It's the way nature gets to you. You deal with all the stresses of everyday life then something happens that just like some magic elixir, vanquishes all your problems. Not that I have too many atm as I feel well and good (though a little broader around the middle!) Anyway, I digress. I have for some time wanted to photograph Greater Spotted Woodpeckers. I saw them in the woods where I normally frequent last year but I have not been able to revisit this year through one reason or another. Anyhow (and this may be a lesson for us all) through placing regular feeders out, I was delighted to see a couple of new visitors the other day. Luckily I had already set my hide up nearby (and as I watched them from the house) they often landed on top of it

I set to work and having found an old fence post, I chopped it to a manageable size (so the top would be approx level with the camera) and placed it into the Christmas tree stand. This saves digging unecessary holes in the garden and also gives me the flexibility to place it wherever I want. I attached a wire feeder (for peanuts) at the rear of the post near to the top. In addition I drilled several holes into the post and inserted peanuts. I then set up the camera and waited. Several times the pair, an adult and juvenile, would appear. Rather than spook them I waited for the adult to settle and start on the peanuts. Then it came. That humbling moment. As the youngster sat on top of the post the adult moved up the post and fed it. It was wonderful to be sat less than 10 feet away and witness something like this. being a city 'lad' these were the first I had been able to truly watch and it was wonderful. I could have quite happily just sat and watched them but as I had the camera handy I managed to take some pics, 4 of which I have just uploaded from the sequence.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have taking them