OK, so we have quite a lot of Green Woodpeckers in our area.  One particular area is right on their idea site; a broadleaf woodland next to a large uncultivated but managed meadow area.  I regularly see Green’s flying or on the ground in the meadow.  Plus, their ‘yaffle’ call is very distinctive and carries across the fields.  It’s always good to see them but its often a rear view as the fly off to the trees with a characteristic low stiff winged flight before sharply lifting up into an oak tree’s branches.   

I’ve got a fair number of photos of them in trees or foraging in the meadow - all at a good distance.  Here’s one I took yesterday of a recently fledged bird. This and a couple of siblings were still being fed by the parents - there was a lot of calling between the family group.  I’ve got a lot of this type of ‘for the record’ photo but it’s not really what I’m aiming for.

The thing is, this is about as close as I’ll ever get.  Green Woodpeckers are very shy and will take to the wing at the slightest close disturbance; they even take delight at shuffling around the back of a tree trunk if they see you.  It’s pretty obvious that the only effective way to photograph them is from a hide but it’s incredibly difficult to figure out where they are going to fly to.  I haven’t yet found a regular source of food that they seem to be returning to so that I can set up ahead of them (reputedly, ants nests a a favourite but I suspect ‘our’ Greens are a bit more omnivorous in this meadow).  Hmm…