Close-up of plumage of juvenile European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

Photographing any wildlife well and interestingly is difficult at the best of times, and photographing birds creatively even more so. The great majority of the time careful planning and preparation have to be followed by long hours of hard work and/or crushing boredom, often in equal measure. But just occasionally serendipity provides an unexpected opportunity to portray an unusual subject interestingly or a commonplace subject in a more creative way. Then it is a case of utilising all the skills honed over countless hours, and working as quickly and efficiently as possible until the opportunity is over.

Such was the case with the roosting juvenile European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis), encountered while walking in the Lake District National Park relatively close to home. With its head turned round and bill tucked under the plumage the juxtaposition of the different colours and patterns of the feathers immediately suggested the title, and I was pleased to be able to capture the image successfully and leave the subject none the worse for the encounter. This would not normally be possible with such a shy bird, and for a naturalist-photographer was the cause of considerable satisfaction.

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