Probirder

American Crocodile

2012-01-31T03:11:00.000+01:00

Another photo from Costa Rica. There are some big crocs here, this one was about 8 foot long.

Acorn Woodpecker

2012-01-26T05:17:00.000+01:00

Here's a great bird for you, Acorn Woodpecker,which I photographed yesterday in central Costa Rica. Looks comical, with its distinct, bold facial pattern, but also quite confiding and often vocal!

Costa Rican targets

2012-01-19T11:38:00.000+01:00

Loads of "lifers" on the cards in Costa Rica, including a few woodpeckers. And yes, it will come as no surprise to those of you who know me that the woodpeckers will be my personal priority. And the main target ? If I have to choose ? Well, I think Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis is a strong candidate. Then again Chestnut-coloured and Cinnamon Woodpeckers are both relatively range-restricted, and who knows when I will be back in that region again ? Best bet will be to get them all!

Critically Endangered Birds

2012-01-13T09:27:00.000+01:00

If you do not already know of this Facebook page, then take a look: Critically Endangered Birds. Excellent and important stuff from my Swedish pal Erik.

An awful lot of coffee in Costa Rica

2012-01-11T07:25:00.001+01:00

Right folks... next up... COSTA RICA !!! I am well into my preparation. Looks like it is going to be wonderful, several "new" woodpeckers on the cards for me there... and I like coffee, too.

Tracks and Signs

2012-01-06T07:34:00.001+01:00

Yes, I know I post a lot of stuff on woodpeckers, but there is another subject that fascinates me... tracking. Being out and about birding one sees all kinds of tracks and signs left by animals. Some of them stare you in the face, others need searching for. Anyway, I have a blog on this subject, too, with photos of my own and those of friends. If you have any snaps you'd like to contribute, then please send them to me. Take a look: TRACKS & SIGNS.

British and American names

2012-01-02T20:38:00.000+01:00

Went out today, around the Kiskunsag region, with 2 guys from the USA. First up were 17 Great Bustards, great views in good light. Later a couple of Rough-legged Buzzards (Rough-legged Hawks to the Americans), a few superb male Hen Harriers (Northern Harriers to the Americans), then Great Grey Shrikes (Northern Shrikes to the Americans), Great White Egrets (Great Egrets to the Americans) and so on. What did Churchill say? Two nations separated by a common language?

This year's achievement!

2011-12-28T17:50:00.000+01:00

This was another good year. In fact, 2011 was the year that I achieved another personal goal. I saw my 7th, and final, species in the Dryocopus genus... Andaman Woodpecker.

Feeding Birds

2011-12-23T11:33:00.000+01:00

It's cold, zero C, but there are very few birds coming to the garden to take the various seed and bird-cake I have placed out. A few Great Tits nip in and take the black sunflower seed, but that's more or less it. Maybe it has to get really cold, really tough and food supplies elsewhere to run out ?

A Successful Trip!

2011-12-17T11:16:00.000+01:00

So I have done my 4 talks (Woodpeckers of Europe) in the NW of the UK. Seems to have gone well. Thanks to everyone who came along!

3 done, 1 new one to go !

2011-12-15T10:28:00.000+01:00

So 3 talks in the UK done, and an extra one in Leigh, near Manchester, has come up. I am standing in for someone who cannot make it on Friday... last minute, different subject, but good for everyone.

One Talk Done... 2 to go

2011-12-13T10:04:00.000+01:00

Seems my talk WOODPECKERS OF EUROPE was a success in Liverpool last night. So, on to Wigan !

3 talks in the UK

2011-12-11T12:13:00.000+01:00

I am giving 3 talks in the UK at RSPB local groups this week. I will be at Liverpool (Dec 12th), Wigan (Dec 13th) and North Staffs, Stoke (Dec 14th). Title of my illustrated lecture is Woodpeckers of Europe. If you are in those areas on those dates then see you there!

