“But it’s already spotted!”, you’ll say. Well, I just forestalled that smart-ass answer. Reader Robert Seidel sent this photo that contains a spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor). Can you spot it—at least further than it’s already been spotted?
The answer will be up at 1 p.m. Chicago time.
Click photo to enlarge:
And, as an extra quiz, guess who this is holding the cat:
Hawking???
Got it. Look for the red, white and black.
The Man With the Cat looks like a young Jerry.
Yes and yes.
It isn’t me!
About 10% up from center and about 10% left from center.
Hawking.
Has everyone seen The Theory of Everything? Excellent movie.
Yup!
Is the spotted woodpecker holding the cat??
Actually, it looks like my father in the 50s.
But suspect it’s really J A Coyne.
In a certain Baltic country the following is said about this bird: Genys margas, pasaulis dar margesnis (the woodpecker is variegated, the world is even more variegated). In other words, it takes all kinds (to make a world).
Just left and just north of center.
If PCC then maybe 14 or 15 years old. Roughly 1963/4
Wonder if the pic with the cat wasn’t taken around 1965. Hmmm…
I have pin-pointed the woodpecker but I don’t believe that it is in fact Dryobates (Dendrocopos) minor. There are several spotted woodpeckers in Europe including D minor – known as the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (non birders always seem to enjoy making up imaginary bird names including the qualifiers “lesser spotted” – this is one of the few real species that genuinely has this name). However, unlike the bird in the picture, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker lacks any hint of red in the area of the vent/lower belly. I am not sure that the picture shows enough detail to determine which woodpecker it actually is. Knowing the location where it was taken might eliminate some of the possibilities.
Agreed– not a lesser spotted. The red on the belly excludes the lesser. Looks like a greater spotted (D. major), though there’s more white in the wing than I would expect. In fact, there’s more white in the wing than I’d expect any of the European woodpeckers, but this could be due to an odd posture or positioning of the wing.
As a kid I thought “lesser spotted” meant not seen very often, ie rare.
You’re right, it’s Dendrocopos major. The professor got the correct binomial from me, so he’s to blame!
Woodpecker spotted. Good one!
It took a couple minutes to find it, but that was easier than the nightjars.
🐾
Looks like E.O. Wilson with the cat.
That’s what I think.
Quiz – guess:
… … this dude a few years, er, a few decades ago ?
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/446630488025977857
?
Blue
Oh, that seals it for Bernie! Yay!
Man with cat: Robert Crump
Grrr .. CrumB
That’s what I just worked out too. Reverse image search?
No idea about the woodpecker, but is that Bill Gates?
I found the woodpecker in less than a second.
The fellow with the cat could well be Stephen Hawking, judging by his ear.