WOODCOCK WEEKEND

The recent cold snap brought out the woodcock to feed in the open at Cudmore Grove Country Park. The rare sight of watching and photographing a woodcock on the Island, tempted several of the local birders to go and have a look at them over the weekend. Andy Field took this picture of two woodcock feeding together with a snipe.

This woodcock photographed by Andy had a worm in its bill. Five woodcock were thought to be along this ditch - three feeding together, a fourth bird 30 metres further along the field-edge, while a fifth bird in a ditch near the park entrance was reported by Jack Hoy. This is the most amount of woodcock seen at the park in a day.

A water rail was also seen inside the ditch on Sunday by Andy.

One of the woodcock alongside a snipe was digiscoped by Steve Entwistle on Sunday 14th.

There has been a big influx along the east coast in recent days of woodcock arriving from the continent to escape the cold weather there. Woodcock usually hide in cover during the day but this cold weather has forced them out to feed in the open. 

Not to be out-done by the others before, Jonathan Bustard managed to photograph two woodcock and two snipe feeding on the wet grassland at the bottom of the small field at the park on Sunday.

A couple of back of the camera shots of the woodcock from Steve.

Another digiscoped woodcock image from Steve.

Another woodcock was discovered elsewhere on the Island by Steve, on the verge in Meeting Lane at the entrance gate to Reeveshall, which sadly got flushed by a couple of joggers.

One of the woodcock was on show at the park on Friday 12th along with a water rail feeding along inside the ditch. This poorer image is my contribution to the woodcock album! A woodcock was also seen flying out of the ditch just inside the park entrance on Friday morning by Martin Cock.

At least one woodcock was present during Saturday morning while later two woodcock and a water rail were seen at the park late afternoon on Saturday 13th by Martin Cock.

In previous winters during periods of snow, woodcock have occasionally been seen feeding near the park pond and nearby hedge bottoms. Woodcock have sometimes been seen flying about at dusk as they head off to feed for the evening.