Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Darley Dale

Is this Derbyshire's rarest regular breeding bird? 
According to the Derbyshire Ornithological Society there has been no more than three proven breeding pairs per year in the County during the past decade and none at all in 2014.
Nationally the species has declined by 82% since 1970 and is now Red Listed which is the highest level of UK conservation concern.

Investigations by the RSPB identified poor breeding success  as a factor for the decline but the reasons for this are not yet known.

I have seen Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers before in the Darley Dale area but not since 2012. However, I saw a pair yesterday with both birds drumming and the male calling occasionally and I photographed the male below in the same location this morning. 
They are fantastic birds and it would be great if they could nest successfully locally.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - male

Having just worked out how to add a sound file to a blog post I've included below a recording made when I took the photo above which starts of with three drumming sessions from the Lesser Spotted followed by a louder drum from the Great Spotted followed by further Lesser Spotted and two more bursts from the Greater.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - in the sunshine at last!

Finally managed to see, and photograph, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the sunshine and with a nice blue sky for background. First Swallows over the moor this morning and plenty of Willow Warblers singing but it's still a cold wind which is holding back other summer migrants.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - drumming in the rain!

Another wet day but the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker didn't seem to mind - thought I'd see how video ran on here.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - another photo attempt

I've tried several times to photograph this Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, if it's sunny I can't locate the bird and when I do find it the light is terrible. This is another attempt in very overcast light.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Darley Dale

One of Derbyshire's rarer breeding birds and certainly one of the most difficult to locate I finally managed a photograph of this local male, through the early morning mist.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - male