Hello,
I'm not an expert birder so pardon my description. I'm trying to identify a bird which I've seen several days in a row in a vegetable garden in Noordwijk on the western coast of Holland (side across from the UK). It has a bright yellow breast and a large patch of red on the back of the head with black markings on its back and dark legs. Longer body (20 cm) with short wings and short beak (not a duck). The vegetable patch is on dry land about half a kilometer from the sand dunes and sea.
The bird is quite a sight because I've seen him from about 50 meters without binoculars before he quickly flies into nearby trees. I'm a parrot owner and this is not a tropical pet bird. Also, I'm not from these parts so I'm at a loss on how to identify this bird. Any help greatly appreciated.
Gioia
Green Woodpecker?
Yes, that's it !!! I just looked up a pic of picus viridis and there it is :
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bir...-woodpecker.htm
"Any one who has ever taught a bird watching class or led groups of beginners will be familiar with the rare birds seen by their group. And sooner or later one of them is bound to report ' a brilliant yellow bird with a bright red head'. And they are usually convinced it is some sort of tropical bird - it must be really rare. But it is a sighting of this bird, which often takes some time to be accepted as 'only' a green woodpecker, which can fire the enthusiasm of many beginners. The yellow is in fact a yellowish green, confined to the rump, which becomes very visible as the woodpecker flies away with its bouncing 'undulating' flight. "
Thank you and sorry for being such a newbie but woodpeckers in California never looked like this.
Gioia