After an invasion of rats encouraged by putting out food for the birds, we stopped for a while.
Then we put out only meal worm on the table and sunflower hearts in the feeders.
We left no food out after dark, with the exception of hanging feeders which only allowed small birds to use them.
Five years on and most of the birds visit as they used to, several times a day. But not the Woodpecker.
I assumed we would only see him if we went back to putting peanuts out. But as rats really love them we didnt do that.
But oh joy, he came swooping in to feed from the sunflower feeder today.
Right in front of the window!
I didnt know they would eat these seeds.
My next ambition is to get a photograph of him. So far every time I've tried he's flown away. So I dont want to scare him off now he's found the seeds.
He flies in with such gusto! Makes the other birds, especially the pigeons look like slouches! 
Gransnet forums
Science/nature/environment
Great spotted woodpeckers work their way along my fences, eating the insects/spiders which live there.
One year I saw a sparrowhawk take one and then we could hear a baby calling from its nest high in a tree. It was heartbreaking to hear the call get fainter over the next few days after which it obviously died. 
I've just been reading the RSPB web site, and it says they will raid nest of tits and eat the eggs or young!
I wish I didnt know that now.
I think it's a Greater Spotted rite
We have a Sparrowhawk visit our garden most summers. He/she is successful in catching a bird in around a quarter of the attempts. But it is what it is.
I have woodpeckers nesting in the field behind the house. Last year one pecked the nesting box frightening off the resident blue tits - wee b****r! For all their cheek they’re very timid and getting a photo without seeing them off is quite difficult
I went out to go for a walk this afternoon and witnessed a jackdaw fly off with a young house sparrow that had apparently fallen from the nest.
We had a visiting female woodpecker during the winter, but she must be off to the woods to breed now.
Rather indistinct, but here she is.
I had a couple of green woodpeckers outside my window yesterday and managed to get this pic of one of them. I think he was eating insects.
we had a Dad (or Mum) and a baby last year I'm sure it was the Dad though 
as well, it just behaved like a Dad
Not a recent photo but they love the fat balls. I borrowed mrM's camera. Occasionally we get a youngster down. We can hear them tapping in the woods and sometimes the sound is slightly different. I wondered why and mrM said it was them tapping on the nearby pylons to attract a mate. The sound is much louder.
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