Thursday 20 December 2007

What is this?


Seen, to coin a phrase, through my study window:


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

A heron

Her indoors said...

or is it a woodpecker? He looks like the bird found here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/greenwoodpecker/index.asp

Charlotte Howard said...

Spot on as usual David. Your general knowledge always impresses.

Thanks for the link 21CM. I liked the sound effects. Have you seen the much rarer black and red variety (that's a non-technical name - should probably be something spotted)in these parts, as I have occasionally? Generally woodpeckers are very shy.

(So glad you either forgot how - like me - or were too lazy to make the link work. It makes me feel less incompetent!)

Display Name said...

Gah! I thought it was a Greater Spotted woodpecker at first until I saw David's post. It seems really obvious having read that when you go back to look at it again, and get the distance/perspective the same. Perhaps David looks further than me and 21CM?!

The RSPB site is really quite good for bird identifications now.

Incidentally, I don't know if it's just me, but I tend to see more of the Greater Spotted that the Green variety of woodpecker.

Although there is a spot on one of my regular local walks where I see both within a very short distance of each other, which is unusual in my (limited) experience.

Anonymous said...

Obviously a heron with that flat head.