Birdsounds workshop in the Pyrenees

2011-12-06T17:56:00.001+01:00

Now this looks like a really excellent workshop to attend next May, in a great place too, I have been there! Check it out: Birdsounds In The Spanish Pyrenees

Foggy Day Syrian Woody

2011-12-02T18:42:00.000+01:00

It was a foggy day out in the Kiskunsag, but managed to grab a few shots of this male Syrian Woodpecker in a false acacia tree.

Andaman Endemic Birds

2011-11-25T07:41:00.000+01:00

On my recent trip I saw 15 of the endemic birds of the Andaman Islands. Not bad at all, but mainly thanks to help from an excellent local guide. I got this shot of one, an Andaman Serpent-Eagle, on Mount Harriet, South Andaman.

More from the Andamans

2011-11-21T11:00:00.000+01:00

I suppose that if you really take into consideration all that is on this info-board, you'd never go in the sea. Well, we did and guess what ? I got nipped by a jelly-fish, nothing serious mind.

Back from India and the Andamans

2011-11-17T10:18:00.000+01:00

Well, too many birds and adventures to mention! But in the next few days I will post here (and on my other blogs and facebook) a few photos from Chennai (Madras) and the wonderful Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. By the way, didn't see any crocs at all despite two refreshing swims just off coast.

Yes, Andaman Woodpecker

2011-11-10T16:40:00.000+01:00

Andaman Woodpecker, the final Dryocopus species, of 7, SEEN ! Here on South Andaman Island. I even managed to get recordings of one drumming and calling.

Andaman Woodpecker

2011-11-04T17:47:00.000+01:00

Yes, that is right. My main target on the Andaman Islands is... Andaman Woodpecker Dryocopus hodgei, an endemic species.

Andaman Islands

2011-10-31T17:15:00.000+01:00

So now I am preparing for my up-coming trip to the Andaman Islands. Yes, right there in the middle of the Indian Ocean, or is it the Bay of Bengal ? Or the Andaman Sea ? Anyway, it's a long way off ! My main target ? Correct... Andaman Woodpecker.

Corn Bunting

2011-10-26T23:19:00.000+02:00

Just back from two day trips in Hungary with two folks from California. The autumn weather was not the best, but some great birds did show. This Corn Bunting was one of many that posed nicely in the gloom.

Basque country

2011-10-19T07:40:00.000+02:00

Most of the area I visited in northern Spain was Basque country. Now there is a language... and I thought Hungarian was tough !!!

Back from Spain

2011-10-17T09:51:00.000+02:00

That was a great trip. A few days in the Western Pyrenees, Navarre and the Basque country. In the company of some excellent local birders I explored the various montane habitats and heard and saw my two main target birds: Iberian Green Woodpecker and lilfordi White-backed Woodpecker. It was very interesting to compare the habitats of the White-backed to those in Central and Eastern Europe. Lots of other birds around, too, like Alpine and Common Choughs, Citril Finch and Griffon Vultures (see photo) which are common.

French Pyrenees

2011-10-15T08:22:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we drove over into the French side of the Western Pyrenees. Very different there from the Spanish side. Damper, lusher, more influenced by Atlantic and Northern climates. We searched in particular for the lilfordi race of White-backed Woodpecker and finally heard 2 and saw one.

Here in the Pyrennes

2011-10-13T07:42:00.001+02:00

I am in the Western Pyrennes in Spain right now. Wonderful montane landscapes here... gorges and craggy cliffs galore, pastures and mature pine and beech forests. The weather is unseasonally hot, around 30c at times. Birds of note seen so far include Citril Finch, Alpine Chough, Griffon Vulture and, particularly pleasing, Iberian Green Woodpecker! .

Western Pyrennees

2011-10-09T18:04:00.000+02:00

I am off to Spain, to the Basque country, in the western Pyrenees to be more precise. Amongst other things, I hope to find some lifordi race White-backed Woodpeckers and sharpei race Green Woodpeckers. Watch this space.

Jay in the garden

2011-10-01T09:43:00.000+02:00

One of our garden birds, Eurasian Jay. Being quite common and a corvid (which many folks, even birders, just don't seem to like), it is often ignored. But it is a stunning bird.

