Comments on: Woody woodpecker http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/ South African Gardening Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:03:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Toastie http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-3266 Toastie Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:48:37 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-3266 Hi For the record barbets like the above Tinker Barbet or the Black Collared Barbet ( they have a red face; males darker and more vivid than females; you often hear a mating pair dueting "snaa goo goo" in the spring time with their mates) do often make the holes themselves. Their beaks are perfectly designed ( Darwin would be proud) to both chip away at bark to reveal juicy grubs and other snacks and also to chisel into wood but usually softer dead and rotting branches or stumps. We had a pair breeding in an old tree stump in our garden in Durban North, many years ago. Toastie Hi

For the record barbets like the above Tinker Barbet or the Black Collared Barbet ( they have a red face; males darker and more vivid than females; you often hear a mating pair dueting “snaa goo goo” in the spring time with their mates) do often make the holes themselves. Their beaks are perfectly designed ( Darwin would be proud) to both chip away at bark to reveal juicy grubs and other snacks and also to chisel into wood but usually softer dead and rotting branches or stumps.

We had a pair breeding in an old tree stump in our garden in Durban North, many years ago.

Toastie

]]> By: shaggy http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1377 shaggy Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:34:29 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1377 The initial hole was probably made by a woodpecker though. The Barbet has taken advantage of a good nest. I don't think that the Barbets beak can withstand the pecking to make this kind of nest. Nice pics Niall The initial hole was probably made by a woodpecker though. The Barbet has taken advantage of a good nest. I don’t think that the Barbets beak can withstand the pecking to make this kind of nest.

Nice pics Niall

]]> By: bryan http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1372 bryan Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:11:14 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1372 Yes, well done you avid twitchers! It is indeed the very rare and elusive golden humped tinker barbet. I have never seen this bird before. Hundreds of the species, but not this one. Good spot , good photos, pretty bird! Yes, well done you avid twitchers! It is indeed the very rare and elusive golden humped tinker barbet. I have never seen this bird before. Hundreds of the species, but not this one.

Good spot , good photos, pretty bird!

]]> By: emme http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1364 emme Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:53:53 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1364 me so clever! :) me so clever! :)

]]> By: Smile http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1359 Smile Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:37:45 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1359 Confirmed by Rose on the Buzz Rosemary Lombard - Hi Smile, have looked in my parents' bird books and it appears you have a Goldenrumped Tinker Barbet infestation. ;) So cool! Confirmed by Rose on the Buzz

Rosemary Lombard – Hi Smile, have looked in my parents’ bird books and it appears you have a Goldenrumped Tinker Barbet infestation. ;) So cool!

]]> By: mol-d http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1358 mol-d Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:10:42 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1358 good joke, em! :-) is this confirmed then? a golden-rumped tinker barbet...? what a name! good joke, em! :-) is this confirmed then? a golden-rumped tinker barbet…? what a name!

]]> By: emme http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1353 emme Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:19:18 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1353 we quite often have woodpeckers in our garden (a slowly rotting avo tree means lots of, um, grub -haha) but none of them look like this. their beak is usually must more daggar like that it appear in these photo's. your guy looks to me like a golden rumped tinker barbet. we quite often have woodpeckers in our garden (a slowly rotting avo tree means lots of, um, grub -haha) but none of them look like this. their beak is usually must more daggar like that it appear in these photo’s. your guy looks to me like a golden rumped tinker barbet.

]]> By: mol-d http://www.sprig.co.za/2010/02/woody-woodpecker/comment-page-1/#comment-1352 mol-d Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:23:15 +0000 http://www.sprig.co.za/?p=1519#comment-1352 cool pics, smile! i didn't think we got woodpeckers in south africa but looks like we get loads: http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/picidae/ can't see your guy on there though... cool pics, smile! i didn’t think we got woodpeckers in south africa but looks like we get loads:

http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/picidae/

can’t see your guy on there though…

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