European Green Woodpecker

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Spotted this fellow at the back of my house recently (Munich). Spectacular colors when in flight. At first I thought it was an escaped Great Green Macaw due to the color. The call is quite distinct too, heard a few the weekend. I spotted one before quite some time ago, on both occasions, I grabbed my camera but bird was disturbed and took to the sky. Hopefully I get another chance. Here's a picture taken from wikipedia, just thought I would share.

gzoladz

Great bird, they can be seen in Hyde Park, London.

I saw one for a few seconds in Spain last year. I am hoping to get a pic this year of I get to see one.

fiacha

Speaking of Woodpeckers....i don't see any recent reports for Great Spotted Woodpecker around Dublin. Are they no longer present, or are the sightings being kept quiet due to pressure ?

Half-cocked

fiacha wrote: »

Speaking of Woodpeckers....i don't see any recent reports for Great Spotted Woodpecker around Dublin. Are they no longer present, or are the sightings being kept quiet due to pressure ?

I think the novelty factor may have worn off, hence the silence.

magicbastarder

we need to drum up more support for them.
though we could be banging our heads against a wall.

Zoo4m8

gzoladz wrote: »

Great bird, they can be seen in Hyde Park, London.

I saw one for a few seconds in Spain last year. I am hoping to get a pic this year of I get to see one.

Great bird indeed.. Visiting a friend in England a couple years ago was delighted to see one feeding on his lawn watched by a couple Little Owls on nearby phone wires...a complete novelty for me but a complete non event for him.

fiacha

Half-cocked wrote: »

I think the novelty factor may have worn off, hence the silence.

Despite spending a lot of time in the right area (not always birding), I've yet to see one. I'll just have to put the effort in this year.

gzoladz

Same...if I remember correctly there is a bwi event in spring to go specifically to look for them.

stevensi

I am surprised there isn't more reports in Dublin as it seems they are moving out to other counties around the country. Wicklow is the stronghold but I see there are reports in Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Kerry as well as over West. My first sighting of a GSW was in Phoenix Park a few years ago and I was sure they would set up there but there have been no sightings for a while there. And it's not as if they are very secretive as the drumming which will be starting soon is very heasily heard as is their call...

stevensi

fiacha wrote: »

Despite spending a lot of time in the right area (not always birding), I've yet to see one. I'll just have to put the effort in this year.

Head to a woodland in Wicklow in the next few weeks and you should get lucky. Can be hard to see in the canopy but you should hear the drumming and call at this time of the year.

recedite

stevensi wrote: »

Head to a woodland in Wicklow in the next few weeks and you should get lucky.

Saw one in Glen of the Downs woods about a month ago. Not exactly common though, don't count on seeing or hearing them.