Great Spotted Woodpecker: a favourite garden bird

So after the exotics, it is back to my local birds. And who better than this regular visitor to our garden, Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major. Budapest, Hungary, February 7th, 2015 (Gerard Gorman). A pair drop in every day now and visit the different feeders.

Back from the Philippines

Just back from a birding adventure in the Philippines. My main targets were the endemic woodpeckers, but of course many other fine birds were encountered. Here is one, an endemic starling species the Coleto Sarcops calvus, which is fairly common on most islands.

The Philippines and flamebacks

Escaping the European winter, I am off to the Philippines to see a few woodpeckers... like these Spot-throated Flamebacks Dinopium everetti, endemic to the island of Palawan. Many thanks to Rommel Cruz, who I will meet in a few days, for this great image. I hope he has them lined up like this for me!

Nest boxes for owls

Yesterday we went out into the Hungarian countryside and put up a few nest-boxes for owls: 2 for Scops Owl, 1 for Long-eared owl and 1 for Barn owl. It was not as hard as when we put up the big boxes for Ural Owls recently, but it was cold, especially on the hands! 

FESTIVE GREETINGS!

BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL 
FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

More from the Caribbean... Hispaniolan Woodpecker

Here is a Hispaniolan Woodpecker Melanerpes striatus, that I photographed in the Dominican Republic in December 2014. This woodpecker is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Dom Rep & Haiti) in the Greater Antilles, and is widespread and common in the former, less so in Haiti. This is a female, note the black mid and fore crown (males have a complete red crown).   

Back from the Caribbean

Back in Europe after a great trip to the Caribbean... the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe to be exact. Many great birds, particularly the endemics to each island, were seen and photographed, and I will post a few here in the coming days. This photo of a roadside recreation area in the mountains of Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, is named (using the local name Le Tapeur) after the endemic woodpecker found there. And, besides the bird on the sign, real ones are actually right there in the adjacent forest!