Woodpecker Restaurant

2011-09-27T19:28:00.001+02:00

One of my favourite trees in Buda. A dead one riddled with woodpecker feeding holes.

Kiskunsag and all that

2011-09-20T13:34:00.000+02:00

Not a bad day in the Kiskunsag yesterday... 60 Great Bustards in 4 different groups, Great Grey Shrike, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Hen Harriers and a male Pallid Harrier... to mention just a few. And these performing Penduline Tits...

Chicken of the Woods

2011-09-16T13:15:00.000+02:00

Was out in the Buda Hills this morning with a nice chap from London, mainly looking for Hawfinches and Black Woodpecker, which we found. Also came upon this young, fresh Chicken-of- the-Woods Laetiporus sulphureus. It's an edible mushroom commonly found on oak trees, though it also grows on cherry, willow and some other trees. It's quite common here in autumn.

Two Woodpeckers

2011-09-12T07:45:00.001+02:00

Went out yesterday with a birder from the UK. His main targets were Black and White-backed Woodpeckers. The latter in particular not at all easy in September. In addition, it was hot! But we did it. A White-backed after walking the forests of the Gerecse Hills for some hours and later a Black at Lake Tata, despite lots of families, joggers, cyclists and dog-walkers being out.

Syrian Woodpecker again

2011-09-07T07:08:00.001+02:00

A Syrian Woodpecker has been calling in the neighbour's garden at around 7am every morning for some days now. It's autumn, what does he want to express ? A winter feeding territory perhaps ?

Syrian Woodpeckers...

2011-09-01T15:42:00.000+02:00

Syrian Woodpecker is often a rather 'urban bird', found in parks, gardens, churchyards and the like, but this morning I heard one right at the heart of a concrete jungle. To be exact, behind the Mammut Shopping Centre in Buda, Budapest, in a car-park with only a few scruffy false-acacia trees...

PHOTOGRAPHERS !!! a reminder

2011-08-25T13:08:00.000+02:00

A reminder if that's OK. I am working on a new book, provisionally entitled Woodpeckers of the World: a photographic guide (for the publisher Christopher Helm/A&C Black in London). The project editor is Jim Martin who is looking forward to submissions of top-class photos of woodpeckers from anyone who would like to be involved. So, if you have photos of woodpeckers from anywhere in the world, then contact Jim who'll tell you what is needed. His address:jim.martin@bloomsbury.com

Back from the BBW !

2011-08-23T09:45:00.000+02:00

Just back from the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, UK. It was a great success all-round! My book signing went well, too. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy!

Monkey Washing Food

2011-08-16T12:09:00.000+02:00

We took a boat-trip through coastal mangroves in Malaysia. This Crab-eating Macaque (aka Long-tailed Macaque) and his gang came out to the water's edge and washed food items before eating them.

British Birdwatching Fair 2011

2011-08-12T11:37:00.000+02:00

I will be at the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, UK, next weekend (August 19-21). I will be signing copies of my new book THE BLACK WOODPECKER on the Lynx Edicions stand (Marquee 1, Stands 27 & 38) on Saturday from 2-2.30pm and Sunday from 10.30-11am. See you there !

More from Malaysia - White-bellied Sea Eagle

2011-08-11T09:50:00.000+02:00

Whilst on a boat in coastal mangroves this White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster suddenly swooped by and I got this snapshot.

Back From Peninsula Malaysia

2011-08-09T19:38:00.000+02:00

A great trip! Here is the first photo, a Collared Kingfisher Todirampus chloris, a locally common but nevertheless beautiful bird around wetlands in Malaysia. Taken at Air Hitam Dalam Sg. Dua.

Published! My new book is out

2011-08-08T12:40:00.004+02:00

I'd like to announce that my new book The Black Woodpecker - A monograph on Dryocopus martius is now published ! ISBN-13: 978-84-96553-79-8. Published by Lynx Edicions. More details can be found on their website at Black Woodpecker monograph.

All Set For Malaysia

2011-07-24T11:21:00.001+02:00

So, my preparation for Malaysia has been done. The 25 possible woodpecker species studied and revised. Very much looking forward to seeing the likes of Great Slaty and White-bellied Woodpeckers again and new ones like Bamboo Woodpecker. I hope to get on-line there and put up a few notes and photos, maybe even sound recordings.

