Category
A
Status
Vagrant
Breeding status
First Record
1855
Last Recorded
1988

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor


 

Apart from several old records, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is now an extreme vagrant to the Bailiwick.

Smith never saw this species in Guernsey but reports some evidence from Mr Couch, the bird-stuffer. Smith wrote 'Mr Couch wrote to me in April 1877: "Respecting the Woodpecker, you may fully rely on the Lesser Spotted as having been shot here, four examples having passed through my hands; and writing from memory I will, as near as possible tell you when and when the y were shot. I took a shop here in 1866. In the month of August, 1867, there was one brought to me alive, shot in the water lanes just under Smith's Nursery, by a young gent at the College; he wounded it in the wing. I wanted too much to stuff it (2/6), he took the poor bird out, fixed it somewhere, and he and his companions fired at it so often they blew it too atoms. The same year, early in September, one was shot at St Martins; I stuffed that for a lady: there were four in the same tree; the day following they were not to be found. The second week in October, the same year, I had one and stuffed it for the person who shot it out at St Saviour's; there were two besides in the same tree, but I had neither one myself. In 1868 I stuffed one that was shot at St Peters in December, it was taken home the Christmas Eve. These were all I have had, but I have heard of their being seen since twice or three times"'. MacCulloch also saw this species and wrote to Smith that 'We have here in the Museum a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, shot near Havilland Hall on NOvember 1855; I saw it before it was stuffed.'

1972: 1 adult female ringed at the head of the Banquette Valley nr La Fougeraie, Sark on 29 September (R)

1974: 1 at the Dell Nursery on 1 December

1975: 1 in Rue de Fort, Sark, on 7 January and 21 March (R)

1975: 1 in Barrackmaster's Lane, Alderney on 18 January (C)

1983: 1 at the Silbe on 30 October

1988: 1 at the Dell Nursery on 2 November and retrapped there on 2 January 1989.





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