Books: Woodpeckers of Europe

If you want to see all 10 species of woodpecker that occur in Europe, then you will have to head east. Countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria are home to all 9 resident species plus the migratory Wryneck. Indeed, as a general rule, the number of woodpecker species increases as one heads from the very west (for example, 1 species in Ireland, 3 in Britain, etc) eastwards. This book covers all you will need to know about the European Picidae. 

Destinations: Koprarada, Soomaa - Estonia

The Koprarada (Beaver Trail) is a marked path with board-walk that passes through old forest and bog at the heart of the Soomaa National Park in Estonia. Besides beavers, birds here include White-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Black Stork, Common Crane and a range of songbirds. Sooma NP is around 30km east of Parnu.

Birding Holiday: Hungary in October 2011

From 1 - 2 October, 2011 the UK-based company Heatherlea are running a birdwatching tour to Hungary. Based at two centres in the east, in the hills and forests of the Bukk Hills and then around the plains of the Hortobagy National Park. Key species seen previously on this route include many thousands of Common Cranes, Lesser White-fronted Geese, Rough-legged and Long-legged Buzzards, Saker, White-tailed and Eastern Imperial Eagles, Stone Curlew, Syrian, White-backed and Black Woodpeckers, Dotterel, Great Grey Shrike, and many more great birds. More details via this link: HUNGARY IN AUTUMN