In the frame

Happy Weekend to you all.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

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The Great Spotted Woodpecker is the UK's most common woodpecker, is sometimes called the 'Pied Woodpecker' because of its black and white colouring. Its trunk-clinging habits, characteristic shape and black and white plumage eliminate all other British birds except Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. Apart from being much bigger, the Great Spotted is easily told by the big white patches on its shoulders, as well as the red under-tail coverts. Juveniles have red along the crown, the male has a red spot on the nape but the female has no red on her head at all. The white shoulder patches show up clearly in flight which is characteristically bounding. I have been lucky enough to see plenty of these over the last 2 years at the feeders I help to maintain in a carpark on Woodhead.