THE LINCOLNSHIRE WOODPECKER FROZEN IN TIME

                                                                               

It didn't even blink - some thought the motionless woodpecker was a plastic replica

A SMALL crowd gathered on the perimeter of Thorpe Park holiday park in Humberston, near Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire  to watch an unusual ornithological phenomenon.

This great spotted woodpecker on the trunk of a dead tree appeared to be in a state of paralysis.

Instead of flying off, it remained motionless for the best part of 15 minutes.

Some onlookers were convinced it must have been a fake, ornamental bird, attached to the tree in jest by the site owners, Haven Holidays.

But then suddenly it flew off.

Why had the bird remained stationary for so long?

The prevailing theory in birding circles is that it must have been  aware of a sparrowhawk in the vicinity.

Because woodpeckers have a weak undulating flight, they can fall prey to a fast-moving sprawk.

For that reason, it was safer for this woodpecker to remain static until it was confident the danger had passed.

* Note for twitchers: the  title below has just been published as an e-book on Kindle.

See: https://amzn.to/2zjwK30