The 12 days of (a wildlife) Christmas – 12 woodpecker drummers drumming

The 12 days of (a wildlife) Christmas – 12 woodpecker drummers drumming

© Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

It’s Christmas eve and for our last day of this series we’ve decided to swap the 12 drummers drumming for 12 woodpecker drummers drumming.

As you head out this Christmas, you may hear the familiar and distinctive call of woodpeckers. A favourite wildlife walk of mine is Rushmere Heath, Ipswich where woodpeckers can often be heard and seen displaying their characteristic bouncing flight pattern as they fly low over the heath. Both greater spotted woodpeckers and green woodpeckers are sighted here regularly. Although woodpecker drumming is heard more frequently heard in the spring, you can still hear it across the winter as they forage for invertebrates, seeds and nuts. With a skull adapted to absorb the impact of their enthusiastic drumming and tongues so long that they wrap round twice inside their skulls, woodpeckers are quite spectacular birds.

We hope you have enjoyed our 12 days of a (wildlife) Christmas. We would love to hear about your wildlife sightings in Ipswich over the festive period. Merry Christmas!