Leech Socks

2011-07-22T08:07:00.000+02:00

Am I going to need these things ? Do they work ? I have always prided myself on being fairly insect-parasite-proof. But it seems that these south-east Asian leeches can be determined. Still, if I have to donate some blood to get my woodpeckers then so be it.

Malaysia trip preparation

2011-07-20T12:34:00.001+02:00

Malaysia next week and my preparations are well in-hand. On the woodpecker front (25 species there and they are what my trip is about) I have my iPod loaded with calls and drums and photos for reference, photocopies of key pages from picid literature, maps and GPS coords saved, local guide contacted, car hired, rooms booked... only thing I don't have is leech socks! Though I think it is dry there now and the leeches might not be about too much.

Book Signing

2011-07-18T13:08:00.006+02:00

Well my new book is at the printers, not out yet, but I already have the times of my book signings at the Lynx Edicions stand (Marquee1, Stands27 & 38) at the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, UK. August 20th Saturday afternoon from 14:00 to 14:30 and August 21st Sunday morning from 10:30 to 11:00.

Helmeted Woodpecker... donations needed !

2011-07-11T22:20:00.001+02:00

You see this great bird here in the photo ? Well, you'd like to see it right ? Well, read this request:

Donations needed for Helmeted Woodpecker conservation
Although rare and declining, the Helmeted Woodpecker can still be saved if the old forests that it prefers are conserved and if forest conditions for it are improved in logged forests. To find out the ecological needs of the Helmeted Woodpecker and to implement habitat restoration for it and associated old-forest species, a five year conservation project is now being launched by Martjan Lammertink. It is a joint project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), and the Paraná Pine Project, a local NGO in Misiones province, Argentina. The project needs funds to cover radio tracking equipment and field expenses and to pay field assistants and Argentinean students. Fundraising from foundations for a little known Neotropical woodpecker is hard, and Martjan would very much appreciate donations from readers of this blog for the project. For more information please contact Martjan at jml243@cornell.edu

So, can you help ? It is a VERY good cause. This great photo of this great woodpecker was taken by Martjan and more like it can be seen on PicidPics.

Black Woodpecker book coming soon!

2011-07-09T11:39:00.001+02:00

So, finally, the maps are done, the galleys have been checked and the manuscript is at the printing house. My monograph The Black Woodpecker will be out at the end of this month! ISBN-13: 978-84-96553-79-8. For a preview check out the "Look Inside" on the Lynx website: Black Woodpecker monograph.

Back to the birds...

2011-07-05T09:22:00.000+02:00

Ok, after a few butterflies and herps... back to the birds. Here is a female Red-backed Shrike I snapped at Aggtelek in Hungary when the others were on their knees looking at some tiny butterflies. It's a fairly common bird hereabouts, often at roadsides.

Large Blue

2011-06-28T06:50:00.001+02:00

And here is another great butterfly, a Large Blue Maculinea arion. I snapped this fine male in the Bukk Hills yesterday. This species was extirpated from the UK and today only exists there in a few reintroduced populations.

Swallowtails

2011-06-24T23:20:00.000+02:00

Here's a couple of Swallowtail butterflies I snapped today at Aggtelek in Hungary.

Common Wall Lizard - Croatia

2011-06-22T20:23:00.001+02:00

This Common Wall Lizard posed obligingly on a stone-wall in the Velebit Mountains. This male is typical of the region in having an orange throat and belly.

Back from Croatia

2011-06-20T20:35:00.000+02:00

Just back from Croatia. A great trip with fantastic landscapes and habitats and all kinds of highlights. For example, I got recordings of Black-headed Bunting and Eastern Orphean Warbler, some nice photos of herps and 99 species of butterfly were seen by my companions! And this sign warning about snakes... a chap clutching his throat though the snake apparently has gone for his ankle. Wonderful.

