Holding a woodpecker: a very rare but lucky opportunity!
I was doing a bit of gardening when I heard a bang and then a thud as something landed on the grass behind me. It was a pygmy Japanese woodpecker that had flown straight into the window and stunned itself! I thought it was dead, so I picked it up and held it in my hand. After a couple of minutes the little thing opened its eyes and moved its head slightly, but it made absolutely no attempt to fly away. I guess that the fact I was wearing gardening gloves made it feel a bit safer (perhaps). Anyway, I took a few photos and then put it on the branch of a tree. It just lay there on the branch without moving, so I was worried that it was injured. I touched it again and suddenly it shot off through the hedge and flew into the neighbour’s garden. Very fast and very well.
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker: Picoides kizuki: kogera
Hello Nigel,
My name is Paul and i’m currently living in Hokkaido, I love your site and this photo prompted me to send this reply to you, i found a stunned Arisui (think thats what it was) and posted a photo on my site:
http://melonbrain.com/smallworld/default.asp?search=&navData=true&rp=5&selectUser=
thanks for the great information!
p.s i love snakes too and recently caught (and of course soon released an Ao-Daisho) i think that’s what is was?
http://melonbrain.com/smallworld/default.asp?search=&navData=true&rp=9&selectUser=
regards
Paul
Hey there, Paul again… i sent you the wrong links for the photos… try these instead
Arisui: http://melonbrain.com/smallworld/default.asp?search=arisui&searchData=submit
Snake: http://melonbrain.com/smallworld/default.asp?search=snake&searchData=submit
thats if you can be bothered changing them 😉
thanks
Paul