Like Drumming

WARM. About +22, sunny, nearly no wind.

We went to the allotment exceptionally already in the morning. Changed the paces of two old, big blackberry bushes and had the canopy of the garden swing in place again after the winter. We were in the heat for five hours and were very tired when came back home.

When going to the garden I passed close by this great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) on the lawn. It was so concentrated on its job that it didn't seem to realize my pesence at all. I don't remember I have seen a great spotted woodpecker on the ground before. Well except once I saw it fly against the tree and fall down, when I was standing on the other side of the tree. It was fine and flew away soon, once got over its confusion :))

The spring drumming of woodpeckers is similar in meaning to the courtship displays of other birds. In addition of trees and branches it's drumming nearly on anything that provide a good reverberation base e.g. metal covers of poles, lampshades. But this in the picture was eating something from the lawn at a fast pace and looked the same as when it's drumming on something. I took very many photos, but its head didn't stay still.