I bought new shoes today and went for a short forest walk to start wearing them in. I did not expect to see anything interesting and, for the most part, I didn't. Just falling leaves, chilly wind making my nose run, wedges of geese high in the sky heading south... A bit depressing. But then I heard a black woodpecker announcing its presence to the whole forest.

"Heyyy! You're here. Thanks for staying with us for the winter. Just be careful though, this is a goshawk territory."

I headed towards the calls and found the woodpecker easily. It was a male and it was pecking a rotten tree stump – a buffet of sorts. These urban black woodpeckers don't mind people at all.

#blackwoodpecker
#dryocopusmartius
#woodpecker
#birds
#helsinki
#finland
#autumn
#fall
#october

Callin' for mummy and yummy!
🇩🇪 Ein Schwarzspechtküken schaut aus dem familiären Baumloch heraus. Zwei seiner Geschwister wuseln in den Bäumen der Umgebung umher.

🇬🇧 A black woodpecker chick looks out of its family's tree hole. Two other chicks are already flying around.


#NikonD7200 | 550mm | f/6,3 | 1/1600 Sek. | ISO 5000 & 3200 | 05/2025
#Schwarzspecht #Küken #BlackWoodpecker #chick #DryocopusMartius

De papeloze kerk Schoonoord - We hoorden haar roepen, maar veel tijd om te poseren had ze niet. Zwarte specht.
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#zwartespecht
#dryocopusmartius
#blackwoodpecker
#natuur
#natuurfotografie
#nietzondernatuur
#nature
#naturephotography
#dichtbijgroen
#natuurmonumenten
#dutchnature
#vogel
#vogelfotografie
#vogelbescherming
#mooidrenthe
#drenthe
#oerdrenthe
#noorderland
#roegtv
#rtvdrenthe
#wandelen
#hiking

Today, deep in the heart of the forest, I witnessed one of the most powerful sights: a Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) spreading its wings wide, commanding the quiet woods with its presence.
Moments like these remind me why I fell in love with bird photography — capturing the raw beauty and strength of these incredible creatures in their natural element.
The Black Woodpecker is not only Europe’s largest woodpecker but also a true spirit of the wild, rarely seen in such a majestic display.
Every feather tells a story of survival, and every beat of its wings echoes through the trees.

#birdphotography #blackwoodpecker #dryocopusmartius #forestwildlife #naturelovers #birdwatching #wildlifephotography #birdsofpixelfed #naturephotography #ornithology #wingspread #natureperfection #bird_brilliance

Palokärki ja toukkakäytävät kaarnan alla.
Black woodpecker and caterpillar tunnels under the bark of birch.
Video: https://youtu.be/9wkaJMeXghg?si=pLQ0Vu1ODwrW9a6M
(02/2024)

#palokärki #dryocopusmartius #blackwoodpecker #spillkråka
#birds #linnut #bird #lintu #wildbirds #nuts_about_birds #birdlife #birdlifesuomi #suomen_linnut #suomenlinnut #lintukuvaus #birdphotography #bird_brilliance #birdlove #birdphotographyworld #luonto #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nuts_about_wildlife #wildlife_photography #nuts_about_nature #WildlifePhotography #luontokuva #luontokuvat #luontokuvaus #suomenluonnonvalokuvaajat #naturephotography #finnishnature #wildlifefinland #excellent_nordic

What a day... I was not particularly keen on going out, but I noticed that the sun started to peek through the clouds around midday – so I had to escort myself out of the apartment. I felt a bit sluggish and I was not satisfied with the first photos I got, I rarely am. It takes a while for me to "get in the zone" and stop worrying about people staring at me. How about you?

I decided to visit the only waterfall in Helsinki: Strömberginkoski. As you can see, it's quite modest in size, only about 3 meters tall (~10 feet). Helsinki (and Finland in general) is not known for its waterfalls :D I took a few photos and then headed downstream to see if there was anything interesting in the groves surrounding Mätäjoki.

Ooooohh yeahh, there was. I bumped into a white-tailed deer. The species was introduced to Finland from the US in the 1930s and 40s, and now there are a lot of them. But I don't think I have seen one in Helsinki before. Roe deer are more common.

The deer was not the most exciting animal I saw. I also found a white-backed woodpecker – a bird I had never seen before. In fact, there were two of them. This woodpecker species is quite rare in Finland. They were not the only woodpeckers around: I also stared death (a black woodpecker) in the face once again. It was there as well, minding its own business.

Yep, I'm glad I went for a walk today :)

#whitebackedwoodpecker
#dendrocoposleucotos
#blackwoodpecker
#dryocopusmartius
#whitetaileddeer
#odocoileusvirginianus
#helsinki
#mätäjoki
#strömberginkoski
#finland
#february
#birds

Ms. Black Woodpecker surprised me while I was looking for goshawks last March. Pieces of bark were flying in every direction as it feasted on bark beetles. Delicious! I always stop to watch these skilled carpenters at work – the local black woodpeckers often do not mind people gawking at them. Their character and distinctive calls make them one of my favorite birds.

However, seeing black woodpeckers is bad news in our folklore. I'm still alive though.

#blackwoodpecker
#dryocopusmartius
#birds
#helsinki
#finland