Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Whilst staying at my Dad’s house which is situated deep in the countryside between Trispen and Ladock in Cornwall, I saw for the first time, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

I had to wait a long time to see it as my wife had spotted it the previous day eating nuts from the bird food hangers, but by the time she told me, it had flown up into a nearby tree.  So I went close to the tree and spent ages trying to see it as apparently it flew to it and then climbed up towards the top. I can only assume it had a nest or was hunting for insects, but it had disappeared. I had to give up on it that day but early the next morning I checked the birds that were eating and saw the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker eating as well.  So I got my binoculars out and spent a few minutes watching it until it flew back up to a nearby tree (which happened to be a different tree to the one it flew to the day before).  It was great to watch and the red patch on its head was clearly visible, though it was much smaller than I imagined it to be. The bright red patch on its head meant that it was a male and I am quite sure that it wasn’t a Great Spotted Woodpecker as the red patch was on the top of the head and not the back of the head. In any case, it was great to see for the first time!