Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Hockham, Norfolk 0600-0830

A great early mornings birding in fairly quiet conditions.  Early morning sunshine was short-lived with cloud moving in to give fair light.
This was my first visit to Hockham for a couple of weeks.  Clear changes seen with summer migrants in good numbers, this included 2 Garden Warblers, and 2 calling Cuckoos, however, the highlight of this visit was watching a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in habitat where I previously considered suitable for this species.  In fact, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was a target bird for me this morning.

A good number of records gathered from this site was as follows:
2 Little Grebes, 4 Water Rails, Moorhen, 4 Grey Herons, Buzzard, 10 Shelduck (8 over), 2 Cuckoos, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 'drumming', 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male 'drumming'), Nuthatch, Treecreeper (3 singing males), Goldcrest, 8+ Song Thrushes, 8+ Blackbirds, Robin, 7+ Blackcaps, 9+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Garden Warblers, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, 2 Marsh Tit, Yellowhammer, Linnet (pair).

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Hockham. 
The distinctive 'drumming' of a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard coming from a mixed Alder/Birch woodland within swampy habitat.  The 'drumming' of this Woodpecker is easy to identify to the trained ear, it is thinner in quality than Great Spotted Woodpecker (one 'drumming' nearby for comparison), is more protracted than GS Woodpecker, and never tails off as with its larger cousin.  The 'drumming' is often, and was this morning, likened to the sound of a 'singer' sewing machine in operation (but maybe faster).

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male) at Hockham 24th April

After some searching I located the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker high in an Alder where it continued 'drumming'.  Somewhat different in appearance and structure from Great Spotted Woodpecker, as the name suggests this is a diminutive species with a short, weakish bill for a Woodpecker.  The bird appeared quite dumpy as it was pressed up against the tree.  The crown was red and the upperparts was black with white barring (lacks the large white scapular patch seen on GS Woodpecker).  This bird lacks red on the vent, another feature seen on Great Spotted Woodpecker.