Julian Friese

Although generally considered as sparsely distributed in Carmarthenshire, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker maybe more numerous than imagined. Indeed, it may also prove to have a larger population than the more noticeable and vocal Green Woodpecker. The unobtrusive Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers calls are infrequently heard, and it's drumming in April and May does not carry very far. It may consequently often be undetected. On the other hand the Green Woodpeckers' call carries, well and the species is known to occupy a comparatively large territory. A detailed survey, possibly with the use of tape recordings, could reveal the retiring Lesser Spotted to be more numerous than the more conspicuous, but believed to be declining, Green Woodpecker (Evidence for this decline is apparent in the number of pairs at Gwenffrwd - 5 pairs in 1970, thereafter being described as "common" until at least 1976, then none in 1997).

A trawl through the records of breeding season sightings (March - August in the last 36 years, over the period 1962 - 1998. amassed a total of SI sites for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Sites which were thought might be duplicated because of close proximity were counted as one site with one pair e.g. Nag's Head, Kings Lodge and Pentrefelin. Here, frequent, repeated annual sightings and calls indicated a pair probably continuously occupying this area.

One nest found opposite the Nag's Head in 1990 "as only half a kilometre from a family group seen in a Pentrefelin garden in 1977. Some extensive ancient woodland sites, like Castle Woods, Llandeilo and Dinas/Gwenffrwd have had 5 pairs (in 1984) and 3/4 pairs (in 1986) respectively.

Records from the Teifi and Loughor Valleys as well as the smaller river valleys west of Carmarthen town were few in the time period concerned. This probably stems from the lack of observers in these areas rather than perhaps the actual absence of this species. The habitat of alder-lined streams and rivers, to which the species is particularly fond, is present throughout (see also the Carmarthen Birds 1993 article "Scarce Birds in Carmarthenshire" (p 51-52) where the tetrad map shows a bias towards the east and south of the county). Listed below in alphabetical order are all the known sites for the period 1962 - 1998. Within this list of 86 sites, are 18 which had a nest or young; 38 with records of more than two years and 9 with just pairs noted, all the other records refer to individuals A few of the sites have had records of breeding going back several decades e g the Gwenffrwd Reserve and Stradey Woods, LIanelli.

Interestingly, a few breeding season records emanate from the more extensive sessile oak woodlands such as Gwenffrwd and Allt Enoch near Pontynyswen - perhaps not generally thought of as typical habitat. One can speculate from the records that the number of pairs in the county - if at least one pair is still extant at each site - could be a minimum of at least 80 pairs and probably appreciably higher.

N/Y Nest or young seen.

* Seen at this site two years or more – although subsequent sightings of some not necessarily in the breeding season.

P Pair.

+ These grid references refer to the general area, while the others are more precise. However, where the exact location is unclear, a visit to suitable habitat in the vicinity might reveal the birds continued presence.

All other records outside the breeding season (or where season was unknown) were as follows: