Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Great Spotted Woodpecker |
 Great Spotted Woodpecker |
 Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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 Common Buzzard |
 Common Buzzard |
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Target species: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo
On 16th December I set out to photograph woodpeckers and buzzards - both are common and overlooked in my opinion. Woodpeckers are spectacular and particularly photogenic, even in tough lighting conditions. A couple of years ago I visited a patch of woodland in Cheshire, where both buzzards and great spotted woodpeckers are abundant. I always carry a jar of peanut butter with me - this is key to attracting woodpeckers. Within ten minutes I was graced with the presence of a male and female woodpecker. I took over 200 shots, some of which turned out quite nice, despite shooting at high ISO. Once I was happy with my woodpecker shots, I walked across a field where I could hear buzzards calling. I placed carrion down and waited. I wasn't sure if this would work, but sure enough a buzzard flew down and posed for over 15 minutes, allowing me to take nearly 300 images.
I had a successful morning and thoroughly enjoyed myself.