Tweet one

There was a great spotted woodpecker at the very top of the oak tree at the top of our garden (that is to say the back) this morning. The first proper tweet of the year. We also had a jay, some pigeons and some parakeets, but they don't count. Plus there was plenty of twittering the bushes, but that doesn't count either.

And while it might claim at reference 2 (turned up by Bing), that this is the commonest woodpecker in England, it is certainly not the commonest here at Epsom, with the larger green woodpeckers being a far more frequent visitor - to the point where they are no longer tweetable. Which all serves to remind one that there are plenty of porkies out there on the Internet, even on apparently respectable websites.

The tree in question is the one back right of the lawn (mainly moss at present, quite attractive in its way) at reference 1. Far too far away for my telephone to make anything of a bird there, hence the snap above, lifted from aforementioned reference 2. Very pretty it was too.

PS 1: I thought Gemini did pretty well on this occasion. I shall try to remember to check up on the ground feeding habits of the green woodpecker, which I had noticed - but not drawn this conclusion.

Maybe also he is developing a sense of humour, with part of his response to a comment.

And at least all that electricity which he is burning up is providing me with some entertainment. Along, presumably, with millions of others. Mr Sadiq Khan's views on the subject notwithstanding.

PS 2: a spot of light reading for this afternoon. To be compared and contrasted with our own strategy document, to be found at Cm 7948? My own copy of this last was a present from a correspondent. Maybe there is an update.

So far, all I can say is that this strategy features a lot of pictures of POTUS and none of the flashy hardware I was expecting. Perhaps one of their carrier battle groups?

References

Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/01/steak-and-kidney.html.

Reference 2: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/identify-uk-woodpeckers.