Watching And Wading

With our resident woodcock in decline shoots are urging restraint, which puts us in a much stronger position, says David Tomlinson

- David Tomlinson

WOODCOCK ARE VERY special birds and the more we learn about them, the more fascinating they become. We now know that most of the individuals we see in the UK have come from as far away as Estonia, Belarus and even Russia, with some travelling as many as 3,000 miles to winter here.

They are birds that birdwatchers hardly ever encounter so are often regarded as being rare, which they are not. Some years ago I counted more than 50 during a day’s shooting in the Suffolk Brecks, a figure I submitted to the county recorder for the last British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Atlas. The recorder couldn’t believe I’d seen so many in one day, so I had to explain that when beaters and dogs hunt through prime cover, they flush birds that you would never otherwise see.

However, that count of 50 was exceptional and this season I’ve seen only a few. Whether this is because I haven’t been on the right shoots at the right time or simply because there are fewer around this winter is a matter for debate. However, what is known is that our resident breeding birds are declining fast, though no one seems to know why.

There is a small breeding population on a heath not far from my house, soon spring evenings I often go to see the roding males as they patrol their territories. Last year there were still a couple of displaying birds, but 10 years ago I would have expected to see at least five or six individuals.