The shy and elusive Green Woodpecker is more likely to be heard than seen, its "laughing" call giving rise to local names of "Yaffle" and "Rainbird" (once believed to warn of impending rain). When alerted to your presence they will shuffle round the tree trunk until hidden. However, their favourite food is ants and they can't resist venturing out into open country in search of them - a bird digging out an ant hill often affords the best views of the species. Hence the title of this piece, "Hide and Seek".

Steve always gives value for money. These superbly drawn and painted birds are accurate down to the subtle differences between male and female. An adult pair occupies one side of the vase, as though hiding when looked at from the other side. On the reverse side of the vase a bird is depicted flying off in search of food. The quality of the art is outstanding - no stilted, graphic design work here, as so often seen in this medium, but beautifully executed painting.

The Green Woodpecker is less of a woodland species than its relative the Great Spotted, neither does it "drum" very much. Woodland with glades, parkland and large gardens are places where it may be encountered - anywhere in fact where the Meadow Ant is found. The green upper wings are believed to be an adaptation to grassland to make them less conspicuous when feeding. The loss of ant colonies on intensively farmed land is probably one reason why they are less common than the Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Steve's use of an autumnal setting for his design emphasises just how stunning these birds can be.