Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)

These birds are very shy and evasive here; during the whole of last year I only heard a few and saw one gliding away between the trees, despite running regularly in the woods where they live. So I was amazed to be there on a sunny day at the beginning of February and to see and hear no fewer than eight(!) of them within a relatively small area, drumming, calling and squabbling with each other. It seemed to be Woodpecker day - I also saw and heard many Greater Spotteds, Middle Spotteds and even a Lesser Spotted. Two days later the woods were silent again!