Black Beauty

[Falk]

Can you make something from this pic?

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Black Beauty

Is that a bird pretending to be a bat? Otherwise it can look wrong.

[Floribunda]

Re: Black Beauty

It's a seahorse.

[Falk]

Re: Black Beauty

It's a seahorse.

You've got some imagination - but unfortunately you are wrong

Is that a bird pretending to be a bat?

I wonder why you would think that? Should look perfectly upright from your position!?! Arrrgh - my fault - now I see! That would also be the case with Aussie bats, of course.
Yes, I have to admit, you are pretty darn close

[Falk]

see now the true Black Beauty

Okay, this was long enough! I now reveal the secret and show some other pictures taken, which will undoubtly proof the chosen titel:

#1


#2


#3


#4

all pics slightly cropped by 12.5%

This Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) female got my interest when I heard her hammering some 75m away. I searched the trees with binoculars and finally registered some movement.
To the edge of the wood where she was working I had to cross open terrain (sporting ground). Did that carefully with Bigma+EC-14 fully extended and camera already on monopod. Got some first shots at about 30m, but she was in the shade, the other side of the branch or obscured by twigs etc. - as always
I kept on approching slowly and was lucky that she did not mind and best of all, the sun lit her, yeah!

For our antipode friends, who played this game so nice a few notes:
The Black Woodpecker is the size of a crow and the largest in Europe. Males would have a bright red cap, not only this little patch; it is a rather shy bird and not easily photographed - at least in my experience.

Hope this sets it straight now?
Ross wins!

[Floribunda]

Re: Black Beauty

I protest. Not that I think it will do me any good!
I thought you meant "make something" out of the shape of the tree!
Begrudging congratulations to Ross, who read the competition rules better than I did!
I still think it looks like a seahorse.

And great photos of a fascinating bird.

[PeterBirder]

Re: Black Beauty

The mystery is solved.

The Black Woodpecker has never (to my knowledge) been seen in the UK which probably explains why no UK members even had a guess. We only have three species of Woodpecker over here, Great Spotted, Green and Lesser Spotted. The Lesser Spotted is uncommon (and tiny, about the size of a Sparrow) and is known to many birders including me as the "Never Spotted Woodpecker".

Great shots (except for the first ) of a beautiful bird.

Many thanks for sharing.

[Imageryone]

Re: Black Beauty

The mystery is solved.

The Black Woodpecker has never (to my knowledge) been seen in the UK which probably explains why no UK members even had a guess. We only have three species of Woodpecker over here, Great Spotted, Green and Lesser Spotted. The Lesser Spotted is uncommon (and tiny, about the size of a Sparrow) and is known to many birders including me as the "Never Spotted Woodpecker".

Great shots (except for the first ) of a beautiful bird.

Many thanks for sharing.

Come visit, Peter, we have both Great and Lesser Spotted as almost daily visitors at this time of year and the Greens coms round about July/August. I once thought I saw a Black just outside the village, it was that typical flight pattern. Reported it to the RSPB, who said I was the 7th to call from this area, so felt highly honoured.

Lovely to see close ups of a very unusual bird to us.

[Falk]

Re: Black Beauty

Ah okay, I see, thanks Peter for that bit of information. Then my photos are at least worthwhile I hope.

BTW: saw a Lesser Spotted this morning! Was unfortunately not fast enough to get him in focus. It was only the second time I have seen one in maybe 5yrs. The Middle Spotted is more common then the Lesser but the Great Spotted could be considered a 'pest', if you were only comparing numbers with all the other species. I am glad I have them all localy available. I really like them all

[Tordan58]

Re: Black Beauty

I missed this post somehow.

Great photos, Falk!

Regarding the discussion if the Black Woodpecker is present in UK or not, I checked on Opus and this is the information I found:
"Vagrants have possibly reached Britain but despite now having been reported more than 80 times there are no accepted records. The English Channel does not seem to be an insurmountable barrier for this species as it has colonised the Danish island of Bornholm which lies a similar distance from the mainland as that between northern France and Kent. "

And by the way there exists one more species in the woodpecker family that is recorded in UK: The Wryneck.
"Formerly a regular and fairly widespread breeder in Britain, now mainly a scarce passage migrant with 200-400 birds per year, mainly in August-October, with occasional summering birds and sporadic breeding records."

[jdal]

Re: Black Beauty

Well captured Falk, not a bird I've ever seen.

[timmypreston]

Re: Black Beauty

I always struggle to draw detail from black birds but these are outstanding!

[Falk]

Re: Black Beauty

Thanks Tord, John and Jim!

I certainly was lucky with her and the angle of the sun that day.

BTW: here is the best and only Wryneck I managed to get:


Falk

[Falk]

Re: Black Beauty

Was in the woods this morning to check the Raven, Red Kite and Goshawk nesting sites. On my way back I took some shots of a male Black Woodpecker high up in a Beech:

This is a 100% crop; taken with Bigma@500mmF8 at about 80-100m distance.