Croatia again

2011-06-12T10:39:00.000+02:00

Off to Croatia again though the focus this time is on butterflies. We'll explore the Plitvice, Paklenica and Northern Velebits National Parks... I hope to get some sound recordings of birds, too.

Birdwatch Magazine

2011-06-08T18:23:00.001+02:00

I have an article entitled "WOODPECKER ROYALTY" in this month's (June 2011) issue of the UK magazine BIRDWATCH. It focuses on (yes, you got it in one) the Black Woodpecker...

Birding and birding and birding...

2011-06-07T20:26:00.001+02:00

No rest. Another trip done. Eastern Hungary from the Kiskunsag to the Bukk Hills to Hortobagy. Now how many is that now that I have done? Well, 100s and 100s...

Croatia - Rock Partridge

2011-05-30T18:14:00.000+02:00

Group participant Nigel Sprowell has sent me some photos from our recent tour in Croatia... here is one of our main target there... Rock Partridge!

Zemplen Hills

2011-05-27T16:40:00.000+02:00

It was hard work, it was hot, but we did it...9 out of 9 species of woodpecker and a bunch of raptors in these hills in north-east Hungary...

Another tour nearly done

2011-05-24T07:42:00.001+02:00

So another successful birding tour almost over... we head for Budapest today. We have seen some great birds in the east of Hungary, species like Saker, Red-footed Falcons, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eagle Owl, Great Bustard, Collared Flycatcher, Icterine, Barred and River Warblers, Caspian Gull, White-winged Black Terns and all 9 species of Hungarian woodpecker! We also saw a range of butterflies including a Camberwell Beauty as well as other wildlife such as Stag Beetle, Pond Terrapin and Red Squirrel.

A Woodpecker Day

2011-05-18T21:11:00.000+02:00

Well, that was a great woodpecker day here in Hungary! We started with two Wrynecks, then a Middle Spotted Woodpecker at the nest, then a White-backed at a nest, a Great Spotted, then another Middle Spotted and finally a Black Woodpecker at the nest shown here...

Eastern Hungary again

2011-05-16T11:46:00.000+02:00

Just back from a trip to the east of Hungary... the Bukk Hills, Zemplen Hills, Hortobagy and areas in-between. Lots of good birds seen including 4 species of grebe, Pygmy Cormorants, Glossy Ibis, Black Stork, superb Ferruginous Ducks, daily White-tailed Eagles, several stunning male Montagu's Harriers, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Saker, Corncrake, a dozen Great Bustards, Eagle Owl, 7 species of woodpecker, etc, etc, etc. And, i almost forgot, the best, closest views of Common Quail I have had in years.

Soomaa

2011-05-06T11:59:00.000+02:00

One of my favourite places in Estonia is Soomaa, to be exact the Soomaa National Park. This lowland area in the heart of the country, of bogs, forests, meadows, pastures and rivers that regularly, and naturally, flood in spring, is an amazing place. Deer, Lynx, Wolf, Bear, Raccoon Dog and Lynx are all here, but as usual the carnivores are seldom seen. Birds are a little easier to find, and we had great views, for example, of Hazel Grouse last week. But truth be told, Soomaa is not a place for a quick dash in and out to see birds or anything... it is a tranquil place that needs time.

Estonia success!

2011-05-03T11:33:00.000+02:00

So, another great trip in Estonia completed. The country is a great place for birds and birders. Special birds we saw in the coastal, forest and bog habitats include rafts of Long-tailed Duck, 1000s of geese, daily White-tailed Eagles, drumming Black and White-backed Woodpeckers, a superb Ural Owl, 3 Hazel Grouse, Great Snipe, Citrine Wagtail, and Slavonian Grebe and Ruff in breeding plumage.

Green Hairstreak

2011-04-24T15:18:00.000+02:00

My recent trip to Croatia was also excellent for butterflies. On sunny days we came across several great species whilst birding. Here is a Green Hairstreak from the Paklenica NP.

Croatia: Skradinski buk

2011-04-20T15:23:00.000+02:00

The stepped, waterfalls at Skradinski Buk in the Krka NP are always impressive, but were full of water this year.

