Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos Major)
Ringed at the new Lhoist wildlife nature site, Whitwell.
This is an adult male easily identified by the red patch on the nape.
A female would lack the red patch with the black cap extending down the nape.
A juvenile would have similar plumage but with a bright red cap.
There are three species of woodpecker regularly breeding in Britain; the GSW (left) and the
less common, Lesser Spotted. The third one is the larger Green Woodpecker.
Having said that, there is one other woodpecker, the Wryneck, which used to breed here, but is now
a rare passage visitor during migration (which I have been lucky enough to ring)
Wryneck (Jynx Torquilla)
Ringed by myself at Bondhay Golf Club.
About the size of a sparrow, it is a member of the woodpecker family, feeding almost exclusively on ants.
Unlike other woodpeckers, it's seen mainly on the ground and doesn't often climb up vertical trunks or branches.
It has the ability to rotate its head almost 360deg, hence its name. and when startled can hiss like a snake.
Once a widespread breeding bird here, it is now mainly a migratory species, heading to Africa.
Kingfisher (Alcedo Atthis)
Ringed at Creswell Crags.
Unbelievable ability to almost rotate the head 360deg.
Interestingly, they only seem to do this when in the hand.
And yes, it is an actual bird and not an animatronic toy!