Woodcock EX32487

Malcolm had seen a Woodcock yesterday but on the first round of the traps today, Ian showed a real turn on page in the Arnott trap when he saw a large bird ahead of him - it proved to be the Woodcock pictured above.
A wader that generally lives in woodland and is mostly active at dusk, dawn and night time makes it a curious bird and one that can be hard to see and especially hard to get an idea of numbers
The subtle plumage makes it a hugely attractive bird when seen well but it is also a bird that is seriously hunted. It seems a shame as it barely makes a starter for one person I am told.
Perhaps the attraction to the hunter is the difficulty of shooting the birds - on taking off they fly quickly and erratically making a tricky shot. So hard indeed that there is a specific club called the Woodcock Club for those hunters who shoot two with a consecutive left and right shot. With over 1500 members, that is 3000 Woodcock I won't be seeing.