Grib Skov

Libby and I packed a picnic this morning and enjoyed a long walk around Grib Skov (a large forest just north of Hillerød, about 45 minutes on the train from Copenhagen) on another fantastic Spring day. Highlights included displaying Black and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, a giant anthill and a close encounter with a (Wood?) mouse.

Amazingly, we ended the day having seen Black and Lesser Spotted but no Great Spotted Woodpeckers (although we did hear the latter). Both Black and Lesser Spot were displaying. I had never seen the display flight of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker before - a spectacular butterfly-like performance complete with fanned tail.. it must have looked very impressive to the attendant female as they soon both flew off together to a remoter part of the forest..! The Black Woodpecker was also very vocal and flighty and we were extremely lucky to stumble across it and for it to fly almost over our heads just as I had retrieved my camera from my bag.

The anthill was one of the largest I have seen - a very impressive sight and a real hive of activity with literally thousands of workers busying themselves. The mound was made out of thousands of pine needles and must have taken months if not years to reach this size..

Photos: Wood? Mouse, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker and a giant anthill