Wednesday 17 August 2011

Juvenile Green Woodpecker



The Green Woodpecker is the largest British Woodpecker, about the size of a Feral Pigeon. The above pictures are of a juvenile bird, the heavily spotted and barred plumage will soon be lost as it moults into its adult plumage of vivid green with a yellow-green rump and red crown. This moult takes place between August and September. There are a fair few of these juveniles around at the moment, none more so than at Maxey GP where I have seen at least 4 individuals, including this one.

Those of us that are of a certain age will remember the television programme `Bagpuss` and perhaps the character of `Old Professor Yaffle, an old wooden book-end in the shape of a woodpecker`. The Green Woodpecker is also known as The Yaffle bird because of its unmistakable call, normally heard in Spring, but is also uttered when taking off in fright, a loud `laughing` noise, not unlike Professor Yaffles laugh.

18 comments:

  1. Hi John,
    Beautiful woodpecker pictures. Were they digiscoped?

    http://iow-birder.blogspot.com/

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  2. Hi John...Great shots you got there...
    No...Don't know the Professor!! : }}

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  3. Hi Dave,
    Thankyou. Yes, most of my bird photos are digiscoped, can`t afford a DSLR! I use a Canon Powershot A640 and my scope is a Kowa TSN-883 with a x30 eyepiece.
    J

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  4. Hi Grace,
    Many thanks!
    You will have to `Google` Bagpuss, it`s a classic kids T.V. programme here in the U.K. from the seventies (showing my age now!).
    J

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  5. Lovely shots John, and excellent digiscoping.

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  6. Hi John, I always assume they are laughing at me because I haven't been able to take a good photograph of them.

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  7. These are fantastic photographs! I had to quickly ask my Britmates who are visiting if they knew who Professor Yaffle was. The answer came immediately: he's a green woodpecker! So, you are not alone in being of a certain age, it seems . . .

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  8. Hi John .. beautiful pictures - lovely to see them .. I don't comment that often .. as I have to change browsers .. and enter my details etc .. if you could unembed your comment box - perhaps to the pop up one .. Blogger changed their template coding back in May ..

    Love reading your notes and hedgeland tales .. cheers for now .. Hilary

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  9. Nice to see a young Green Woodpecker so clearly.
    We've got Bagpuss on video so are well acquainted with Prof. Yaffle - an Oliver Postgate creation, like the Clangers and we've got them too! (They don't make 'em like they used to...)

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  10. These are great images John.
    John.

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  11. Hi Keith,
    Thankyou very much!
    J

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  12. Hi Roy,
    I am sure that`s not true! They can be annoying in that they fly if you look at them a bit funny, I was lucky with this bird, he didn`t see me coming! ;)
    J

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  13. Hi Susan,
    Thankyou. Your friends must be as old as me, didn`t think that was possible! ;)
    J

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  14. Hi Hilary,
    Thanks for visiting and the kind words.
    I would do as you asked, if I knew what exactly you were talking about! I don`t really know what I am doing on a computer, what you say sounds a bit complicated! ;)
    J

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  15. Hi Rob,
    Yes, I did get good views!
    Ah, the Clangers and the Soup Dragon, happy days! You`re right, they don`t make `em like they used to!
    J

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  16. Hi John,
    Thanks very much, too kind!
    J

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  17. A great capture John.
    I have attempted digiscoping but had a little more success with video clips rather than stills.

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  18. Thanks Andrew,
    I am still getting used to Digiscoping, it takes a lot of practice, am a long way off anything decent!
    J

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