Woodcock........

[Omanyra 2,518]

A woodcocks nest

 

Edited December 18, 2015 by Omanyra

[Treehands 1,417]

A mate of mine is a bird ringer,uses an 18mtr fishing pole with a landing net of the end, says they only go on the blackest of nights.

[smithwicks 182]

Deadly pic's!

Ive only ever seen a woodcock carry its young once and it was some sight i must say!

At first when it got up in front of me i didnt know what it was until it flew across by me!

A lovely bird to eat too..

[neil cooney 10,416]

 

My young bitch was hunting them up in the rough grass on the hill where we go walking the other week, they make their beds on higher ground when the fields get too wet

They roost in daylight , mostly in woodland. It is uncommon to see woodcock in the daytime in fields. I think I've only seen it a couople of times. Once in the snow I took a few snaps of a feeding woodcock. Beautiful bird they are when you 'really' look at them.

Once photographed a woodcock on the nest......amazing camoflage....

 

JD if I had read your post last week I'd have disagreed. I've seen 100s of Woodcock while rough shooting and shot dozens ,but, last Sunday morning (I put up a post on the shooting forum) one left a tree about 20 foot above my head.

Never having seen this before I thought it was a hawk before I.D.ing it and dropped it at 60 or 70 yards.

That's the first Woodcock I've ever seen or heard of roosting.

[RossM 8,149]

Dont the young woodcock be fully grown in a month? How would you determine the age of a bird?

 

Check it's passport.......

[keepdiggin 9,567]

A new challenge maybe?.....

 

Proper hard to get pics of......but I fancy trying.....

 

No woodock were hurt in the making of these photos....

mine would jack

[low plains drifter 11,180]

If u can capture a woodcock carrying it's young in flight ull be a millionaire.. Appertantly it's never been done

This time next year Darcy !

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Mate of mine shot one out the air free hand with an airifle at night and a lurcher of mine took two one night as well as a mallard duck from a cut maize field that was waterlogged.If you keep the lamp on them ,they fly extremely far and high not getting blown like most birds .We used to bag loads out with the .22 but that phase has gone .Just starting seeing numbers here ,late though.On a 'cock shoot boxing day which im looking forward to.

[mhopton 807]

I see hundreds of them up near and had some good fun with the dog trying to get them on the seat but as yet he's failed but had a mouth full of tail feathers a few times lol

But I must ask mr darcy are you 100% sure they are woodcock and not snip they really do look the same

[king 12,029]

You tend to see more of them when there's a good hard frost.

And as our say FD they seem to hang in the air when the lamp is kept on them.

Good sport with a 410 on the wing with a lamp.

[J Darcy 5,871]

I see hundreds of them up near and had some good fun with the dog trying to get them on the seat but as yet he's failed but had a mouth full of tail feathers a few times lol

But I must ask mr darcy are you 100% sure they are woodcock and not snip they really do look the same

I know my waders...

 

Besides, it's not easy to spot snipe on the lamp. I was out two nights ago taking pics, we spotted the woodcock easy, but snipe , mostly, remain invisible until they jump...

[mhopton 807]

I was just saying as in one of the replies someone said about the thumping but that's the mating call of the snip and might just be me but they are easily mistaken

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Sorry mate but they are worlds apart really .Snipe will never raise their heads on the lamp plus size difference is distinctive even jack snipe .

[neil cooney 10,416]

You tend to see more of them when there's a good hard frost.

And as our say FD they seem to hang in the air when the lamp is kept on them.

Good sport with a 410 on the wing with a lamp.

Sorry, I know it's Christmas day and all that but any man who'd shoot a Woodcock (considered by many as the King of game birds) on the lamp is only a bollocks IMO.

For a lurcher to take one or to shoot one over a gundog is sporting. But lamping them with a gun ????????

It's the same as shooting a hare IMO.

[king 12,029]

 

You tend to see more of them when there's a good hard frost.

And as our say FD they seem to hang in the air when the lamp is kept on them.

Good sport with a 410 on the wing with a lamp.

 

Sorry, I know it's Christmas day and all that but any man who'd shoot a Woodcock (considered by many as the King of game birds) on the lamp is only a bollocks IMO.

For a lurcher to take one or to shoot one over a gundog is sporting. But lamping them with a gun ????????

It's the same as shooting a hare IMO.

People do it Neil.the same as people shooting roosting pheasants with a sling on a full moon.