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Middle Spotted Woodpecker


Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2015-05-16
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D90, Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD, Digital RAW
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/500 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2015-06-16 9:05
Viewed: 1732
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
During a walk on Lesvos, Greece, we found several nests in an olive garden with young which set their first steps outside the nests. This one was also ready to go into the free world.
Thanks to my 600 mm telelens I don’t need to disturb them.

The Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Leiopicus medius) is a European woodpecker belonging to the genus Leiopicus.
The Middle Spotted Woodpecker is 20–22 cm long and has plumage similar to the Great Spotted Woodpecker. As with that species the upperparts are predominantly black with white oval wing patches and white barring on the wings, and the underparts are white. The main differences are a red crown, lack of a black moustachial stripe, a pink vent, and dark streaks on the flanks.
Although only slightly smaller than the Great Spotted Woodpecker, it appears smaller due to its short, slender bill and more rounded, pale head. It can also be confused with the Syrian Woodpecker (particularly juveniles), being distinguished from this by the smaller bill, and the red crown not having narrow black sides.

The Middle Spotted Woodpecker occurs only in Europe and southwest Asia, from northern Spain and France east to Poland and Ukraine, and south to central Italy (where local), the Balkan Peninsula, Lithuania, Latvia, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Iran. This species used to breed in Sweden but became extirpated in the 80's. However, Middle Spotted Woodpeckers have been seen in Sweden in appropriate breeding habitats after the extirpation. Due to its sedentary nature it has never been recorded in Great Britain. It prefers deciduous forest regions, especially areas with old oak, hornbeam and elm, and a patchwork of clearings, pasture and dense woodland.

Behaviourally it likes to feed high in the trees, moving constantly and making a good view difficult. In the breeding season it excavates a nest hole about 5 cm wide in a decaying tree trunk or thick branch. It lays four to seven eggs and incubates for 11–14 days.

The Middle Spotted Woodpecker lives predominantly on a diet of insects as well as their larvae, which it finds by picking them from branches and twigs rather than hacking them from beneath the bark. It will also feed on tree sap. It is rarely heard drumming, and never for territorial purposes, which it asserts by song; a slow,nasal gvayk gvayk gvayk gvayk gvayk. Calls include a fast kik kekekekek.

Source: Wikipedia
tuslaw, Noisette, marius-secan, Pitoncle, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2015-06-16 9:09]

Hi Peter,it's a great day for TN today! You are back too after Siegfried,i'm very happy to see again an old friend! And how is nice this capture from your last trip in Greece,a lucky meeting taken in a great way despite the distance,and it seems smile in front of your camera..ehehe...have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2015-06-16 9:24]

Hello Peter,
A Great Spotted Woodpecker with us to work in the environment you can hear it but you can not account for where it is him.
Congratulations to receive.
After long and life-threatening disease, I will try to be active again.
Regards Sigi

Ciao Peter, well returned on TN, great portrait of lovely woodpecker, fine details, wonderful colors and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 282 N: 4931] (19883)
  • [2015-06-16 16:40]

Hello Peter,
Great to see another post from you after a long absence. Your 600MM lens did a fine job of photographing this young woodpecker as it ponders just what to do with this big world outside his home. Beautiful colors and wonderful eye contact. You even managed to capture what appears to be some tiny red mites into the frame. Welcome back!!
Ron

hello Peter
you made a interesting meeting in this olive garden,
great shot of this young woodpecker showing out from his nest
wonderful pov, light and colors
have a good night
Jacqueline

Delighted to see you and some other veterans returning to TN, Peter. The gallery is now getting richer with your return.
You have done a superb job with your long lens. The little one looks so cute in its tree hole.
Welcome back and keep posting!
Ram

  • Great 
  • KOMSIS Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 820 W: 0 N: 2419] (10674)
  • [2015-06-17 9:15]

Hallo Peter,
Welcome back after a long break ..
Very beautiful photo in nice sharpness and details.
Best wishes,
Seyfi

hallo Peter
Leuk weer wat te zien van jou
alees goed?ik denk het wel zo te zien aan de foto uit Lesbos
prachtig dat koppie zo uit de boom
groet lou

Hello Peter,
There were some outstanding days when we TN reunited with some old friends....First Siegfried and now you....
These meetings on TN are like "call of wilderness", can not forget them...
Excellent image again.
Marius.

Bonjour Peter,
C'est splendide magnifiquement composé dans une belle lumière et sous une bonne profondeur de champ.
A bientôt sur TN pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

Hello Peter,
Onek din pore abar bristi elo. Khub valo laglo tomar ei chobita dekhe. Khub sposto r darun rong-er bahar.

Oses dhonnobad amader a chobita dekhanor jonno,
Dinta subho hok,.
Srikumar

Hello Peter

Excellent work from your long zoom lens to close-up this woodpecker in its nest,
fine POV and framing, great details, I said my-self this long shot we must need
a tripod or monopod and I see that you have used one, TFS

Asbed

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