Thursday, December 4, 2008

Woody Woodpecker !!


Sitting on the terrace and enjoying the warm rays of the morning sun , almost dozing off , I was brought into action by loud thumping sounds coming from somewhere near me.I went closer to the source and after a bit of keen watching , I noticed a medium sized bird with bright plumage that surely attracted me.It was yellowish green with crimson forehead and nape and a prominent golden nuchal crest which added to its overall beauty.

Referring to the field guide , i found out that it was called "Lesser Yellow-naped Woodpecker" or "Picus Chlorophus Vieillot".And not to forget the fact that it has been 6-7 years since i have been observing birds in and around my neighbourhood and this was the first time that i was seeing one ! It was perched just in front of my eyes , probably at a distance of around 3-4 feet from me , on the "Himalayan pear tree" or "Pyrus Pashia" and was constantly digging the fairly thin but robust branch.An important point here is that the branches of this tree are very hard and thats why the sound that was originating was quite loud.As soon as the beautiful woodpecker saw me , it was perturbed and traumatized and immediately made a rushing flight towards the decidious trees on the other side of the road.

It was a pleasing sight for me , in the midst of the cool breeze and the warm soothing rays of the sun , for you do not get to witness a woodpecker pecking at a branch right in front of your eyes everyday !...Hope you enjoyed it.I will be regularly updating the content of the blog as i continue to roll on with my adventures and hope to witness much more amazing things !