Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Burnham Beeches

I decided to have a second go at seeing the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers at Burnham Beeches, after a previous session did not give good views.  So Mike Mike Collard and myself arrived at 7:30am to find two birders already having seen one of the birds.  A hopeful start!   Andrew Noel had already seen one in trees close to the path and Chris King was also on watch along one of the tracks.  Andrew had to leave  shortly after this so Chris, Mike and I spent a very successful 2-3 hours wandering around the area and we had numerous sightings of one or more females (we think it was more than one).  The bird/s wandered over a wide area usually flying high in the trees and then perching and calling or drumming.  They were often difficult to see.

We were fortunate at one point that one perched in the top of a tree for over five minutes allowing it to be photographed and videoed.    Link to video.  The video starts off a bit shaky, as I was steadying the camera with my hand but becomes steady after I line up the tripod.

Burnham Beeches - A mixture of trees including Silver Birch above and Beech and Oak below.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Initially it was drumming on a tree close
to a crossroads in the paths, but fairly well hidden.

We then found what may have been the same female drumming and perhaps feeding
also, on this branch high in the trees.  It stayed here for at least five minutes.

Presumably it had found something to eat!

Unfortunately we never saw a male Lesser Spot, so a good reason to return sometime!

We decided to explore the area around the Moat. and immediately saw a pair of Mandarins.

Mandarin Duck

There were a good selection of other birds in the wood including Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Nuthatch and three species of Tits.