Back From Croatia

2011-04-17T09:32:00.000+02:00

Another successful tour in Croatia completed! I will post a few photos in the coming days. Great birds seen were Rock Partridge, Rock Nuthatch, Rock Bunting, Scops Owl, Ferruginous Duck, Middle Spotted Woodpecker at the nest, as many Wrynecks as you wanted and double-figure White-tailed Eagles!

Another to whet the appetite...

2011-04-08T07:34:00.002+02:00

I have spent most of this week going through the galleys of the Black Woodpecker book. This is not the most enjoyable part of the process, but is a crucial one, those typos need to be dealt with! Anyway, next week I will be in the field again, with a group in Croatia, I will try to get on-line and blog from there. In the meantime here is another sketch from the book, to whet the appetite...

Galley Proofs and All That

2011-04-04T08:32:00.000+02:00

I am now going through the galleys of my Black Woodpecker book... layout and design looks good. Nice sketches by Szabolcs, like this one, introduce each chapter...

Peanuts

2011-03-31T11:29:00.003+02:00

Some of the local Great Tits Parus major are still coming to the peanuts.

The amphibians emerge

2011-03-29T12:21:00.003+02:00

It is warm enough now for amphibians to emerge from their wintering sites. They are on the move, calling, and breeding will soon be underway. I came across this European Tree Frog Hyla arborea yesterday in the Kiskunsag region, Hungary.

Another sneak preview

2011-03-26T13:47:00.001+01:00

Here is another design for the cover of my Black Woodpecker monograph. I am not sure yet which photo will actually grace the cover, several options are still be considered. Looks like it is going to be on sale at a good price, too.. just 19 Euro, about 26 USD!

Blackcap

2011-03-22T09:02:00.000+01:00

Woke up this morning to the song of a Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla in the garden. This first birds of the year have arrived back. Welcome. I managed to get a recording, too. Listen here.

Black Woodpecker Monograph: an up-date

2011-03-20T19:54:00.003+01:00

I promised to keep you up-dated. Well those nice folks at Lynx Edicions in Barcelona have just informed me that the galley proofs for my Black Woodpecker monograph will soon be with me. It seems that everything is on schedule for publication this July...

Spring sounds

2011-03-14T16:41:00.000+01:00

Right! The sun is shining and the birds are calling, singing, drumming... the recording equipment is out !

All Sorts Going On...

2011-03-08T14:36:00.002+01:00

I am busy now, as it's still winter (just about), writing and doing the dreaded admin stuff... but spring is definitely in the air and the woodpeckers are drumming and a few birds singing. My next trip, which I am preparing for right now, will be to Croatia in early April... no fool. Though the photo here from last year's trip shows what might await me.

Snow... again!

2011-03-02T20:30:00.001+01:00

It's back! Again! The snow. Winter will just not go away. Anyway, as I said a short while ago, at least the animal tracks are visible when snow is on the ground. Here's the hoof-print of a Red Deer.

Pigeons

2011-02-25T13:19:00.001+01:00

When I put all that seed out for the songbirds THIS is not what I intended to happen...

the snow is back

2011-02-17T12:57:00.001+01:00

I knew it, winter would come back. Snow on the ground, loads of folks with flu. One good thing about snow, animal tracks are easy to find. By the way, do you ever check out another blog of mine on tracks and signs? Here it is: TRACKS&SIGNS

Sound Recording

2011-02-12T08:38:00.001+01:00

The sound recording season will soon be upon me. I mean, as winter ends many birds become more active, calling, singing and woodpeckers drumming. I mentioned that the other day the birds were beginning to get going (here's another photo of the Black Woodpecker that was drumming high on a snag), But spring is not here yet... winter could return any day. I was going to go out this morning but its very windy and that's one thing that does not help at all! Actually, besides wind, all kinds of other unwanted sounds get picked up through my sensitive microphone, especially in urban areas... vehicles, people, dogs, you name it. Even in the countryside, in places you'd think were quiet, planes flying high overhead, distance chain-saws and barking village dogs are a problem.

