Saturday 21 March 2009

Lesser Spotted Wodpecker - Nonsuch Park

I finally saw these elusive birds today for the first time in my life. David Campbell had told me roughly where they were. I wandered round the mature wood listening intently for their calls. I met two others with the same intention. They had seen one fly in but had then lost it. After scanning the tops of some very tall trees for 10 mins I saw one fly briefly from one branch to another.

Lesser spotted woodpeckers are really quite small and unobtrusive. It's no wonder their nickname is 'never spotted woodpeckers'!! I saw male and female birds but my shot of the male is out of focus. Here is the female working quietly under a branch.
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Lesser spotted Woodpecker, Nonsuch Park

4 comments:

  1. That's a great spot (no pun intended) and great picture too Phil.

    I'm even greener now as a lesser spotted would have been a lifer for me too.

    I used to go to Nonsuch a great deal when I lived in Sutton then Banstead.

    Now I HAVE to go again! It's still local to me.

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  2. Thanks for posting this as I too went over to the Park and saw the pair!

    Great stuff!

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  3. The green digging up the garden and now the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.... both would be lifers for me. Well spotted:-)

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  4. That's a great shot.
    Well done.
    John.

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