A bit of a surprise as we headed west today...................
This Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was a new bird on my Japan list. I'd though that a) this species was only found in north and east Hokkaido and b) woodpeckers don't migrate much. What was it doing there?
I'd only ever seen this species twice before, both times in the UK many many years ago.
It wasn't shy at least.
Nearby on the coast we watched a pair of the resident Peregrines dive bombing an adult White Tailed Eagle offshore. One of them flew back. very quickly against a grey sky...........
The buffer filled up and my camera froze as it glided just past me. I'd actually ordered a new very fast memory card a few days ago but it isn't here yet.
Also around were Brent Goose, Black Scoter, Whooper Swan, Great Egret, Great Crested, Little and Black necked Grebes, 7 species of gull, lots of common ducks.............
Love that peregrine. The wood pecker is not too shabby either.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Wilma..................
DeleteChurch wood Penwortham was my first lesser, I also saw them in the the park (can't remember what it's called)
ReplyDeletenear where Alban lived. heard one drumming and it took me ages to find it. Happy days.
I never saw one in Penwortham, only down south. The park was on Cop Lane, is it called Hurst Grange or something?
DeleteLove the Woodpecker adn the bir of prey flight shots
ReplyDeleteThanks for comment Margaret..........
DeleteThe pecker must be a good find in Japan then Stu. If you were to find one in Preston nowadays you would become a local hero (again). Rarer than hen's teeth. Nice pictures too. And the Peregrine.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil, one of the above commenters did see one but probably about 30 or so years ago!
DeleteCongratulations of the Woodpecker. Birds do continue to surprise us at times with their unexpected appearances and/or activities!
ReplyDeleteIt's why we keep going out to all these places................
DeleteSadly so much rarer in the UK now I believe. I've never seen one, nor seen any reports on the Fylde for as long as I've been interested (three years at least). Pity, they're cuties.
ReplyDeleteThey are equally thin on the ground here too..............
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