Column: The unmistakable sound of the woodpecker drumming

On one of my regular trips to Pollok park last week, I heard the unmistakable sound of a woodpecker drumming against a tree, the sound reverberating around the park. ?It is an amazing ability that the woodpecker has, to make such a loud, rapid noise that can be heard up to half a mile away.

You are most likely to hear it at this time of year when the birds are establishing their territories. They do not have a song, so their way of letting other woodpeckers know they are there is to drum.

I knew there was no chance I would see the bird – it is easy to hide in dense woodland, but I am pretty sure that it would have been a great spotted woodpecker.

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The UK has three types of woodpecker – the green, lesser spotted and great spotted – but only the last two are resident in Scotland. The one you are most likely to see in the Glasgow area is the great spotted woodpecker and I was once lucky enough to see one, in the back lane behind Herries road.

Although not much bigger than a starling, they are truly striking birds of black, white and red. A real treat to see.

Their numbers have doubled in the last 40 years, so the chances are I will see one again at some point.

Now that the vernal equinox is past, spring is properly here, so it is time to get to work in the garden.

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This is what I intended to do on Saturday afternoon, but it started to rain just as I planned to don the wellies; soon the lawn was too wet to mow.

However, it is now Tuesday and it has been dry for a couple of days so hopefully the grass will be dry enough in a day or two for its first haircut of the year.

Nothing spruces up a garden like mowing the lawn, even though my lawn mower is a terrible old thing that will struggle to deal with the length of the lawn.

It will be a frustrating work out for me, but things will look better once it’s done.

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