Back to the Black Woodpecker

2011-02-09T11:17:00.001+01:00

After the travelling and sights and sounds of incredible India... I decided to get back into my routine. So I popped out for the morning into the Buda Hills to make a few sound recordings. The spring was trying to break through and the birds sensed it. The woodpeckers were drumming very actively and I even manged to grap this shot of a female Black Woodpecker after getting a few sound recordings of her.

Elephant ride

2011-02-07T08:57:00.000+01:00

In India we had the opportunity to take an elephant ride in the Corbett NP. The idea was that we could get into real Tiger habitat in this way, get close to the big cat and yet be safe. But when I asked our local guides about this it was clear that in reality such rides are not a good way to track Tigers (at least at Corbett) and was really just a fun thing to do for tourists. So we passed up this opportunity. Later, as we waited in an open-top jeep, the elephant in this photo here, with smiling tourists atop, came by and we saw that using binoculars and cameras from the back of these huge beats was not easy either.

Woodpecker Photos Request

2011-02-03T10:54:00.000+01:00

I am working on a new book, provisionally entitled Woodpeckers of the World: a photographic guide. This is for the esteemed publisher Christopher Helm/Poyser/A&C Black. The project editor is Jim Martin and he is looking forward to submissions of top-class photos of woodpeckers from anyone who would like to be involved. So, if you have photos of woodpeckers from anywhere in the world then contact Jim and he'll tell you what is needed. Good luck! His address: jmartin@acblack.com

India - Blue Whistling Thrush

2011-02-01T12:31:00.000+01:00

This Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus was hanging around the entrance to the Corbett National Park and perched up on a wall.

Back From India

2011-01-31T08:27:00.000+01:00

Well, what a trip that was! As they say "Incredible India!" Too much to mention now but in the next few days I will post a few photos and notes here. Just time to say that I saw all 12 of my target woodpeckers including the massive Great Slaty Woodpecker. No Tiger though... in fact a "man-eater" was reportedly shot during our time there after it had taken a poor man from a village... a village where we had been just days before and seen three Ibisbills in the adjacent river bed. As I said, incredible.

Great Slaty Woodpecker

2011-01-19T09:57:00.001+01:00

So as I have already mentioned it is India next. My main target there is to see Great Slaty Woodpecker, the world's largest picid. Seeing it will be great, but I will also try and get photos and hopefully some sound recordings, too... I'll let you know how I get on...

Windy Day with Fieldfares, Bustards and others...

2011-01-15T16:43:00.001+01:00

Went out today in the Kiskunsag region with a birder from the USA. It was overcast, a cold wind blew and the recently melted snow meant it was wet underfoot. But it was a great day with many flocks of handsome Fieldfares. We also found around 150 Great Bustards 125 in one group and 25 in another, the latter flying in front over us, so close we could see them opening and closing their beaks as they powered along. Other birds included 2 Rough-legged Buzzards, a Peregrine, 100s of Greater White-fronted and Greylag Geese, Great Grey Shrike and at the end of the day Middle Spotted and Black Woodpeckers... yes, a windy day.

India... Tigers, Woodpeckers

2011-01-12T10:29:00.000+01:00

Soon be time to head off again, to India, the north on this occasion... Where we are going there is apparently a good chance of seeing a Tiger and that will be nice... but there are also 20 species of woodpecker possible... I know which I will be more focused on.... but I won't turn up my nose at a Tiger!

My Black Woodpecker monograph... an up-date

2011-01-05T13:13:00.001+01:00

My book on Black Woodpecker is due to be published this July. Here are some advanced details from the publisher: Black Woodpecker Monograph

Cold Out There!

2011-01-04T09:28:00.002+01:00

There I am, planning my up-coming trip to subtropical India... while here outside it's freezing!

New Year... New Destinations... India

2011-01-03T09:01:00.000+01:00

So after a successful 2010, it is onwards, and my world woodpecker quest and research continues. My next destination is India. A group of friends and I will visit the foothills of the Himalayas, Corbett National Park and other areas in the Uttaranchal State. There is a chance of seeing Bengal Tiger here and around 20 species of woodpecker!

