As I walked along the path at Burton Mere in search of a Merlin that I knew had been spotted nearby I was distracted by a loud hammering sound above me. At first it was quite hard to pinpoint the source because the knocking was reverberating around the woodland. I was really pleased when I did eventually spot it, this beautiful Great Spotted Woodpecker.
It was moving quite a bit and using my long lens handheld was quite tricky but I am happy to have got a few half decent shots.
Last Saturday I took my first photo of a Great Spotted Woodpecker when it visited a bird feeder at WWT Martin Mere. I was really surprised to see it feeding on sunflower seeds, it was a real treat.
So today as I visited the RSPB reserve at Burton Mere I didn't expect to have another opportunity to photograph another of these elusive birds but I did and here is the result. This little chap flew in across the fields to a feeding station and in these shots you can see him eyeing up the feeders. Just after I got these pictures he flew to the feeders and ate his fill before flying off across the fields again.
They may not be the sharpest shots but they show that being in the right place at the right time really pays off...
It has been a month since I have been out with my camera, a bout of tennis elbow caused I think by lugging my gear around has meant I needed to take things easy so with a bit of respite I was desperate to get out and snapping again.
So today I headed over to the WWT reserve at Martin Mere, I have always had a great time whenever I have visited in the past and today I was hopeful that in between the rain and snow showers I would be able to get some decent shots.
I was sat in one of my favourite hides where there is a small pond but also lots of bird feeders. In the past I have seen lots of finches and other small birds as well as Sparrowhawks and today I wasn't disappointed as there were lots of finches and tits and a Reed Bunting as well as Magpies, Jackdaws and pigeons in the mix. None of these however compared to the magnificence of a most unexpected visitor the Great Spotted Woodpecker.
I have often heard these marvelous birds and seen them at a distance so to be able to get a few decent images has really made my day. In the last shot you can see him (it is definitely a male) in the sort of setting you would expect to see a woodpecker; up a tree. In the other shots however you may be surprised as I was to see that he was sizing up and eventually helping himself to the sunflower seeds in a bird feeder apparently having learned of the nutritional value of these seeds.
It was a rare privilege to see this bird up close, I was so excited and I wanted to share that excitement and these images with you... Enjoy!
