A Great Spotted Woodpecker...

... preparing to swoop down from its branch. For once, the weather turned sunny at just the right time for photographing this lovely specimen.

The first extra shows the same bird after it flew down to the feeder at Harlow Carr Gardens and the other extra has a more conventional portrait.

What a nice change to be able to photograph something bright and colourful, after the last week of pretty miserable weather.