Declan Murphy
The Great Spotted Woodpecker first bred in Ireland in 2009. Since then the author has followed the daily lives of this species nesting in an oakwood near his home in the depths of County Wicklow.
This unique, and personal, account of a family of woodpeckers raising their young brings the reader deep into the world of this fascinating species: a world of hope, love, death, new life and ultimately success. It explores the richness and diversity of the natural wonders found in County Wicklow against a backdrop of a more general overview of the species in Ireland.
It includes a foreword by filmmaker John Boorman, and features illustrations by Killian Mullarney and Flemming Christoffersen with stunning colour photographs by Dick Coombes. This book is to be treasured by everyone, not just with an interest in birds, but with an interest in the natural world around them.