest hole and you may hear them. So have a good search in your local woods. Our volunteers are watching/monitoring 16 nests in the Midlands & Southern England. 2 were found today!

Some Lesser Spotted Woodpecker chicks are fledging this week. At a nest in East Sussex today, we saw at least one chick being fed in the nest high in this Hornbeam tree and the adults feeding two more juveniles close by. Thanks to MA & RB for finding and showing us the nest

Successful visit to Kent to 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests, our endoscope revealed 4 chicks ready to fledge, 11 m high in a dead Ash & 3 chicks snug in a dead Oak. Thanks to our volunteers PC & JSD for finding the nests & showing them to us - all very positive for success

Fantastic news 19 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests found & being watched/monitored by our volunteers. Most have 4 chicks, well fed by the adults. Nests are so difficult to find & these are only a tiny proportion of the 2000+ LSW pairs in Britain, but all very positive this year.

GSW young for comparison

Lesser Spotted young will start calling from the nest soon, giving a chance to monitor their brood size and diet. The last week in May/first week in June is usually when they’re heard calling. Here are young LSW calling from a birch stump (GSW clip next) @lesserspotnet

Pleased to help observe a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest in the New Forest, too high in a dead Beech to inspect with nest camera. The pair changed over once during an hour watch so nest is still active and at egg incubating stage (which takes 11 days). All good information.

Congratulations to @Jamie_C_Weir for this excellent work on caterpillars which is of importance to Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and their breeding success

‘Jay in Magnolia’ acrylic, 23 x 32 cms. For sale, please enquire. Jays are widespread throughout the UK except for northern Scotland. They inhabit gardens where they may be seen more easily rather than being hidden in woodlands, their other habitat of choice.

Woodland spring flowers looking splendid this week, I especially liked the Purple Toothwort. @SussexWildlife @BSBIbotany

An excellent Lesser Spot initiative in Kent,

Thanks to Ewan’s sharp ears and hole spotting skills @EHFwildlife

Ken will be talking about his long running study of Green Sandpipers at Lemsford Springs NR at Herts Bird Club conference on 8 March. Looking forward to catching up with lots of 'old' friends as well hnhs.org/news/2025-hert…