The Black woodpecker is our biggest woodpecker, but far from the most common. It is therefore a bit of a thrill every time you get the opportunity to study it. We heard the characteristic sound - a repeating klui-klui-klui - in the Styggkärret nature reserve and then found the large pine tree where the pair of Black woodpeckers probably prepared their new nest. The couple seemed so preoccupied with their preparations that they seemed to ignore the fact that we were relatively close. I got a nice sequence of pictures of both individuals in the pair - in this picture you can clearly see how the male Black woodpecker uses its tail feathers as support when it is pecking.