Lesser Pecker

Saturday morning saw me heading north to north Cumbria for a bird survey and on the way I had great views of a snow covered north Lakes and then cracking views over the Solway to Scotland from the site itself. It was cold with four oktas cloud cover and a 5 mph north-northwesterly wind.

 Uldale Fells 

The Solway and Scotland

The breeding bird survey didn't show up anything spectacular but I did have a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, five Tree Sparrows, three Buzzards, a Song Thrush and two Stock Doves.

Tree Sparrow

House Sparrow 

The best bird of the morning was just as I was taking my boots off and about to leave, and I heard a calling Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. It was calling from the top of a few mature trees between me and some very nice woodland. As I lifted my bins it stopped calling and I couldn't see it. Unfortunately it must have flown at the exact moment I lifted my bins; I think it's called sods law! This was the first 'Lesser Pecker' I had seen for a few years, but it was a typical date and also in a typical location!