Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker

An unmistakable black and white woodpecker,this bird has only three toes hence  its name.The male has a distinct yellow crown and both sexes are boldly striped.As well as feeding on insects and larvae, the Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker also punctures the bark of trees to get at underlying sap,often leaving pattern of holes on coniferous tree trunks.Males and female frequently drum during the late winter and early spring.

Shy and elusive,this generally northern species is found in coniferous boreal forest in Scandinavia and across northern Russia and Siberia to Japan. it is also found in mountainous area in central and eastern Europe.The Eurasian Three-toed woodpecker also occurs in North america but the American birds are generally smaller, with males displaying less yellow on the head.American bird also apparently feed less on sap.

Eurasian Jay

A common bird across much of Europe and Asia,from the near Arctic and Himalayan foothills to the tropical forests of Myanmar and Thailand,the Eurasian Jay in one area may be quite different in colours and patterns to another.There are more than 30 subspecies in a wide range of colours  and with either black or streaked crowns.However, all the subspecies have a blue patch on their forewing. A shy bird,the Eurasian Jay is almost always seen flying away, when the white patches on its otherwise black hind wings and white rump, contrasting with the black tail, make it easy to identify. Like other jays, it is an omnivorous opportunist and dependent for its winter survival on the success of the acorn crop.In years and in areas where acorns fail,it can spread out from its normal home range in search of better supplies. When acorns are plentiful,it stores then by burying them. It has good memory,usually remembering where the buried acorns are.However it often does not return to its food store,thereby playing an important role in the regeneration of oak forests.