The day I met a Black Woodpecker
A brief account of an encounter with a Black Woodpecker, a bird that felt almost mythical until that moment, just a dark shape screeching through the trees.
We'd recently returned from a three-week trip to the Pyrenees. The first week involved a four-day camping trek into the mountains. The final week was a shorter two day outing. Richard's already written about those adventures, so I won't retread old ground, you can read his posts here and here. Our second week was spent walking with the group from Lanjaron.
On our first day with the group, we tackled the Pico Pacino Loop. Friends Jill and Pete recommended the route, supposedly full of flowers, birds, and great views. They weren't wrong. As we climbed through the trees and meadows, wild orchids and blooms dotted the landscape everywhere. I stopped repeatedly for photos. The rest of the group, accustomed to my slow pace, would trudge ahead and wait for me at intervals along the trail.
Once we reached the col, we settled onto the grass to take in the panorama. After a while, the group headed up toward Punta del Pacino. Richard and I stayed behind, hoping the col might attract some birdlife worth watching. It's usually a fairly busy spot, but we ended up having it mostly to ourselves for nearly an hour.
I kept hearing a birdcall I recognised but couldn't place. Eventually, the sound clicked, it was a Black Woodpecker, and it was close. I turned and spotted it on the ground, no more than 25 metres away, foraging among the grass.
It seemed entirely unconcerned by our presence, though it kept glancing up at the sky. I crept closer to snap a few photos; it barely reacted. We watched it feed for maybe 15 minutes before turning back to enjoy the views ourselves. The bird remained there, half an hour or so, becoming our silent companion for the afternoon. We were hoping no one else would show up and spook it.
Then something large dropped from the sky above us. Holy heck, it was an eagle. The Booted Eagle dove straight at our Black Woodpecker. The woodpecker screamed, and I think the eagle missed its target or changed its mind because the next moment the woodpecker was flying off and the eagle departed empty clawed. All of it happened in seconds. I couldn't grab my camera fast enough to capture the attack, but I did manage to photograph the Booted Eagle as it flew away.
We couldn't believe we'd just witnessed a predator attempt to kill what had somehow become 'our' woodpecker, right in front of us. Even the eagle seemed unfazed by our presence. It circled for a while before leaving the scene. I'm hoping that the woodpecker escaped unharmed, we didn't see or hear it again, before the group returned and we left the area.
If you find yourself near that col, I'd recommend hanging around. You never know what might turn up.
Honestly, I had no idea a Booted Eagle would attempt to take something as large as a Black Woodpecker. Have you ever witnessed such a confrontation?
