Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Moore NR - 21st April 2012

I will let the photos do most of the talking, but I woke up at 04.15 this morning and got the train to Warrington Bank Quay and visited Moore NR in search of the mythical male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. I have visited here many times in the past with no luck, so I was determined to see one/it this time. I tried the circuit round the woodland to the left of Lapwing Lane for over an hour with not even a sniff of mini-pecker. I decided to wander over to Birchwood Pool to check the gulls but there was a single Herring Gull and that's it! Starting to lose hope, I thought I would check Birch Wood itself when on the walk there, I happened to look up and see a small bird moving from branch to branch...It was only the Lesser Spot! What a fantastic bird and only 40 foot away! I fired off a few record shots and then the bird decided to put on a show and flew down onto a tree trunk at eye level only 25 feet away! I watched the bird for about 20 minutes hearing it call 3 times and watching its feeding habits and how it differs to Great Spot in so many ways. A fantastic bird and well worth the early start!