Double Grail

I was back in Vienna earlier this month and had set my hopes on seeing my most wanted European butterfly.  The weather was terrible, however, with just one sunny day during my week-long stay but at least that meant the butterflies would be active during my one and only chance to explore the Viennese section of the Donau-Auen National Park.  After a couple of hours, I'd had a frustratingly brief glimpse of what might have been my target species disappearing behind the bushes but that was all so I was relieved to find this information panel confirming I was in the right area.

I decided to linger nearby and, sure enough, soon spotted a magnificent Southern Festoon within 150 metres of the sign!

Very pleased that my research had paid off, I continued my walk, hearing a Black Woodpecker calling.  I managed to find the source of the calls but then noticed it going to a hole in a birch tree, out of which popped a baby Black Woodpecker's head!  This is only the second time I've managed to locate the Holy Grail that is a Black Woodpecker nest, and the first which contained young.

With a Great Spotted Woodpecker nest also found in a busy, city-centre park, Vienna has cemented its reputation of woodpecker wonderland gained from my first visit there 11 years ago.