The female Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major shown in this film was the first member of her species to have regularly visited the photographer's London garden. She had first appeared as a juvenile (she still retained some red feathers on her crown) earlier in the year, but these were soon lost. These birds are generally shy, so it was quite a surprise to discover that she was willing to be photographed and filmed when visiting the feeders down the garden and that she wouldn't fly away if the back door was opened. Grey Squirrels Sciurus carolinensis had been consuming most of the original feeder’s contents, so a squirrel-proof feeder was purchased. On this particular occasion a (comparatively) rare visit to the new feeder by a Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri provoked an aggressive response from the woodpecker and as their involvement in this confrontation occupied their attention it was possible to film it. The squabble occurred in several bursts of activity with stand-offs punctuating the action as the birds sized one another up and the woodpecker raised her wings to make herself appear to be bigger. Previously the woodpecker had shown no aggression towards any other birds, but from this point on she became very defensive, treating the feeder as if she had exclusive rights to it whenever any other bird tried to feed and perching in strategic positions low down on the trees so that she could stand vigil and launch an assault when necessary. She is shown seeing off a European Robin Erithacus rubecula (an aggressive individual that chases off other small birds) and House Sparrows Passer domesticus. Once she has filled up on suet she becomes thirsty and at one point she also ventured down for a drink.