The world is full of wonders, you just have to see them. The award-winning nature photographer and wildlife filmmaker Konrad Wothe from Penzberg captures the beauty of nature on our doorstep. In the SZ series “Da schau her” he presents treasures that need to be discovered and preserved with spring as nature awakens.
“Almost everyone has heard of it, but only a few get to see it: the black woodpecker is a most elegant sight in our forests. With its long, straight and ivory-colored chisel beak, piercing eyes and bright red crown on black plumage, it is a Incredibly stately fellow, a great bird! During the year he can hardly be observed because he is very secretive. In spring, however, he gives himself away by his Glückglückglück or Krükrükrü calls and by his long drum rolls, which have the same function as others Birds singing It demarcates its territory and signals to females: Here is one who is waiting for you.
The reason woodpeckers don’t get a concussion from drumming and chopping is because the beak and brain skull are elastically connected to each other, like a shock absorber. When building caves, sometimes shavings fly that are ten centimeters long. The black woodpecker is really powerful.
It is the largest of the native woodpeckers and prefers to nest in old beeches. Cave construction takes up to four weeks. Males and females do this together. They also take turns brooding, breeding and feeding. Whoever comes home first sits down a little below the cave and knocks very softly: tock, tock, tock, they are very polite.
The young hatch after twelve days. When it gets cold, they huddle together in a heat pyramid and wrap their necks around each other. In contrast to the great spotted woodpecker, the black woodpecker also uses its holes several times. Subsequent tenants are stock pigeons, jackdaws and tawny owls – they depend on him as a master builder. It has short, powerful legs, sharp claws and stiff tail feathers for support to enable it to climb perfectly. When it stretches its wings, it almost looks like it’s hugging the trunk.”