False Acacias and Syrian Woodpeckers

There was a lot of noise yesterday, outside the window, pecking, calling... I looked out to see what the racket was. There was a pair of Syrians in the garden this time., a bright male with his red nape-patch and a female, both very lively. I scrutinised them carefully and could see that they were classic Syrians, not a hint of any Great Spoted-like plumage features. They were in a False Acacia (robinia) tree, pecking the bark and stretching up to pick at the hanging, dry seed pods. Interesting that, as that tree is not native to Europe, and I am not sure that there are records of Syrian Woodpecker eating its seeds. Then again, I did not actually see the birds eating the seeds, just saw them pecking at the pods. The biggest tree in the garden is another False Acacia, and that is now heavily marked with their peck marks, little patches of bark removed. This is often a sign of a tree that will be used as a nesting-site tree... hopefully next spring I will have this pair breeding here, in my own garden!!!