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T09:50:00.000+01:00

I wish you a Bird-filled New Year in 2011 and beyond!

Helmeted Woodpecker

2010-12-28T16:53:00.000+01:00

OK, I know it is not the best shot in the world, but here it is, a snap of THE bird that I wanted to see in Argentina... Helmeted Woodpecker. It's a record shot and it is clear which species it is. Truth is, we were too busy getting good views and trying to record the bird to get good photos. Indeed, we got good views and heard it calling and drumming. In fact, that is how we found it. It is a superb bird, a rare one, a real specialty of the rain forests of SE Brazil, Paraguay and NE Argentina. We found this female in Misiones Province in November.

Argentina - Magellanic Woodpecker

2010-12-19T10:33:00.001+01:00

And here is yet another bird from Argentina, yes, again, another woodpecker! This is a male Magellanic Woodpecker, a superb bird, a real specialty of the forests of Patagonia, which was one of our main targets. Photo taken near Bariloche, Argentina, December 2010.

Argentina - Campo Flicker

2010-12-15T18:46:00.002+01:00

Here is another shot from Argentina, another woodpecker, of course. This is a Campo Flicker, the campestroides race which is sometimes called Field Flicker. Note the white throat whereas the nominate race has a dark throat. Taken by Simon Cook, near San Pedro, Misiones, Argentina, November 2010.

Birds in Argentina

2010-12-12T09:46:00.000+01:00

We certainly saw some great birds in Argentina and as they often say, there were "too many to mention". That was indeed the case. But I should mention Greater Rhea, Black-throated Piping Guan, Red-legged Seriema, Toco Toucan, Red-tailed Comet and Andean Condor... On the woodpecker front we found 23 of the 29 species that occur in the country. Importantly, we saw the ones we really wanted to see: Chilean and Andean Flickers, Striped, Robust, Cream-backed, Magellanic, Black-bodied and my number one target Helmeted Woodpecker. This female Magellanic Woodpecker was snapped by Yoav near Bariloche.

Barren Landscape - Argentina

2010-12-10T11:32:00.000+01:00

Argentina: We flew south from Salta in the NW to Patagonia. Some of the sights below us were impressive. I snapped this barren, desert landscape near Mendoza.

Back From Argentina

2010-12-08T18:40:00.001+01:00

Well, I am back from Argentina. What a great birding destination it is! As you will probably know, my main targets there were the woodpeckers and in the end my friends and I observed 23 species. Particularly fine were Andean Flicker, Helmeted Woodpecker, Black-bodied Woodpecker and Magellanic Woodpecker... I will be posting more on these, the wonderful habitats we visited (there I am in Patagonia kitted out for the wind and the sun) and on the trip in general in the coming days.

Mata Atlantica

2010-11-23T10:12:00.005+01:00

The Atlantic Forest or "Mata Atlantica“ stretches along the eastern coast of Brazil, inland to Paraguay, and in the province of Misiones in northeastern Argentina and a bit of Uruguay. The biodiversity of this rain-forest is high. But sadly it is said to be just 7% of the size that it was 500 years ago. Many plants and animals here are endangered. I have been to parts of this wonderful forest before (in SE Brazil, see photo) and will soon be there again, in Misiones, spending a week. My main aim is to observe Helmeted Woodpecker Dryocopus galeatus, a relative of Black Woodpecker, a very localised species, classified as vulnerable... I will let you know.

Argentina

2010-11-20T15:56:00.000+01:00

I am preparing for a trip to Argentina, an amazing birding destination with a diverse range of habitats and some very special species. My main targets will be the 29 species of woodpecker in the country, including the likes of Mottled Piculet, Andean and Chilean Flickers, Helmeted Woodpecker and the superb Magellanic Woodpecker... watch this space!

Woodpeckers.... again!

2010-11-16T18:26:00.000+01:00

Please do not forget to look at this other blog of mine... Woodpeckers of the World. I think it is coming along nicely. And please do contribute photos...

More Common Cranes

2010-11-10T07:20:00.000+01:00

More Common Cranes from eastern Hungary... it really is, was, a great event. Thanks Nigel!