A lifer sighted at the park - Rufous Woodpecker

Rufous Woodpecker (Coleus brachyurus)

 Today (4 Sept'16) has got to be a very special day for birding at the park.  This is because I was ready to meet the Rufous Woodpecker.  The rains that drizzled since dawn was not yet over by noon, and made me decide to just trek the jungle for any interesting subjects with the camera ready.My ears were thrilled by the calls of a bird not yet familiar to me as I approached Botanic Island Two. The sounds moved to another location still retaining it clear loud calls.  I walked on quietly and spared my steps so as not to be obviously seen or make undue disturbing noise to the birds.  The loud calls attracted my eyes to a small durian tree and then came the moment of truth.  I spotted a brown bird clinging on to the durian tree in an upright position.  In an instant I snapped as many pictures as I could from a distance of about 30 meters.  The pictures tell it all.  It was a Rufous Woodpecker and a lifer at that.  The sighting today was auspicious because it is the first time that I could enter the word 'woodpecker' in the labels list of this blog.  Lucky me.

The Rufous Woodpecker is seen in the middle of the picture, clinging on the durian tree branch.